Kidney disease, medically termed as renal disease, is quite common in dogs who are reaching their golden years. Depending on the individual dog, symptoms can vary in the extreme. Some dogs may exhibit symptoms almost immediately, such as with acute kidney disease. Other dogs may exhibit symptoms slowly over time and be more difficult for the owner to notice or diagnose.
Symptoms of Kidney Disease
Some of the more common symptoms of kidney disease include a change in fluid intake and a change in urination. Some dogs may experience an increase of water intake. Meanwhile, urination can either become increased in frequency, decreased in frequency or ceased completely. Other symptoms include a decreased appetite, blood in the urine, vomiting, weight loss, lethargy or diarrhea. Fortunately, kidney disease has several options for treatment, including special diets.
Hydration
Throughout any kidney disease treatment, hydration is key. Kidney disease often causes the animal to become severely hydrated. Your veterinarian will likely re-establish fluids after a diagnosis of kidney disease. This will most likely be done through the use of IV fluids over the course of several hours. Following this, it will be important to maintain your dog's fluid levels in order to aid in cleaning out toxins in your dog's system.
Low-Protein Diets
Previously, low-protein diets were instantly recommended by veterinarians for dogs with failing kidneys or various stages of kidney disease. In more recent studies, the researchers at the Iams company have found that decreasing the intake of protein may actually cause more damage, rather than help the dog.
Reducing the intake of protein can cause malnutrition in dogs. New research has helped to discover that fiber can be used through the colon to help the kidney function by allowing the colon to dispose of toxins, rather than the kidney. Reliving the kidney and reducing the severity of symptoms, and prolonging the dog's life.
Low-Phosphorus Diets
Another common diet for dogs with kidney disease is one that is low in phosphorous, such as Hill's Prescription Diet k/d food. High amounts of phosphorous have been shown to speed up kidney failure. This diet controls phosphorus intake, which can help slow down kidney failure.
Home-Cooked Diets
A third option for dog owners is to create their own home cooked diets for their dogs. These diets follow specific recipes and your veterinarian is likely to have a few on hand, if this is the route you would like to choose. Keep in mind that a home-cooked diet takes work, so you may want to talk to your vet about combining a home cooked diet with a prescription diet. Most of these recipes include ingredients such as chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, eggs, bread, vegetable oil, flour, garlic and even green beans or carrots. They also include supplements such as calcium tablets and multiple vitamin tablets for a well-rounded diet.
When using a home-cooked diet, it's important to follow the recipes exactly. Adding in additional seasonings or foods to try to enhance the diet for your dog's enjoyment is not recommended and can be detrimental. But without the added seasonings, your dog is likely to enjoy a home-cooked diet even more than his traditional bowl of kibble.
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