Finding out your pup has chronic kidney disease (CKD) or is at risk of chronic kidney failure can be difficult. However, with the proper diet, your furry friend can start to feel better and more like themselves again. The problem is helping them accept a new, less familiar diet. Here are just a few ways you can make a kidney diet for dogs more appealing and delicious.
Having a kidney-friendy diet is so important for the quality of your dog’s life. The obstacle is that it requires changes, changes that can lower the tastiness of their food. Thankfully, there are ways to enhance and better the flavors of the food that they can eat.
Making a Kidney-Friendly Diet
There are a few things that need to change in a pup’s diet when they have CKD. Here are the biggest ones:
- Reduced, but higher quality protein: Protein is filtered through the kidneys. High amounts of protein, or low-quality protein, can cause stress on the kidneys. Dog’s still need protein, though, so feed them high-quality protein sources instead of the healthy amount they need.
- Less phosphorus: When kidneys fail, phosphorus builds up and starts to cause harm similar to vitamin D deficiency.
- Less sodium: Reducing a dog’s sodium intake will help keep their blood pressure at a normal level and reduce the load of work put on the kidneys.
- Increase Omega-3s: Omega-3 acids slow the progression of CKD by reducing the inflammation around the kidneys.
- Drink more water: It’s essential to your dog’s health to keep them hydrated when they are having kidney problems. Having an abundant amount of water in their system to help make the kidney’s job easier.
Making Tasty Kidney-Friendly Food
As mentioned before, a kidney diet is a massive change to your dog’s eating habits. Many pet parents have a hard time getting their dog to eat the kidney-friendly food, but that doesn’t have to be the case for you. Here are a few ways to make their new food a bit tastier.
- Whole Food: Kidney diet dog food that has whole food ingredients keeps the natural tastes of fruits, veggies, and meat. This will taste far better than the overly processed food they may eat otherwise. Just be sure to ask your veterinarian what ingredients are safe for dogs with kidney disease.
- Warm Water: Warm water helps to activate the smells within a pup’s food, which will help your dog want to eat it. The moisture will also keep them more hydrated. Different forms of broth can also be used.
- Toppings: There’s not a problem with adding toppings to their food. Cheese, yogurt, and gravy are all great things to add to encourage eating.
Diet Can Change Everything
CKD has no cure, however, you can take control of the situation and improve your dog’s health with a kidney-friendly diet. Not only will this improve their quality of life, but if it’s caught early, it can slow the progression of the disease.
