[Lori W]

I gave Bravecto to my dog, the next day she slept all day. Then from then on she was having accidents all over the house, which she had never done and real thirsty, a couple weeks later I took her to my vet,who I got the Bravecto from, they did blood work and was in stage 4 kidney failure. Now I am giving her fluids twice a day and a special homemade diet. She was healthy before I gave her the medicine. It stays in their system for three months. So please don’t give your dog Bravect. I dont want anyone else going through what we have.

[C4D]

InkedMarie is right, Shawna is very knowledgable on this situation. I’ve only had experience with CRF in an older dog. A few things I can share are that when in renal failure, a wet diet instead of dry is much more beneficial since your giving the kidneys more moisture to work with. You might want to check out Grandma Lucy’s website. I believe their food is made with low phosphorus. Tripe and egg white are low in phosphorus, while organ meats tend to be high in phosphorus so you might want to avoid foods that contain liver, etc. I also found a FB page called CRF Dogs that has a lot of helpful advice, although it isn’t as active as it was a few years ago. Good luck with Alvin!

[Jillian S]

I almost lost my terrier mix to these treats last winter. She developed falconi syndrome (kidney renal failure) and after nearly $8000 in medical bills she pulled out of it. If anyone has more information on this topic please share because I’m planning to take action.

[Anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/07/update-renavast-banned-by-the-fda-due-to-illegal-claims/ excerpt from blog below, click on link for full article

Posted on July 14, 2015 by skeptvet
Last year, I wrote about a supplement marketed for dogs and cats with kidney failure, RenAvast. AT the time, the Bottom Line conclusion for this supplement was this:

The ingredients in RenAvast™ are deliberately not disclosed by the company beyond the fact that they are amino acids and some sort of peptide. Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate the plausibility of the proposed mechanisms of action or any preclinical research on these ingredients.

[C4D]

Shawna is absolutely correct! Dry food is the worst thing to feed a dog in renal failure! She’s had a good deal of experience in the subject.
You do need to work with your vet for lab tests & results. There are several websites and a FB page I found helpful when my dog was diagnosed CRF.

balanceit.com provides recipes and foods based on your dog’s condition.

dogaware.com has a wonderfully helpful kidney page: http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneydiet.html

There’s a Facebook group that has a lot of information called CRF Dogs.

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by C4D.

[Shawna]

Stephanie W,

Digestibility of protein is important but bioavailability is even more important. The better the cells of the body use the amino acids in the digested protein, the less BUN is created from the protein. Raw and lightly cooked home prepared foods are going to have better bioavailability than canned and canned will be better than kibbled diets.

Most vets recommend “low” protein diets for dogs in any stage (and sometimes even before) of kidney disease. This is actually a myth and why most prescription foods are not really appropriate for the earlier stages of the disease. What may need to be controlled however is phosphorus so not all foods of good digestibility and bioavailability will be appropriate for all stages of chronic kidney disease. Here’s a VERY reliable source on the low protein myth.
“Mythology of Protein Restriction for Dogs with Reduced Renal Function
Kenneth C. Bovée, DVM, MMedSc, Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Results of the 10 experimental studies on dogs have failed to provide evidence of the benefit of reduced dietary protein to influence the course of renal failure.” http://www.dogaware.com/files/bovee.pdf

If you are willing to feed raw look at a prescription diet created by vet Dr. Barbara Royal sold by Darwins. Dr. Meg Smart has a homemade kidney diet on her blog. I also like the Wysong diet Red mentions. Just make sure the food you chose has the appropriate amount of phosphorus for the stage of disease your specific dog is in. Unlike protein, phosphorus CAN cause further damage to the kidneys.

Lots of prayers and good luck being sent your way!!!

[Cheryl F]

Hi Sharon,

I replied to you on the other thread about most reputable raw food supplier. One other thing to consider. Dont get yourself too worked up about mixing in kale, garlic, this that or the other. Easiest thing for you to do would be to source a good supplier for Salmon Oil, multivitamins and DE (diatomaceous earth). The raw food suppliers will have the ground mixes available for purchase. In my house we buy the grounds (such as ground up chicken with organ meat with vegetables mixed in, beef with organ mix, trachea/gullet mix as well as green tripe. the green tripe is a very excellent source for dogs as it can help them with kidney problems. When dogs are on a raw diet their BUN/Creatinine numbers will different than if they they were on a kibble diet. I dealt with a saint that had symptoms of renal failure when I had her on kibble – and when i had her on raw the green tripe helped to level out those numbers. We feed whole chicken necks, chicken paws, cut up pieces of chicken (back, thigh/leg, breast and gibblets) as well as turkey necks, duck necks, ground mixes and the three x/ week raw meaty bones such as marrow bones, knuckle bones, etc…

We give our dogs a good multivitamin that is tasty to them, salmon oil and DE mixed in with their food daily. My 14 yr old basset had horrible plaque build up on her teeth and now they are all sparkly white. My ‘western medicine’ vet is now finally convinced that the raw diet is so much better than the kibble could hope to be.

Hope this helps you.

[InkedMarie]

I’m not familiar with kidney failure & if a special diet is needed but any high quality soft food that your dog will eat is the best!

[Edith P]

18 yr old, no teeth, beginning signs of kidney failure. What do I feed him to encourage him to eat. Tried Cesar gourmet which he seems to like and eat, but is there better choice?

[Cathy B]

Pethelpers Inc have a posting on Facebook regarding one dog who died at four years old shortly after taking Bravecto of liver and kidney failure and one dog seriously ill from this medication. They said other dogs have died from complications within 30 days of taking it.
Personally, I would not give my dogs anything by mouth that kills fleas….

[Bob C]

My 8 year old Siberian is in the early stages of kidney failure. I’ve done a fair amount of research online and read a lot of labels at my local Petco in an effort to find a good grade commercial kibble with relatively low protein and phosphorus levels. So far Solid Gold Holistique with 18% protein and 0.65 – 0.90% phosphorus looks like my best option. If there are any non-prescription kibbles out there with lower numbers I would very much appreciate hearing about them. Thanks!

