[nicolette k]

I need some recommendations for a low phosphorous, medium protein dog food

my 4 small breed dogs ranging in age from 13 to just 9 months old have been on blue buffalo wilderness chicken – my senior canine does better with a ” no grains diet” – he gets occasional gastritis and has a sensitive stomach.
My youngest- a yorkie – age 9 month has been diagnosed with early kidney failure. The vet recommended switching her dog food: lowering protein content and finding a low phosphorous food.
My main issue is that all 4 of my dogs share one food dish and graze through the day – there is no way to feed my puppy separately short of locking her up for the rest of her days. So I need to find something that works for all of them …
We are not aiming to bring down protein too much but the vet argued that she would like to see it more around 20-30 than over 30. I know this is controversial but she is an experienced vet who sees a lot of small breeds and she argued that her tiny patients seem to do better with slightly lower protein content. Anybody out there with recommendations as far as kidney diet goes .

[Acroyali]

I don’t feed kibble, so I can’t make any good recommendations but I’m sure someone with more knowledge on the matter will chime in soon!

I wanted to ask if the vet mentioned perhaps offering her a little bit of canned food daily, as well as changing her dry? Even if you gave her a tablespoon or two and let the other dogs have a small taste as a daily treat, it wouldn’t break the bank or create the need for specified meal times, and the extra moisture probably would be of some benefit for her kidneys.

Best of luck with your pup.

[aimee]

Hi Nicolette,

To find a food suitable for your pup I recommend that you go back to your vet and ask what phosphorus level she would like to see in the diet. In other words have her define “low” for you.

AAFCO requires phosphorus levels that are higher than the diets formulated specifically for kidney patients. The phosphorus levels in the kidney diets differ depending on company and formula but can be about .5-0.8 grams phos/1000kcals. For diets you can buy in the store without a vet oversite the min is currently 1 gram/1000kcals recently changed from 1.4 grams/1000kcals. Most diets greatly exceed this and companies only report their min and not average phos level.

In general the Hill’s company is renal proactive and their senior diets are formulated to be close to the old min of 1.4 grams/1000 kcals. Most of their diets include grain. They make a Salmon and potato grain free and the phos level in that is reported as ~1.6 grams/1000kcals

Your may have to switch to meal feeding your dogs to best meet the nutritional recommendations from your vet.

[Susan]

Hi can you buy each dog their “own” bowls, all different colours, make them all sit, call each ones name & give him/her their dinner in “their” bowl, the way your feeding them at the moment you don’t know if one dog is eating more then another dog, if one dog isn’t eating much one day & is feeling off…..I have a kitten 11months old & dog the kitten is very impatient when her food is being put into her bowl, so she is feed first up on her scratching post thing, Patch is feed in the lounge room so I can sit down on lounge & put a few kibbles in his bowl at a time, other wise he gulps all food under 1 min, he has IBD mainly stomach…..

For your old boy have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior kibble, it’s easy to digest & has only 7 ingredients, excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs, I would send Canidae a email asking what is their lowest Phosphorus kibble, normally large breed puppy formulas are lower in Phosphorous & ask can is their large breed puppy formula Duck Meal Brown Rice & Lentils formula wet & dry be feed to your girl with Kidney problems, its 0.80% Phosphorous & kibble size is nice & small, all Canidae formulas have small easy to digest kibbles…
I know when I’ve emailed kibble companies asking can my 8 yr old eat their new large breed puppy formula, they have all said yes, puppy formulas normally aren’t over 30% -protein, fat isn’t high & have DHA which is excellent for skin, joints, eyes, brain, heart etc so it will also be good for a senior dog as well….
When I emailed “Taste Of The Wild” last week, 2 vets emailed me back within 24hrs asking further questions about my boy health problems, then they recommend which formula’s NOT to feed, so you could give TOTW a try & have a look at their wet tin foods for your young pup, dry kibble isn’t good for dogs with kidney problems, wet food is better…
If you email Hills or Royal Canine or Purina, ask can a vet nutritionist please contact you…

I don’t know if all your dogs can all eat the same formula??? this is Canidae’s Large Breed Puppy, all Life stages formula & it’s low in phosphorous, email Canidea & ask them, it come it wet tin as well..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-life-stages-large-breed-puppy-duck-meal-brown-rice-lentils-dry-formula

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Susan.

[aimee]

Hi Susan,

Because growth diets have to have enough minerals present to support bone growth they as a group are too high for a kidney patient in need of a low phosphorus food. AAFCO currently requires 2.5 grams phos/1000kcals to meet it’s nutrient profile for growth. Previous requirement could be as low as 2 grams/1000kcals which is the min amount reported for the Canidae puppy diet you suggested.

[Susan]

Hi Aimee that’s why I wrote email the kibble companies & ask their vet & they will say, don’t feed etc …….My 8yr old boy doesn’t have any kidney problems only IBD & Skin Allergies & finding a kibble can be very hard, a few Australian kibble companies have brought out grain free Large breed puppy formulas, that are Lamb, lower in fat & protein & have the omega 3, what he needs for his IBD & Skin, so I’ve been trying them….

[anonymous]

https://www.chewy.com/newmans-own-organics-advanced/dp/44980
Newmans Own Organics is a decent food, not sure if it will meet the criteria you are looking for, check it out and then contact your vet with the numbers.

I had a dog with kidney damage and I went strictly by what the veterinarian that was treating her recommended, prescription food, along with a variety of other treatments I was able to keep her comfortable for a couple of years.

I wouldn’t dream of letting the other dogs eat her food. I find dogs tend to fight over food (food aggression) so, I feed separately, 2 feedings per day and monitor at mealtime.
I won’t leave empty dishes down, as I have seen fights break out over that.

Another experience I had years ago due to leaving food down all day, MICE, yes, they chewed through a kitchen wall to get to it!

[anonymous]

I would be inclined to go with whatever food the veterinarian that examined and diagnosed the dog recommended. Prescription or whatever.
And NO, you can’t free feed dogs that have different nutritional needs and expect good results.
Free feeding, in general, sucks (imo). I did it years ago and ended up with mice chewing a hole through my kitchen wall to get to it!
Also, consider food aggression, a natural instinct that can occur with dogs. Some, more than others.
I monitor meals and do not leave empty food dishes on the floor, the dishes are washed and rinsed twice a day.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by anonymous.

[HoundMusic]

Feed your puppy in a crate – if she doesn’t eat, the food gets taken up. Repeat every few hours until the dog learns food gets eaten as soon as its put down. Sometimes, though, appetite will pick up by itself on a different diet. You should probably consider doing this for all the dogs, because free feeding is a /very/ bad idea.

We are not aiming to bring down protein too much but the vet argued that she would like to see it more around 20-30 than over 30. I know this is controversial but she is an experienced vet who sees a lot of small breeds

I don’t think it’s controversial at all. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s a known fact that the phosphorous levels in high animal protein feeds have an effect on kidney function, and dog food companies need to start taking responsibility for what they peddle. Your Vet is speaking from the POV of a medical professional who understands the consequences of using foods that have astronomical mineral levels so that certain brands can better cater to a profitable marketing niche.

As far as feeding recommendations go, I’d say get the protein levels around 19-21%. You might want to consider a prescription food, but if that’s not possible, there are plenty of commercially available brands that will fit the bill and still be nutritious enough for a puppy.

[Author]

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