If your dog has been diagnosed with kidney disease, then you've already had a conversation with your veterinarian about it.
You also know that diet is key to controlling the disease. You'll need to work with your vet or a canine nutritionist to develop a balanced diet for your Fido, but this homemade dog food for kidney disease is a good place to start.
The kidneys are part of the body's filtration system. They help to process waste and filter it into urine to be excreted by the body.
They also help maintain normal water and salt concentrations—kidneys aid in controlling blood pressure, calcium metabolism and help sustain phosphorous levels.
As you can see, if your pup's kidneys are failing, it's a major concern. Kidney disease can ultimately result in death, and it's something that you need to take extremely seriously.
Your vet will work with you to develop a treatment plan, but there is no doubt that diet will be a huge part of that.
Your vet will likely recommend a diet low in phosphorus. They will also discuss the importance of high-quality proteins and other stomach-related conditions, such as sensitive stomach in your dog.
When the canine body digests protein, nitrogen is left behind. The kidneys help to filter out this nitrogen.
Higher quality proteins leave behind less nitrogen as they are digested, so it's important to incorporate them in homemade dog food for kidney disease.
It's a common misconception that dogs with kidney disease shouldn't eat protein, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Your vet may recommend a smaller percentage of protein in the diet as your pet's kidney disease progresses.
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Simple and Quick Homemade Dog Food for Kidney Disease Recipe
As you'll see in my video guide, I prepared many ingredients for this homemade dog food for kidney disease before beginning to put it all together.
It's easiest to take 20 minutes and prepare many of the ingredients before mixing the food.
It's a pretty simple homemade dog food for kidney disease recipe that will yield about 12 cups.
For better digestion, it's best to serve your pet food 3 times per day. Your vet will discuss this with you.
The recommended serving size for this recipe is about 1/2 cup for every 20-25 pounds of body weight.
This is just an estimate, as more active dogs may need more calories, and lazier dogs may not need quite as many.
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. You can also store them in an airtight container in the freezer for 6-8 weeks.
This is ideal for busy pet owners that may want to prep food in advance for use during weeks when they don't have the time to prepare a homemade meal.
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