[jakes mom]

Have not rec’d it yet, they ship to my area on weds, so should arrive on Friday. I’ll be sure to keep you updated. Hoping at least somebody will like it.
BTW, sad to say I lost one of my kitties last week. Renal failure. He was my youngest kitty, 14yo. But the rest of my geriatric ward just keep chugging along. My 20yo got a clean bill of health ( except for the thyroid issue ) last month. Kidney, liver functions all fine.

[C4D]

Aj K, I used Derramax years ago because I had a lab mix and knew the issues with labs and Rimadyl. Even though I used small occaisonal doses and was careful, it did a number on his liver and ultimately his kidneys. The adequan is a very good choice and I realize the dog is senior, but Tramadol (more of a morphine like based pain killer but no damage to liver or kidneys) might be a better choice. We switched to that when the kidney failure set it. Fish oil supplements would be helpful and Dori offered some supplement suggestions that could be useful. Good luck with your baby!

[John T]

I am glad you found out before they had Kidney or liver failure/damage!! This is crazy!! I trusted BB with their BULL CRAP and heavy marketing while all along buying sub-standard cheap ingredients to pad their profits on the health of our loved one!! NEVER AGAIN! I will continue to make my little guys food and treats!!

[Anonymous]

Feeding the Kidney Patient: The Low Protein Diet Myth

Low Protein Diets? Really?

The Skinny On Kidney Disease

Kidney disease. This one way street eventually leads to death. We see it in our cats most often, much less in dogs, and I suspect far, far less in horses. People die of this regularly. Unlike the liver, with its massive capacity for regeneration, the kidney simply doesn’t allow for renewal. Once kidney failure (or, more politely, CKD chronic kidney disease) is diagnosed in your animal, it means 75% or more of the kidneys’ capacity to filter wastes is now lost. Failure is the operant word, though. These two small organs are in failure and won’t pull out of it.
http://vitalanimal.com/low-protein-diet-myths/#comments

[LabsRawesome]

Akari, Ginger needed a dental over a year ago when you first got her. It is a fact that kidney disease is caused by dental disease. It is just plain abuse to let her suffer with a mouth full of rotten teeth. Do you even realize how much agony she’s in? Please tell me how long you would have a toothache before you went to the dentist? Days? Weeks? Months? A Freakin year? Do you realize that failure to provide medical treatment to your dog is illegal? Depending on what state you’re in it may even be a felony. You are more concerned with stocking up on dog/cat food and ridiculous things that your pets don’t really even need. A large cat tree and raised food/water bowls. Really!? This is what you spend your time and money on while Ginger suffers in agony with a mouth full of rotten teeth? I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that you have let her suffer needlessly for a year. My God this is extreme cruelty. And your ridiculous claims of every major appliance breaking at the same time are no excuse to let her suffering continue. Neither is the fact that she may die during her dental. She would be better off if she did pass than living another day in excruciating pain. You can end her suffering in one of two ways. Either get her teeth removed, or have her put to sleep. Please end her suffering. Don’t wait another day. I would also like to add that I do not care if my post offends you or anyone else. I have spoken the truth, and given a voice to the voiceless. That is all.

[C4D]

I hope everything works out well for your senior girl. It’s always tough when they get to the geriatric stage. We had a 15 year old Husky mix that started urinating at night. Have you thought of putting a doggie diaper on her just to keep her dry and clean? Also I think you mentioned that she had arthritis. Have you tried adding just a bit of fish oil to her diet or some of the commercially available arthritis dog meds like cosequin? Adequin is a vet prescribed injection that you can be taught to use by the vet. There is always turmeric (my own preference) if you want to try a more natural approach. Easing the arthritis pain has helped my older dogs and while it might not help with the incontinence it could make her more comfortable. The only thing I never recommed are any of the NSAIDS. We used them in very small and occaisional doses and ended up with liver issues and quite possibly the kidney failure that occurred. Good Luck with your girl!

[LabsRawesome]

Thank you, Jeffrey. 😀
Leptospirosis Vaccine and Kidney Failure In Dogs http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/vaccine-induced-leptospirosis/
Titers: An Important Tool To Prevent Over Vaccination in Dogs http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/titers-avoiding-over-vaccination-in-dogs/
Is your pets vaccine contaminated? Vaccine Contamination http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/vaccine-contamination/

[Jennifer H]

I would still try it, personally. Do you know what ingredients he was sensitive to perhaps? I would just switch reaaallly slowly at first and watch for any signs that he isn’t tolerating it. Some companies will send samples of their food to you to try, so you don’t have to commit to a bag.

Finding multiple foods for him is a good idea in case there are ever formulation changes or recalls.

Some people switch cold turkey, but with his digestion issues imo a slower transition may be better for him. You could also look at adding probiotics/enymes to ease the transition, especially when you start out.

Ughhh I hate when vets do that! It’s like being sprayed with perfume at the mall. I’m actually in school for veterinary assisting and in our text book it has a chart for various diseases/conditions (ex: kidney failure, pancreatitis) and under recommended diet, every single one has some variation of Hills. Like no guidelines or anything about why to feed certain foods. The chart lasts like 5 pages. It’s insane.

[John T]

Thank God you got them off of it! The SAD thing is that it take a whole lot of companion animals both dog and cats to get sick, suffer and die before they identify the cause as BAD food!! ALL these companies, and I mean ALL of them are out for profits! That is why they sneak and put bad products in their foods. Think about it, they throw bad meat in a batch and save thousands! I had always trusted Blue until we could not find any reason why my dog had constant loose loose stools and high ATL levels. Amazing, with in one week of taking him off ALL commercial products he is back to normal! I make all his food and give him a daily vitamin and probiotic! It may take more time but oh well, I love him that much!! He gets 1/4 chicken, 1/4 white organic and washed rice, and 1/4 sweet potato and 1/4 vegi mix, mostly peas, carrots, green beans. I make a big batch for the week then take some and bake it for 6 minutes each side to use as treats and he loves it!! NO MORE COMMERCIAL FOOD! People are killing their companions and don’t even know it. Why do you think so many are dying with kidney and liver failure not to mention cancer! I am SO glad you got them off in time! PASS THE WORD – SAVE ANOTHER PET!

