Low Protien Diet

[tashnchief]

Has anyone had any experience or recommendations on Low Protien Diets for dogs with Kidney issues?

[Sheridan]

Has anyone had any experience or recommendations on Low Protien Diets for dogs with Kidney issues?

The diet for a dog with kidney issues depends on the type of kidney issue.

[tashnchief]

The dog belongs to my father and has just come home after a 3 wk stay at the specialist emergancy care.

He had septacemea ( spelling????) and it has left his kidney's not not such great shape ( after mega bucks later... and the fact that we are all amazed he has even survived the ordeal). Whether the septacemea is a result of an initial infection of the kidneys or a not we will never know.

The specialist vet has recommended a 'low protien diet' but doesn't want to start anything until he goes back for further blood work in a fortnight.

So just trying to do a little research and get an idea of what the 'low protien diet' might entail.

So just looking for personal experiences in creating or monitoring a careful diet for dogs with kidney issues.

[WoofnHoof]

Usually you would feed Hills r/d for kidney issues. Hills l/d is also low in protein, but you have to get it from the vet. If the vet doesn't want to start him on the prescription diet yet then just look at the protein content of various dog foods and pick one with the lowest protein.

[Sheridan]

Usually you would feed Hills r/d for kidney issues. Hills l/d is also low in protein, but you have to get it from the vet. If the vet doesn't want to start him on the prescription diet yet then just look at the protein content of various dog foods and pick one with the lowest protein.

No, sorry, this won't work for some dogs. A commercial kidney diet food is balanced with low but good quality protein, low phosphorus, etc. Just because a protein is low content, it doesn't mean that it's good quality or that the food as a whole is low in phosphorus or balanced. I would be very wary in feeding a dog with kidney disease BARF, for instance, because it's so hard to get the balance right. You may as well just have the dog pts if you only consider the protein and not all of the food content.

There are other commercial kidney diet foods. There's also an email list K9-Kidney but be aware that it's full of Americans who prefer supplements over a balanced diet.

Edited April 7, 2009 by Sheridan

[tashnchief]

Thanks Sheriden and Tkay.

I had assumed that it may not be as easy as looking at the protien content but it seems that way at face value.

I phoned a local vet yesterday that I knew stocked Hills and I/D prescription, thinking this was probably the avenue that the specialist vet will steer us. Well the vet nurse was not entirely helpful and didn't know of any 'Kidney issue' specific formula in either of these brands nor something that was low protien???

It will be interesting to hear what the specialist recommends.

We swapped his mince to a little chicken mince with his kibble.

[Sheridan]

Thanks Sheriden and Tkay.

I had assumed that it may not be as easy as looking at the protien content but it seems that way at face value.

I phoned a local vet yesterday that I knew stocked Hills and I/D prescription, thinking this was probably the avenue that the specialist vet will steer us. Well the vet nurse was not entirely helpful and didn't know of any 'Kidney issue' specific formula in either of these brands nor something that was low protien???

It will be interesting to hear what the specialist recommends.

We swapped his mince to a little chicken mince with his kibble.

Yes, unfortunately, it's not that simple. The protein source is only one part of it.

For the ignorant vet nurse: http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/product.ph...&bestseller

[WoofnHoof]

Usually you would feed Hills r/d for kidney issues. Hills l/d is also low in protein, but you have to get it from the vet. If the vet doesn't want to start him on the prescription diet yet then just look at the protein content of various dog foods and pick one with the lowest protein.

No, sorry, this won't work for some dogs. A commercial kidney diet food is balanced with low but good quality protein, low phosphorus, etc. Just because a protein is low content, it doesn't mean that it's good quality or that the food as a whole is low in phosphorus or balanced. I would be very wary in feeding a dog with kidney disease BARF, for instance, because it's so hard to get the balance right. You may as well just have the dog pts if you only consider the protein and not all of the food content.

There are other commercial kidney diet foods. There's also an email list K9-Kidney but be aware that it's full of Americans who prefer supplements over a balanced diet.

Oh ok. I've only had experience with liver problems and was feeding r/d and l/d but when he was allowed to eat 'normal' food the vet just suggested something relatively low in protein to start with to prevent overloading the liver - although it wasn't the specialist who said this, the specialist didn't actually specify any type once we knew the liver was functioning normally.

[tashnchief]

Thank you both, this helps me get an idea of what we are facing .