Phosphorus in a Canine Kidney Failure Diet

The kidneys play a crucial role in canine health, cleaning and filtering the blood and making sure that waste is eliminated from the body. When kidney failure occurs, those processes are retarded and health problems ensue. If your dog has been diagnosed with kidney failure, feeding it a diet with the proper amount of phosphorus can be crucial to maintaining its health.

  1. Low Phosphorus Diet

    • While feeding a dog with chronic kidney failure a diet low in protein is often the first step in improving its health, a low-phosphorus diet may be more beneficial in extending its life. When the kidneys fail, phosphates accumulate in the blood, leading to high phosphorus levels and contributing to health decline. Recommended guidelines for phosphorus levels are up to 30 milligrams per pound of dog weight for dogs in the early stages of kidney failure, and up to 10 milligrams per pound for those in advanced stages.

    Feed High-Phosphorus Foods in Moderation

    • Many of the foods that are high in phosphorus are beneficial to a dog's overall nutrition, so you shouldn't eliminate them completely. You should instead feed them to the dog in moderation, referring to the guidelines listed in Section 1 for the proper amount. Foods high in phosphorus include bones, dairy products, organ meats, fish with bones and egg yolks.

    Use Carbohydrates to Supplement the Diet

    • Since many of the foods that have high phosphorus levels are staples of a typical canine diet, you must provide dogs with kidney failure other food to give them the energy they need. For this reason, about half of the diet of a dog suffering from kidney failure should consist of carbohydrates, which will yield the calories the dog needs without raising phosphorus levels. You should consider fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta and honey, always remembering to check the phosphorus levels of all varieties of these foods.