[David P]

TOTW is the cheapest of the somewhat-acceptable foods out there. It’s good you have enough love for your dog to purchase that. TOTW is what I started my three dogs (6 lbs, 24 lbs, & 68 lbs) on.

I’ve had to economize in OTHER AREAS OF MY LIFE in order to feed these 3 hounds properly.

TOTW is BARELY acceptable. On this site, you’ll see the owner/moderator mention Steve Brown of “The Canine Ancestral Diet”; Steve Brown was an MIT graduate who started studying this as a sideline and eventually veered off into the topic of “pet nutrition” full-time.

Holistic Veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker had two YouTube interviews with Steve Brown… I am somewhat RETICENT about asking you to ACTUALLY SPEND MORE MONEY but you quite obviously have already MADE THE COMMITMENT to ensuring that your puppy gets “quality nutrition”.

So…..

You need to add one of the pre-mixes to supplement TOTW (I use Sojos Green… 8lb bag is $62)… the 6 lb Chihuahua gets one tsp. per meal. the 24 lb spaniel bred to look like a mini-Rottweiler gets 1 1/2 tblsp per meal, the 68 lb American Bulldog gets 3 tblsp. per meal. Dr. Becker provided the rationale that the diet of canids (dogs, wolves, etc.) in the wild is 70% moisture and greens from the stomachs of their vegetarian prey (rabbits, squirrels, chicken, etc.) The best that even the higher-quality grain-free dry dog foods can do is 12% moisture.

Do not OVERFEED your puppy; this resulted in a “mini-rebellion” bordering on “insurrection” by the 3 dogs in my household teaming up on me to complain when I instituted “measuring cup” proportional feedings. You’ll find that WITHOUT the “fillers/excipients” in the grocery-store brands, the recommended TOTW and Champion Dog Food (Orijen and Acana) Guidelines seem rather “stingy.” I compromise since a part of the rebellion staged by these 3 was to begin eating cheetohs and french fries that the truckers drop where I walk my dogs by the Walmart.

I measure each dogs recommended portion per day and SPACE OUT the meals to four servings which sates their initial hunger pangs; the COMPROMISE is that I don’t count the calories from the pre-mixes towards their daily caloric intake; the rationale being that these are HIGH-ROUGHAGE FOODS and since dogs have very short intestinal tracts, I’m getting the INTERNAL CLEANSING of the INTESTINAL WALLS that I desire; there is ALSO water-soluble fiber from the apples, etc CLEANSING THEIR BLOODSTREAM and keeping their RENAL SYSTEM (Kidneys) healthy.

This “may” or “may not” another TOUGH PILL for some to swallow; Steve Brown pointed out in the Karen Becker YouTube interview that THE FATS in even the best of the dry foods are intact in the air-sealed environment before the bag is opened but that these same fats degrade once opened. You need to go to a dollar store and buy $1 tupperware storage containers and refrigerate/freeze the balance of the bag once opened. Humans, dogs and all mammals need a variety of high-quality fats (which are EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as proteins).

Going to what I call “minimally-appropriate quality” dog foods does involve some “financial sticker shock”; you came here because you got a great puppy dog, Zane H and you were clever enough to sniff out the necessity of going “grain free”; Blue Buffalo is to be credited with instituting a national advertising campaign and there has been an understandable backlash against Purina and other brand providers to where they sheepishly and quietly have begun acknowledging that “corn,” “soy” and “wheat” are poisoning your pets.

You came here because you love your dog, Zane H and you were faced with some tough choices; I too don’t make a lot of money at my job as a CNC Lathe Operator.

You’ve got a puppy so you have a chance to have a healthy dog.. I’d recommend going to YouTube and search for Dr. Karen Becker and Mercola Healthy pets. Here is the link to her two-part series on Best-to-worst dog foods.

This the dry I feed my dogs; Orijen is 75%/80% whole prey protein to 20%/25% fruit and vegetables (found in the stomachs of the prey that dogs/wolves eat in the wild). Princess is 68 lbs and closer to “wolf size” than either Shadow (24 lbs) or Mary (6 lbs) so she gets the higher-protein + 3 tblsps. of the sojos green per meal.

I like the LESS EXPENSIVE Acana for Shadow and Mary since it is what is contained in the other 50% that I like (The DHA and EPA). I’m thinking of switching Princess over to Acana as she ages into her 13th year of life. She and Shadow are the same age and they have been active, healthy dogs who have the puppy chihuahua to entertain them.

Dogs REALLY NEED “fresh water” every day EITHER filtered through your tap with Britta or purchased in gallon bottles (“drinking” or “spring” only not “distilled”) from Walmart.

I also use the Honest Kitchen “Preference” pre-mix and sparingly add in the Grandma Lucy’s PureFormance pre-mix to get in some of those low-glycemic chickpeas.

Acana and Orijen have won numeorus awards for their low-glycemic qualities which keeps your pets healthy in the first place so that they don’t get system failures from having bodies with their pH-levels out of whack.

You need to change your dogs water daily and also add in a Tropicana breath freshener liquid to keep their teeth clean.

It is somewhat DEFLATING to come here and discover that it don’t get any cheaper than what you’re already doing…

…but you are here and you obviously love your dog.

