Kidney Failure... Advice please

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Carlosmum

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My 13 Yr lurcher bitch is in early stages of kidney failure. The vet has said she should be fed a low protein diet - chicken, rabbit, fish. My question is how much should I feed her, the first day or 2 she went from almost being constipated to having diarrea ( sorry can't spell it !) so I don't want to give her too much meat, should I bulk her food out with a biscuit mixer? We are taking each day as it comes, there will be a big descision to make soon.:(
 
What do you normally feed? There are plenty of low protein decent kibbles around. I understand Chappie tins are very digestible, easy on delicate tums. It's not brilliant food, but I think you have to use what suits her at this age/state of health.
 
Thanks for your help... she's always had a dry complete feed until now but fairly high in protein as she is so skinny. I'll look at a complete low protein kibble, I wasn't sure if the vet meant actual chickens, rabbits & fish! Rabbits shouldn't be a problem there are plenty on the farm but the fox has had the chickens!:D
I think cos she's my dog & I love her to bits I panicked a bit over what to do for the best.
 
The vet will be able to sell you a specialist food called k/d for dogs with kidney failure.

I know this isn't necessarily what you want to hear, but my dog had kidney failure at the age of 13, and the first time she was bad, they flushed her kidneys which gave her some relief. She had 6 more months and the second time she got uremia I had her pts at home. HOWEVER .... I was really guilty of the worst failure of loving my dog too much, as I let her go on too long. She was my first dog, and I didn't have the experience of knowing when to let a dog go. Please, for your dog's sake, don't make the mistake I did, and let her go before she really begins to suffer, so all your memories will be happy ones, and her life won't be tarnished by pain at the end xxx.
 
Definitely go the flush route ,it will give her more time.For food though,why not go the home cooked route?The dog will love it,your base is a great big pan of pasta,to which you can "scrunch" in all sorts of goodies,favourites around here are scrambled eggs,two in a huge bowl of pasta,pilchards or sardines(tinned)a couple of pilchards is enough scrunched into a huge bowl of pasta as to make it irresistable. There are loads of ways of feeding low protein and making it look like a special treat.
Dried or prescription are usually distinctly non tasty.
 
I fully support the edible food theory over medical diets which we quickly moved off. Our old girl was most unkeen on i/d and k/d diets which I felt were more designed to make money than for the welfare of the dog. A number of people hold that it is the quality of protein that counts and not the level of it. The key thing is to minimise nitrogen waste levels which cause nausea. The link below contains soome info/futher links re protein plus a lot of other useful stuff

http://www.dog-treat.co.uk/Kidney Problems.pdf see the section 'Is a low protein diet necessary or desirable'

There are many other useful sites out there as well. Google, and then apply your own commonsense/knowledge of your dog to it.

With good tlc/diet etc you may well find that your dog does better than expected.
 
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