Veterinarians recommend therapeutic diets for dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) because these foods are lower in certain nutrients than over-the-counter adult dog maintenance foods. One of these restricted nutrients is protein. (The others are phosphorus and sodium.) If you’ve ever wondered why lower protein levels are recommended for kidney-friendly dog foods, you’re not alone.
The reasons might surprise you.
A “dieting effect”, not just a nutrient
Kidney-friendly diets are a cornerstone of CKD management for very good reason: research has shown that kidney therapy diets are better than adult maintenance diets for managing dogs with kidney disease. ‘IRC. Compared to dogs with natural CKD fed an adult maintenance diet, dogs with CKD fed a kidney-friendly diet spent longer before experiencing uremic crisis (a toxic condition caused by high levels of nitrogen containing nitrogen). waste in the blood). Dogs that were fed the therapeutic renal diet also lived longer.
Although Kidney-Friendly Therapeutic Diets are formulated with less protein than typical adult dog foods, they are different in other ways as well. Kidney-friendly dog foods also tend to be lower in phosphorus, higher in fat, and supplemented with more omega-3 fatty acids. These differences along with lower protein levels may contribute to the effectiveness of diets. These differences also mean that the benefits associated with eating therapeutic kidney diets cannot be attributed to changes in a single nutrient.
Why limit protein levels?
According to veterinary nutritionists, there are two main reasons why a kidney-friendly diet should have a lower protein content than an adult maintenance dog food. That said, it’s important to realize that kidney-friendly pet foods provide enough dietary protein to meet your dog’s maintenance needs, while avoiding excess protein that could contribute to signs of CRF.
THE First of all The reason for limiting protein is to minimize the buildup of nitrogen-containing waste products that are created during protein and amino acid metabolism. When these waste products build up in the blood, they decrease your dog’s appetite and make him listless or lethargic and can cause vomiting and diarrhea as they continue to increase. By decreasing dietary protein, the amount of protein- and amino acid-related waste that diseased kidneys must eliminate is reduced.
A second An important reason to reduce protein in foods for dogs with CKD is that protein is a major contributor of phosphorus in the diet. By reducing the amount of dietary protein, the level of phosphorus in food can also be reduced. Many veterinary nutritionists now believe that phosphorus is the most important nutrient to restrict because high levels of phosphorus in the blood can further damage the kidneys. Protein, on the other hand, generally does not damage the kidneys of dogs as it does in humans or rats.
Type and quality of protein material
Although kidney-friendly diets are lower in protein than adult maintenance foods, kidney-friendly diets are not deficient in protein. Veterinary nutritionists agree that therapeutic renal diets contain more than adequate levels of protein and meet the protein and essential amino acid needs of dogs with CRF. However, the type and quality of this protein is critical in terms of amino acid composition, digestibility and phosphorus content. Using high quality protein well balanced in essential amino acids allows for a lower overall level of dietary protein while preventing protein malnutrition.
Talk to your veterinarian
The right food is an important part of your dog’s CKD treatment plan, and the nutritional changes that need to be made will depend on the severity of your dog’s kidney disease. Although changing your dog’s diet cannot cure CRF, it can minimize clinical signs and contribute to your pet’s health and longevity. Your veterinarian can recommend a therapeutic kidney diet, such as Diamond CARE Rx Kidney Formula for Adult Dogs, that is right for your dog.
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