[theBCnut]

Hey everybody, this is entirely unrelated to dog food. As many of you know, I have an about 28 year old miniature horse. He is starting to show his age and has a few minor health problems that have cropped up, but this morning he seems to be doing particularly bad. You’ll laugh, but particularly bad for him is leaving part of his breakfast and wandering over to stare off into the woods. It may or may not be bad at all, but the last horse I had to have put down had kidney failure and that was exactly what he did when it was time to go. So, I’m a bit freaked out and would really appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers on my little old man’s behalf. It really may be nothing, but this just isn’t right for a little guy whose routine varies very little, day to day.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Susan:
I don’t want to hijack Akari’s thread, but I thought I would post this link for you. I have never had a cat with kidney failure. I came across this website a while ago when I was looking for some info for my hyperthyroid kitty. It has info regarding all stages of kidney disease in cats. Maybe this will give you a starting point to learn more about your kitty’s health condition; it cites studies throughout and links to them for further reading.
http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm
Also, if you use any meds or topicals on your cat be sure to see if they are recommended for use on a sick cat. Some topical flea meds have a warning not to use them on sick animals or to use them more often than recommended. Sorry to hear about your kitty.

[Susan]

I didn’t know she bites, she looks like a little angel…. its around $80 for the pre anesthesic blood test & it cost about $450 for dental cleaning, $40 extra for each tooth removed… My 13 year old cat Jeremy needs it done but I had blood test done last week cause he has been drinking & drinking water, it came back he has Kidney failure, so I’m not going to have his teeth cleaned now, vet said just make him comfortable & lower his protein & increase his carbs, but I’ve read the opposite to increase the protein, I told the vet this & he said high protein diet is to much work on the kidneys…I don’t know what to do……

[Kim S]

I was reading an old forum where Shawna was talking about Nitrogen Trapping. I was hoping to get some more information from her on some of the things she does for her dog that is in chronic kidney failure.

[Kim S]

Shawna…I came across this forum when I was researching things to help my dog that is a little over a year and is in chronic kidney failure from renal dysplasia. I saw that you mentioned nitrogen trapping. How much Sprinkle Fiber do you use and how often?

[nilockhart]

Susan, I would love to have the recipe for the Oatmeal Apple cookies you feed/fed Patch. We have an 11 1/2 year old English Bulldog (Memphis) with IBS for about the last year and kidney failure (diagnosed from an ultra sound and monthly blood work which has been holding pretty steady for awhile). He has also suffered with horrible skin allergies for about the last 8 years, and we’ve had several allergy tests done on him which aren’t worth the money you pay. Memphis has tried Royal Canin potato/venison for about a year, then Purina E/N (both at the suggestion of our vet) for quite some time, with Purina Gentle Snackers for treats. He did great for a while, but then he started with constant diarrhea and vomiting, and for the last 6-8 months “gagging” like he’s choking on spit, and even vomiting large amounts of thick spit, so our vet suggested 10 mg Pepcid every morning. I’ve been cooking a mixture of rice, boneless, skinless chicken breast and little mixed veggies for him for quite some time (again, at the suggestion of our vet), but he’s still having serious problems, with terrible bouts of diarrhea off and on (mainly on). We recently weened him to ground turkey breast (99% fat free) instead of the chicken because our groomer thought it could be the chicken, still no improvement. Memphis is still not doing well. He takes Metronidazole off and on when he has blood in his feces, but that has to be the worst medicine ever invented. He is lethargic and barely eats the entire 10 days he’s on it. Then, he’s only good for another 2 or so weeks again before we have another horrible bout of diarrhea. He also takes 5-7 units of Pro-Pectalin (probiotic) 2x a day when he’s sick, which does wonders for him, but we’re supposed to stop when his diarrhea stops (usually 2 days). I’m strongly considering (a) a new vet, (b) leaving him on about 5 cc’s of probiotics every day, (c) switching his food to Canine Caviar or Victor’s Ultra Pro, and (d) wondering whether he has an allergy to rice or corn. We realize he’s on the older end for an English Bulldog, but if it wasn’t for the stupid diarrhea, he is fairly healthy, even for only having one functioning kidney! We just want the diarrhea to stop; our poor little guy has to be miserable!!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[evan v]

Hello there, I just got a maltipoo. He is over a little over a year old. The previous owner was feeding him Iams adult small breed. The dog food industry sure has changed over the years. It’s been a while since I’ve had a dog. With that being said I went online and googled “best dog food” and started learning a lot about dog food in general. Anyways I was wondering what are some good dog foods you would recommend? I have already read all about diamond products and trying to stay away from them. But the funny thing is I know people are still feeding it and when I was checkin out some of the local pet stores in my area I saw 3 out of 5 people walk into a store, go right to the TOTW section, pick up a bag and then proceed to check out. On the other hand the other two people bought BB and Nutro. I got to talk to the lady that bought BB and long story short she said her German Shepard dog is doing so much better on it.

Lastly while I was at a local store one guy said since hes a small dog the high protein diets are not very good for him. He said small dogs can get kidney and liver failure. So I’m looking into something that’s low in protein. Also the guy seemed to already know a little bit about this website. He said the guy that does all the reviews is a dentist. At that time I didn’t know that. LoL. I just love coming on here and looking at the the ingredients from all the different dog foods and like I said before what are some good dog foods you would recommend? Thanks!

[Sarah Y]

Yes, dehydration can affect BUN. One of the side effects for a kidney failure pet is dehydration. It’s one of the things our vet looks for in our cat every time we bring her in for a check up. Also it can lead to hypertension.

There is controvery on low/high protein diets with regards to kidney disease. The one thing that researchers agree on is keeping the pet on a low phosphorus diet. That’s across the board. You will find that more recent studies show that high protein diets may be more useful in pets with renal disease.

Although I disagree with my vet a bit, I still have to trust that she’s doing the best she can in making sure my cat has a longer quality of life. I do believe that renal prescription diets work, but I also know that I hate the ingredients thrown in there. My cat is eating the food so that’s a positive in our favor.

I’ll share some articles, but keep in mind that vets really rely on veterinary articles:

http://www.wysong.net/pet-health-and-nutrition/high-protein-kidney-disease.php

/best-dog-foods/low-protein-dog-foods/

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/nutrition/client_info_sheets/chronic_renal_disease.cfm

http://dogaware.com/health/kidneyprotein.html

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/ckd.aspx

http://championpetfoods.com/files//Myths_of_High_Protein.pdf

Hopefully these help a bit….if you dog does have early signs, it’s great you caught it early!

