Your dog’s kidney health

Dog food designed to support kidney function is formulated to protect and maintain the kidney health of dogs already suffering from kidney failure, taking into account their unique nutritional needs.

First, these diets contain the right balance of high-quality, high-biological value protein to provide the amino acids your dog needs and take some of the load off their kidneys.

Another problem for dogs with CKD is that their diseased kidneys aren’t able to remove excess phosphorus from their system like healthy kidneys do. This can throw the calcium and phosphorous levels in their body out of whack.

Unfortunately, the mechanisms the body uses to compensate can end up making your dog’s kidney damage worse. Foods formulated to promote kidney health take this into account and contain less phosphorous.

Finally, these therapeutic foods deliver the right amount of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which have been shown to help with kidney function. Reducing inflammation in your dog’s kidneys can, in some cases, help restore renal hemodynamics, i.e., create better blood flow in the kidneys.

Dogs suffering from kidney disease tend to get too skinny, in part because they’re eating less, but also because weight loss is a side effect of the disease.

That’s why diets designed for CKD have a higher energy density to reduce the risk of weight loss, even if your dog’s appetite isn’t what it once was.

With the right balance of essential vitamins and nutrients, these foods can help offset a lack of appetite so common in dogs suffering from chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease can cause nausea and appetite loss. Your dog’s appetite may start to wane as their renal function deteriorates. With the poor appetite and nausea that are the hallmarks of CKD, your dog will probably be eating less, which makes them more likely to lose too much weight, as mentioned above.

So how do you stimulate their appetite and make sure they’re eating enough? Kidney care foods come in a range of mouth-watering flavours, smells, and textures. Finding the one your four-legged friend prefers will go a long way toward improving their appetite.

According to a study conducted by Frédéric Jacob and his colleagues in 2002, feeding Fido a properly formulated renal therapeutic diet has been shown to prolong the life span and improve the quality of life of dogs with CKD.

So you should approach nutritional treatment as an essential aspect of managing your dog’s condition. To find the food that’s right for your dog, talk to your Globalvet team.