Canine Diets for Renal Failure

General Dietary Guidelines

• Practitioners of both mainstream and alternative veterinary medicine agree that a dog with renal failure should eat a diet low in phosphorus, but are split on the amount of protein such a diet should contain. The split is not so much between mainstream and alternative medicine as between individual practitioners.

  Although low-protein diets were once the rule, VetInfo cites a study by pet food manufacturer Iams that shows the use of fermentable fiber can spare a dog's kidneys by using the colon to eliminate toxic compounds, thus allowing higher protein consumption. "This Nitrogen Trap [trademarked by Iams] shifts excretion of nitrogen waste products from the urine to the feces."

  The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine still advocates a low-protein diet, combined with potassium supplements and fluid therapy, as the best approach to treating canine renal failure. Fluid therapy involves the subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of fluids containing important electrolytes. Once you've received a tutorial from your vet, this form of therapy can be administered at home.

  Dr. Larry Siegler, a veterinarian who practices alternative medicine, recommends that you feed a dog with renal failure a diet that is low in phosphorus and sodium, but vary the protein content based on how the pets' kidney symptoms react to varying amounts of the nutrient.

Bean-Tofu Recipe

• The website of Canine Kidney Health recommends a whole-food diet that is low in both protein and phosphorus and offers a bean-tofu recipe tailored to that dietary regimen. The recipe was designed for a 40-pound dog, so adjustments must be made for dogs that are smaller or larger. Using a food processor, combine a half-pound of organic tofu with 1 to 1.5 cups of a mixture of organic beans with a small amount of organic vegetables. An ideal bean mixture would be two parts dried chickpeas, one-half part pinto beans and one-half part black beans, all of which of should be soaked for roughly eight hours before the recipe is made. Add a teaspoon of soaked nuts or seeds and a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil, and the meal is ready for your dog.

Homemade Dog Food

• PetPlace.com offers a recipe for homemade dog food that is low in phosphorus, reduced in protein and ideal for animals with renal failure. The recipe originally appeared in the "Pocket Companion to Small Animal Clinical Nutrition." The recipe is designed for a dog weighing 40 pounds and includes 8.4 oz. of white rice, cooked; 2.75 oz. of ground beef, cooked; 0.75 oz. of soft-boiled egg; 1.75 oz. of white bread; 2/3 tsp. of calcium carbonate; 2/3 tsp. of vegetable oil; and 1/8 tsp. of salt.