[Merry G]

PS.
I just read the report from this Doc Bovee for about the 5th time. It sounds like the idea for reduced protein diets was developed in the 40s but it really has no basis in scientific fact. It even appears that a low protein diet is worse for renal failure. We picked up some Science Diet kd last week.
I fed my Boxer some of it trying to ease her into new food and she’s not been feeling well for the last couple of days. She won’t eat but drinks water and then goes and eats grass and throws up. She also seems to spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning her
“girlie area” especially at night.
I’m calling the Vet on Mon and hoping to get her in the same day.
I know that nausea and vomiting are supposed to be signs of more advanced kidney failure but it seems to me that in the so called “early stages” these symptoms shouldn’t be occurring just yet and perhaps there’s something else going on her making her sick. Sigh….and that’s probably just me grasping at straws and trying to maintain hopefulness that my Sage hasn’t moved so quickly into the advanced stages of renal failure.
She was only diagnosed this past month.
I live in the desert and I don’t feel that the vets we’ve been to over the years have been all that great. They seem to care more about cows and horses than house pets. We’ve gone to all 4 of the vets available and their competency has alot to be desired but we’re hoping this guy is the best of the worst.
Ok, thanks again to you all who have taken the time to read my ramblings and responded. We dog folks are sniffalicious top shelf!

[Merry G]

I don’t understand how a dog’s BUN numbers can be elevated either by dehydration or a sign of kidney problems. You’d think that they wouldn’t even mention dehydration! He did tell me that she can live with it for quite some time before it worsens but didn’t say how quickly it can progress or what to watch for. She doesn’t really like the KD Science Diet and I found some dog food online that has low protein and I ordered a case hoping she’ll be happy eating it. I don’t mind making my own food for her. I’ve been boiling and crock potting chicken for her for more than a year because she decided regular dog food was beneath her “diva dignity.” I mix it with brown rice sometimes and she gets the broth and carrots too.
I like to squirt a bit of fish oil in her bowl but that dog can sniff it out and then she will not eat it!
I would have no problem cooking her whatever kind of food would be good for her I’m pretty much used to it now.

I read a paper written by a Vet about putting a dog on low protein food in the early stages of renal failure. His name is Kenneth Bovee, DVM, MmedSc, (Dept of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.) It reads kind of dry and technical but I did my best to understand it. It seems that there’s quite a controversy about if a low protein diet actually helps but Vets have been told it works so they’ve been recommending it for a long time.
I’ve read about herbal supplements that can help the kidneys function better, or “cure” renal failure but I don’t believe there’s a cure!

I appreciate all your feedback and I hope that I can help Sage live the rest of her time with us in a painless, quality way. I still marvel at what a dog can add to one’s life and how completely smitten we can become over them! I’ve had 4 boxers in my life and I’ve loved every one of them equally and my life was enriched by their love.

http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/support-files/bovee_protein_renal.pdf

[Audrey C]

My vet prescribed a Chinese herb called Rehmannia 6. My dog was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure 5 weeks ago. In addition, I add one small squirt of fish oil to absorb the bitter taste of the herbs. He is eating only canned food, as I don’t want to stress or dehydrate his digestive system. I give him the Science Diet “Mature Adult” Savory Stew with Beef and Vegetables, which my vet said was fine. I’m holding off on the prescription kd for now. I took him to the vet last week for a follow up last week and guess what? Normal blood and urine, no renal or kidney failure detected. If I had access to an acupuncturist who would come to my home, I think it would further strengthen his kidneys.

[Merry G]

I have an 8 yr old Boxer named Sage who was just diagnosed with early renal failure. Her first blood test had high BUN numbers but the second test was on “the high side of normal.” The Vet also said that dehydration can cause the BUN numbers to be high. I have to travel 50 miles 1 way to get to the Vet, and Sage hates long car rides and is pretty much in a state of high anxiety, drooling and slobbering all over the car, and constantly panting and putting her head out the window. She won’t drink water when we get to the Vet’s either. So he said she has to be on the Hills Science Diet KD formula so that her kidneys won’t get worse. She’s a very picky eater and I’ve been cooking chicken for over a year for her meals. She also gets carrots, brown rice and an occasional few spoons of canned dog food mixed into her bowl. She doesn’t mind the Science Diet but it’s only a matter of time before she refuses to eat it and I would like to find some alternative low protein/low phosphorus food for her to try. I’m still undecided about this so called kidney problem since she could have been dehydrated. I told the Vet about her anxiousness in the car but he pretty much blew that off. She also had 2 urine tests and he said that it “wasn’t concentrating enough protein.” I want to do right by my dog with her diet and this kidney issue but I’m getting more confused the more I look up dog food information. I just want to keep her as healthy as I can for as long as I can. Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated!

[Mary L]

An important step in the system to order the removal of contaminated dog food will give the FDA the power of the newly proposed law, policy and penalties for violation of the notice requirement for the product.
This is an important step in the control of potentially contaminated feed dogs did not exist inherent dangers that can deliver power to the FDA.

Powers of the new federal law, the FDA:

• Require contaminated dog food recall dog food immediately. Currently, the FDA voluntarily recalls contaminated dog food dog food from the store to remove the product has to wait for the company.

• Tampering with the dog food products currently on the market occurs when an initial notification in the system. FDA does not know this information system to collect data and without waiting for the makers of dog food on the market is evident as soon as they report the problem will be enhanced by working with the animals and other organizations. Dog food manufacturers to ensure the existence of a problem for a few weeks before the current food crisis spread its poisonous tentacles dogs. These delays the health of thousands of dogs worldwide endangers.

• Federal labeling requirements for the implementation of dog food. Currently, dog food to meet the requirements for the label is too lax or virtually impossible.

