If your dog suffers from kidney failure, you'll need to feed him a low protein diet that contains extremely small amounts of phosphorous. Work with your veterinarian to design a home diet for your dog, or feed your dog a veterinarian-prescribed commercial diet that has been created to meet the unique dietary needs of dogs suffering from kidney failure.
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Low Amounts of High Quality Protein
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You will need to reduce the amount of protein in your dog's diet to the absolute lowest level possible to increase her quality of life. Waste products produced by excess protein in the diet cause failing kidneys to work much harder to eliminate these wastes, resulting in pain and increasing side effects from kidney failure.
Dietary protein from high quality sources such as eggs and meat (instead of meat by-products) will also reduce the amount of waste produced from protein digestion.
Low Phosphorous
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A low phosphorous diet has been shown to extend kidney function and increase quality of life and longevity in dogs suffering from kidney failure. The extremely low phosphorous levels that are required in the kidney failure diets for dogs is so low that most commercial dog foods exceed these levels; prescription canine diets specifically designed for dogs with kidney failure are the only commercially available foods which meet the standards of low phosphorous levels for dogs with kidney failure. Specialized home-cooked diets for dogs with kidney failure are designed to decrease the amounts of phosphorus in the dog's diet.
Address Weight Loss and Anorexia
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Dogs with kidney failure often experience lack of appetite and vomiting. To address these symptoms and increase your dog's appetite and caloric intake, include tasty fats such as cooked beef fat or chicken skins to your dog's diet. To decrease vomiting and nausea associated with kidney failure, give your dog small, frequent meals throughout the day.
Veterinary Management
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You will need to work closely with your veterinarian to manage your dog's diet if you wish to use a home cooked diet designed for dogs with kidney failure. Your dog will also need periodic blood tests to measure how his kidneys are functioning and if you need to make any changes to your dog's diet. Remember to follow your veterinarian's dietary instructions exactly and never feed your dog any foods (even treats or table snacks) outside of the diet instructions.
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