While watching a sweet foster dog for a couple of weeks we realized that she was drinking a lot of water, to the point where she was spitting up the water repeatedly. We brought her to the vet for a blood and urine panel to find she had slightly elevated levels in her two kidney readings. She had most likely been self-regulating by drinking lots of water. Because this dog is a foster through a rescue group, our funds are somewhat limited. Therefore I started researching the best plan for food and a feeding routine. Here is what I learned.
First, if your dog has kidney problems I absolutely recommend a wet food diet (according to the vet). Just like people, it's healthier to drink liquid with food, and dogs with kidney problems need added liquid. For my dog specifically, she also has a hard time chewing, so softer food and treats are better for this reason as well.
Dogs with mild kidney problems, early renal failure or later stages need access to plenty of water. In my dog's case the vet suggested giving smaller amounts of water regularly while I'm home. She has since stopped spitting up water entirely. While I am gone I do leave a nice big bowl of water for her. And naturally, if your dog is drinking a lot of water he or she will need plenty of bathroom breaks, or a doggie door.
Option #1- If you can afford $2.00-2.25 per can of dog food, there are a few varieties of prescription dog food including Purina, Hills, and Waltham. These prescription diets have 4-5% crude protein, the lowest out there- ideal for kidney problems.
Option #2- For $1.50- 1.65 per can of dog food, there are a variety of senior dog foods that you can buy at your local pet store that are also low in crude protein. The levels are higher however. Look for food with 7% crude protein, this is about as low as you will find in stores, however if you can find lower that's even better. In my dog's case I didn't have the option to look at low calorie food, as I'm also trying to get her to a healthier weight (past owner wasn't feeding her enough). I found that Nutro Max and Nutro Natural Choice senior varieties are 7% crude protein, added nutrients for joints as well as other nutritional supplements.
Option #3- Mix option 2 with dry food- dry food is less expensive, so purchase the same dry version with the low crude protein to mix in with the wet food.
Option #4- Cook for your dog. You need to do this with guidance however especially if you plan on a vegetarian diet. Remember that dogs are not people, they have restrictions to their diet, and can be very sensitive when they have kidney problems.
Other tips- shop online. If you can find a free shipping coupon you may get a better price for canned food online vs. what you find at Petsmart or Petco.
Inexpensive Treats: No, they're not beloved pig ears or bacon, but these do have low crude protein levels. Soft treats include Cesar softies (4.5% crude protein) and Honey's Bakery treats (natural and vegetarian- 4% crude protein). I bought Honey's on sale for $4. I really wanted to get something for her breath so I purchased Pedigree Good Bites Oral Care in Roasted Chicken flavor (8% crude protein) which I give sparingly as they are a little higher % than I'd live to give.