• FDA regulation of food imports and improve energy. Dog Food Recall the current reporting poisoning in dogs, causing kidney failure and death in China is almost nonexistent and the lax regulation of protein expression and other imported ingredients suppliers.

The FDA is currently less than 1.5% of all food imports are inspected. There is a new certification program safety and to allow FDA to inspect your plants to export to the United States that the Company will be required. The Company can not comply with their certification revoked and the use of its products for use in dog food or people not eligible for shipment to the United Sates.
Until that day comes, one of the best ways to assure that your dog is eating a healthy and nutritious diet is to prepare a homemade dog food diet. It’s easy and your dog’s health and your purse will both be thankful. To learn more about the necessity of feeding your dog a healthy and natural diet visit: http://www.pratsals.com

• This topic was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Mary L.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Mary L.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Mary L.

[theBCnut]

I’m so sorry for your loss, but even if you kept every receipt, you still couldn’t prove that something else entirely didn’t cause the kidney failure. There are so many things that can cause kidney failure.

[Jennifer S]

I am waiting on my order of this dog food. I have a 10 year old Rottie, Penelope, and she has been on several different prescription diets. She has IBS, early kidney failure and pancreatic flare ups. I searched for hours to read about any food that could help her rebound from losing weight. She has lost 15 lbs in the last six months. I have spent a so much money on ultrasounds, xrays, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and the prescription food. I am ready to try this food with optimism. I plan on adding venison to the mix because this is the protein source she is used to.

I will post results in a month.

[Sarah Y]

have you checked out http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html. I find these a great place to find more info on diets, prescription and non prescription for dogs with kidney disease/failure.

My one dog is eating wellness senior food which is one of the lower commerical foods out there with low phosphorus (.74%) It’s still higher than the diet foods though. Also, keep in mind, what doesn’t seem tasty to you may be tasty to your dog. Wouldn’t hurt to try it.

One of my cats is in renal failure and she loves her can food (Hills K/D prescription)

[2nd2none]

to clarify, i said this….” the unnecessary protein in the feed these days????? if anything it’s more HARMful, “….. i didn’t say it was more harmful [to the kidneys], HDM. nor did i mention any thing about renal failure. and as with all things, everyone has an opinion on the subject, based on one study or another, or, whose POV they find most convincing.
case in point: (in fact) 2 of the 5 footnotes on this very subject, in this site, are from the 1990’s, another is 7 years old. outdated to some, perhaps, but convincing to others… belief is a matter of choice

my source came from the 2010 edition of the Merek Vet Manual. http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/management_and_nutrition/nutrition_small_animals/nutritional_requirements_and_related_diseases_of_small_animals.html#v3328611

but thank you for your opinion.
imo, if something in a dog’s body is not being utilized and due to the extra amount given, is causing something else in the dog’s body to overwork, to compensate for that, why even give it in the first place?

and best wishes to the op’s dog. hoping things have improved since july

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi 2nd2none –

The idea that only active dogs require more protein is a myth. In fact, strenuous activity has only a marginal impact on dietary protein requirements.

From “Basic Animal Nutrition and Feeding” 5th Ed.:

“Rennie and Tipton (2000), in a review of this subject [the effect of strenuous exercise on protein and amino acid metabolism], reported that sustained exercise stimulates amino acid oxidation (chiefly branched chain) for gluconeogenesis and possibly affects regulation of acid-base balance, resulting in a short-term net loss of tissue protein due to decreased synthesis and increased degradation. Protein synthesis rebounds quickly following rest. The data indicate that exercise does not increase the dietary protein requirement; in fact, efficiency of protein metabolism may be improved as a result of exercise.”

Higher protein does not equate to more calories when in fact the opposite is true. Protein contains 4 kcal. per gram, carbohydrates contain 4 kcal. per gram and fat contains 9 kcal. per gram. Exchanging carbohydrate for protein does not change the caloric density of the food and exchanging fat with protein would actually decrease the caloric density of the food.

From “Focusing on Protein in the Diet” by T.J. Dunn Jr. DVM:

“Extra carbohydrate intake, above the immediate needs of the dog (which occurs often with grain-based diets) prompts internal enzyme factors to store that extra carbohydrate (sugar) as fat. Give that same dog extra protein and it is excreted through the kidneys and NOT stored as fat. Knowing this, what do you think would make a better “weight loss diet” for a dog … one with grain as the main ingredient or one with a protein-rich meat source as the main ingredient?”

It’s also a myth that excess protein (beyond what is necessary to meet the dog’s amino acid requirements) harms the kidneys. It is the job of the kidneys to excrete wastes and in a healthy animal, the kidneys are fully able to do this.

From “Small Animal Clinical Nutrition” 4th ed.:

“Feeding protein above requirements or recommendations for healthy dogs and cats does not result in toxicity because the excess amino acids from the protein are catabolized and the waste nitrogen is excreted.”

From “Focusing on Protein in the Diet” by T.J. Dunn Jr. DVM:

“The very early research that pointed a finger at protein as being a cause of kidney failure in dogs wasn’t even done on dogs! It was done on rats fed unnatural diets for a rodent — diets high in protein. (Were we tinkering with Nature during these “tests”?) Rats have difficulty excreting excess protein in their diets because they are essentially plant eaters, not meat eaters. Dogs are quite able to tolerate diets with protein levels higher than 30 percent on a dry weight basis. Dogs are meat eaters; that’s how Nature made them!”

From “Kirk’s Veterinary Therapy XIII, Small Animal Practice” p. 861:

“…restriction of protein intake does not alter the development of renal lesions nor does it preserve renal function. Considering these (research) findings, the authors do not recommend reduction of dietary protein in dogs with renal disease or reduced renal function in order to achieve renoprotective effects.”

