Diet for a Canine With a Compromised Kidney

Your veterinarian diagnoses your dog with kidney disease and recommends a bland diet to keep your pet healthy and happy. Educating yourself about the prescribed food can ease your mind regarding following the doctor's suggestions.

  1. Function

    • Your veterinarian will typically recommend a diet lower in protein and sodium for your kidney patient to lower the toxins that your dog's kidneys need to excrete, thus increasing kidney function.

    Significance

    • In "Common Diseases of Companion Animals," Dr. Alleice Summers says that gastrointestinal upsets including "anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and stomatitis (oral ulceration)" are often unrecognized signs of kidney failure, and these symptoms do not appear until one or both kidneys are severely compromised.

    Disease Symptoms

    • Other symptoms of compromised kidneys in your dog include excessive drinking and urination, dehydration, lethargy, weakness, ataxia (the inability to walk straight) and sudden blindness.

    Treatment

    • Veterinarians treat kidney failure by prescribing intravenous and/or subcutaneous fluids to counteract the dehydration, plus medications for stomach upset and possible diarrhea. At-home treatments include continuing on the prescribed medications, subcutaneous fluids that you need to administer, and the veterinary diet.

    Diet

    • Most prescribed canine kidney diets are low in protein, sodium and phosphorus and high in dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and non-protein calories, according to "Hill's Key to Clinical Nutrition." They also contain added potassium citrate to aid in heart function and a dietary buffer to combat stomach upset.