[Susan]

Hi Audery, what about the vet prescription diets, has your vet recommended a can food for your boy, as the vet diets have been made especially for kidney failure & other illnesses…a vet diet would be the best at this stage especially with chronic kidney failure & will probably help him the best…..its sad when they get old & sick poor boy… My 14 year old cat had an operation 2 years ago, a cyst was wrapped around 1 of his kidney & was filling up with urine & was crushing his kidney, the vet had never done this operation before as it was very rare what my cat had but the vet cut the cyst & stitched the cyst to the side wall, so the cyst can’t fill up with urine, now the urine just runs free thru his body & the body absorbs the excess urine..

[Audrey C]

Can someone recommend a canned dog food with low phosphorous content? My dog is 12 years old and was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Currently he’s eating Blue (Senior) dog food mixed with Blue kibbles. But I wonder if there’s a supplement I can add to slow down the kidney failure or a dog food that will slow its progression. Any advice?

[losul]

C4C, Bobby dog, Thnx. I agree about getting more back to basics. Hopefully more manufactur’s will lean more that way in the future. It’s mind boggling to me how many dogs are having allergies, intolerances, etc., and how many folks have so much trouble finding foods that are agreeable, out of the hundreds of foods out there. Is shouldn’t be that way, and why do so many dogs seem to have these allergies in the first place, I think it’s unnatural. 10 years and more ago, I thought it was very rare for dogs to have allergies, now it seems to be very commonplace. (or maybe I was just in the dark back then, well I know I was in the dark, lol. ). All of the botanicals in Origen are what have kept me from trying so far. C4C, I hear ya on the funny looks!

Naturella, I hesitate to advise you how much to give your dog and whether or not to give it at all, I almost feel like it would be medical advice. For one thing there’s such a variance in the size of cloves, and another some dogs would be more sensitve than others. The health and and nutrition of your dog could also be a factor. Your dog is very small, and only about 1/3 the weight of mine. I give mine about 1 1/2 large cloves per week, they average about 4 grams each clove. It’s crushed and mixed in with 4 days worth of food. For the next 4 days batch, I leave garlic out of it, the next, garlic again, and so forth. I think I give him less than most sites advocating it advise, I would never give him so much that he has would have garlic breath to much extent, and well, if I would ever notice that he would actually begin to exude the odor from his skin, I feel that would be entirely too much and could be dangerous. If you do decide to use garlic so, just to be precautionary, start out tiny, like just a small slice of a clove, and make sure there isn’t any kind of intolerance or allergic reaction first. I wouldn’t think 1 small/medium sized clove a week, distributed in several meals would be too much for your dog. I know I wasn’t much help, sorry…. BTW, I can almost smell the food a cookin! MMmmmm garlic toast, Luv feta cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on my tomato slices!

Aimee, Wow you exuded garlic fragrances for 3 days after just eating 1 meal with some? Are you sure you didn’t take a large doggy bag home with you and indulge several times? 😀

I didn’t mean to imply that all mammals have equal susceptabilities, just that they have the same suceptibilties.

I think the papers desribing garlic use for sickle cell anemia used aged garlic extract (AGE). Many of the compounds and properties were changed by the aging or fermenting process, no? At any rate garlic and it’s many compounds have a whole lot of medicinal possibilities wouldn’t you think?

It’s hard to come by actual research on humans, it’d be very unethical to try to induce hemolytic anemia in humans. There seems to be lots of it on various mammals, cats, rats/mice, dogs, cows, horses, sheep, birds, etc. Some of what I’ve seen is merely anecdotal, such as a professor and some students informally volunteered to eat an abnormal amount of onions ( i think it was 2 medim/large, cooked, daily) for a period of 5 days, they all displayed physical signs of anemia, and upon blood testing indeed showed that to be the case.

Here is a study where the researchers where attempting to test the effects of certain native vegetables that could mitigate garlics unwanted effects on Nigerians. The actual study was done with rats, but as I said….;

“Garlic (Allium sativum) is popularly consumed in Nigeria because of its health benefit in treatment and management of several disease conditions. However, excessive intake of garlic may cause hemolytic anemia. This project sought to investigate the ability of some commonly consumed tropical green leafy vegetables—namely, Amaranthus cruentus, Baselia alba, Solanum macrocarpon, Ocimum gratissimum, and Corchorus olitorius—to prevent garlic-induced hemolytic anemia.”

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2004.7.498

———————————————-

Is this the study that brought about AVMA’s determination that garlic should not be fed to dogs?

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1446

Objective—To determine whether dogs given garlic extract developed hemolytic anemia and to establish the hematologic characteristics induced experimentally by intragastric administration of garlic extract.

Animals—8 healthy adult mixed-breed dogs.

Procedure—4 dogs were given 1.25 ml of garlic extract/kg of body weight <b>(5 g of whole garlic/kg) intragastrically once a day for 7 days.</b> The remaining 4 contol dogs received water instead of garlic extract. Complete blood counts were performed, and methemoglobin and erythrocyte-reduced glutathione concentrations, percentage of erythrocytes with Heinz bodies, and percentage of eccentrocytes were determined before and for 30 days after administration of the first dose of garlic extract. Ultrastructural analysis of eccentrocytes was performed.

Results—Compared with initial values, erythrocyte count, Hct, and hemoglobin concentration decreased to a minimum value on days 9 to 11 in dogs given garlic extract. Heinz body formation, an increase in erythrocyte- reduced glutathione concentration, and eccentrocytes were also detected in these dogs. However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The constituents of garlic have the potential to oxidize erythrocyte membranes and hemoglobin, inducing hemolysis associated with the appearance of eccentrocytes in dogs. Thus, foods containing garlic should not be fed to
dogs. Eccentrocytosis appears to be a major diagnostic feature of garlic-induced hemolysis in dogs. (Am J Vet Res 2000;61:1446–1450)
—————

Some notes about this; At the rate I give Turbo, it would take 2 years to give my dog the equivalent of what the researchers gave these dogs all in 1 week. The second paragraph gives plenty enough to be concerned about, but “However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia”

————————————————————–
I’m amazed you would not be concerned about feeding a dog grape pomace, when as far as I know, the causitive agent of grapes/kidney failure has yet to be determined.

[Corinne M]

Hi Jennifer,
I’m so glad to hear that the info was helpful – I remember how hard & overwhelming it was for me to learn about pancreatitis when it my dog was going through it. So it’s nice to know that someone else can make use of what I learned. I’m sorry to her about your experience with the vet – I think I just lucked out with mine. But I don’t want to leave you with the impression that your vet did anything wrong in prescribing Prednisone, because I think that it’s something that is widely used to treat specific problems, but just like any drug or herbal remedy, there are times & cases when it’s just better to avoid it – an argument could be made that giving your dog a corticosteroid so that he’s not in constant misery from the itchiness is a compassionate thing to do. The flip side is, there are risks associated with using it and if the “itchies” can be eliminated through diet & supplements maybe that’s worth trying.
I also don’t know why they are pushing Royal Canin – maybe they’ve had other dogs do well on it and think it’s the right thing for Milo. But I agree with you, if you suspect it’s triggering allergies it’s worthwhile to look at other foods.
My dog’s are doing great on what I feed them – I alternate between homecooked, home-prepare raw, and commercially prepare raw. But here’s the thing – I only started doing this about 4 years ago because one of my dogs had a blown-out immune system & I had to learn how to feed him in a way that was anti-inflammatory, avoided chemicals, avoided allergens, etc. etc. And to be honest, I have made mistakes along the way that could have done more harm than good (for example, I got the phosphorus/calcium ratio totally wrong for awhile and only discovered it after labwork came back with creatinine levels waaaaay high – I could have caused kidney failure in my dogs if that had not been caught & corrected). And I still consider myself to be learning – so I keep a close eye on them and read everything I can get my hands on and keep it simple and safe. I will do some research for you & report back what I find, but in the meantime, keep up your search for a nutritionally complete & balanced high-quality commercial food that meets the requirements for Milo’s pancreas.
I do think a simple boiled chicken & rice diet is useful when dogs are sick – fewer ingredients to upset their system. But, the recommended fat ratio for a dog with damaged pancreas is REALLY specific so I would only home cook right now if I knew for certain that the recipe I used was safe in terms of fat ratio. The recipe I used after Max had pancreatitis was formulated for me to deal with his other issues but I’ll look for info on a basic safe recipe for you.
BTW: Thanks to the other posters who found my post helpful. I learn so much from you all and from this website! I really appreciate the resources & people here!
Corinne

[shane c]

Blue Buffalo killed my pitbull at 22 mo old. Hed been eating IAMs for 20 of those mo. then i switched to wilderness Blue Buffalo. hes dead in less than 2 mo. Kidney Failure. heres a BIG F YOU to Blue Buffalo…. My dog is dead as a result.

[theBCnut]

Cats do best long term on wet foods. The most common cause of death in cats is kidney failure, which they attribute to an unnaturally dry diet. They do kind of imprint on the type of foods they are fed when young, so if you only feed dry, later they will refuse canned. Introducing raw and canned young is very important.

[theBCnut]

I’ll second that!!!!!!!! Don’t give chemicals your dog doesn’t need. Dogs and cats are dying from kidney failure more than ever before and it’s probably because most vets and owners don’t think twice about how much chemical exposure their pet has.

[Yorkiemom]

Lots of opinions, from lots of people who love their Yorkie Babies. I have a sweet little baby girl Yorkie, who is is 6. Our breeder recommended Royal Canin (Yorkie formula) right from the start. when she was about 2, I decided that I would make her own food. Grassfed free range chicken breast, vegetables, a little brown rice. well she started having issues. Then I tried a very well known natural, organic high protein. Long story short. the diet(s) were affecting her ph level and her kidney. She was showing signs of early kidney failure. Yorkies are also susceptible to pancreatitis, so they cannot have extra fat in their diets. (The well known natural food I gave her. Some of the best rated natural dog foods have too much fat for a yorkie) The vet advised that her ph was off die to too much protein in her diet. so I went back to Royal Canin Yorkshire 28, and she has been healthy and happy ever since.
Regardless of the claims, most dog foods appear to be manufactured as one size fits all. It may be a quality food and great for some breeds, but none of them, EXCEPT Royal Canin takes into consideration the specific needs of each breed. My little girl is healthy again, and I learned a valuable lesson at her expense. If you are having success with other foods, good for you. Many many Yorkies have become champion show dogs eating Royal Canin.
My sweetheart is active chasing squirrels, rabbits and deer every day. She eats after her morning activities. She is healthy and happy. Hasn’t been sick since we switched back to Royal Canin Yorkshire 28. I highly recommend it!
Please don’t bash me on here like I’ve seen others bashed. Simply sharing my experience to keep Yorkies happy and healthy.

[Susan C]

My dog almost died before we discovered he has AUTOIMMUNE disease. A life on Steroids means eventual kidney failure. We hope that a diet change will increase the chance of a normal life. He needs additional omega 3 and 6 plus zinc and more that I am not familiar with. Happy to make him dinner, but if there is a dog food that moves us in the right direction, I can at least supplement what I feed him now.
Help!

• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Susan C.

[Shasta220]

Another question entirely off the topic…. What are symptoms of kidney failure in cats? I’m taking care of their cat as well as pup. All I do right now is go to the house to scoop litter and put some canned food in her bowl. She’s 17 and has kidney disease already, and they did give me their vet number incase of kidney failure, saying it’d be okay to put her down if necessary. I’m keeping my fingers crossed all will be fine, but what are some things to look for? I’m guessing no urine in the litterbox is a big one, right?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Cathy –

I’m going to alert Shawna to your post. Shawna is a regular poster here and is very knowledgeable about kidney disease. She has a dog that was born with kidney disease. What I can tell you is that you do not want to reduce protein levels prematurely – doing it too soon (such as in the early stages of the disease) will ultimately do more harm than good. The focus in early state kidney failure should be on switching to a high quality protein (i.e. avoiding kibble and instead moving to fresh foods).