Best Dog Food For Kidney Disease: Reviews & Top Picks!
Keeping your dog's urinary tract healthy is one of your most important goals, especially if your dog is not a young puppy anymore. Canine renal failure is a fairly common disease that usually affects older dogs and is extremely painful. He may eat less, urinate more, experience vision problems, become fatigued easily, and more.
We'll get back to this in a bit...
Although there is no reversal or cure, canine kidney disease can be managed and slowed with the use of a proper diet. So in order to help them manage pain from, and slow the progression of, kidney disease, it is important to control his diet. More on this a little bit later...
Today we are reviewing the best kidney disease dog food options for furry friends with kidney disease.
Reviews Of Best Dog Food For Kidney Problems
Note that, because of the low-protein needs of dogs with renal failure, most of these kidney dog foods are veterinarian-prescribed diets. Check with your dog’s vet about what prescription he recommends for your dog.
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Best Dog Foods for Kidney Disease - Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet KS Kidney Support
The Blue Buffalo Kidney Support formula is the special dog food for pups suffering from kidney disease. This condition requires a strict diet with limited phosphorus, sodium, and proteins to help the canine live longer. All these levels are controlled in this kind of dry dog food for kidneys but you'll need a veterinary authorization to buy it (which is not a problem if the disease was diagnosed by a vet).
The other thing that we like is its grain-free formula. Some of our poor fur friends prior to the kidney disease have allergies and sensitive digestion which require to avoid grains. The KS recipe by Blue Buffalo allows you the solution for both issues.
Only the highest-grade ingredients and veterinarian control provide outstanding support for dogs with kidney disease. Out top pick!
Many veterinarians will recommend a wet food diet for your dog with renal failure. The idea is that the extra moisture content will increase your dog’s daily water intake to help flush his system. If you or your dog prefers a wet food diet, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function Formula is one of the best choices.
You will need a prescription from your vet to feed your dog this diet. This formula was created to help manage kidney failure in dogs by aiding digestion and providing the proper vitamins and minerals.
This diet is restricted in sodium, protein, and phosphorus for optimal kidney health. It also includes a low number of carb ingredients and adds in important B-Vitamins to support kidney function, so in general it's a great option of dog food for kidney failure, and it worth this money.
Another excellent choice for prescription wet food is the Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care formula. This canned food has low sodium and phosphorus content to improve kidney function. It also is a very low-protein diet, best for dogs who need a very restricted amount of protein, like those in late stages of kidney failure.
Its protein is beef, which is one of the more digestible animal proteins. The formula also has healthy vegetables and oils for added minerals and vitamins.
You’ll find flaxseed and rice for aided digestion and carrots and peas for natural vitamins. If you're choose from the hills food, this is the best prescription dog food for kidney disease.
With low protein content of 12%, this renal support formula by Royal Canin is one of the best low protein dog food options. This formula will need a prescription from your vet before you can feed it to your dog.
This formula was specifically designed to aid in each stage of kidney disease in dogs. It’s enriched with DHA and EPA to reduce inflammation and has low phosphorus and sodium levels. Additionally, its ingredients help make it highly digestible so it won’t strain the kidneys.
Royal Canin also improved its formula to increase its scent and make it more desirable for dogs to eat.
The Wysong Synorgon dry dog food is created by a veterinarian, thus has a full spectrum of micronutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, and other important elements to bring your dog everything she needs. The base for this health-boosting cocktail is quality meats, organs, veggies, and fruits.
What we want to emphasize is that Synorgon is not the special dietary dog food for kidney disease. It contains 30% of crude protein which is more than recommended, therefore this food is not for advanced stages of kidney disease.
Although, the early stage often doesn't require the strict diet which can cause malnutrition because of lower protein content. In this case, the Wysong is great for balanced nutrition and keeping healthy.
How To Find The Best Dog Food For Kidney Disease?
Howcast describes how to you recognize the symptoms of kidney disease in your dog:
What is good food for dogs with kidney disease? The best dog food for renal failure, or any kind of kidney issues, has Omega 3 fatty acids for kidney health and decreased inflammation. Vitamins B, C, and E help to increase immunity and fight kidney disease.
Also, the best low protein dog food can also be one of the best renal dog food options for kidney health. High levels of protein put a lot of strain on the kidneys, so lower levels can help kidneys not work so hard. Most prescription diets for kidney disease have protein ranges between 13% and 18%.
The best kidney food for dogs should also have decreased phosphorus levels. Phosphorus is a mineral that is difficult for dogs with kidney disease to process. Phosphorus levels should be between 0.2% and 0.5% to keep kidney disease from progressing in dogs.
Final Thoughts
Renal failure in dogs, while common, especially in older dogs, can have serious health implications. Although kidney disease can’t be reversed, it is manageable with regular veterinarian visits, medication, and a proper diet.
The best renal dog food is low in protein, sodium, carbs, and phosphorus. Some veterinarians recommend a wet food diet for added water intake, but if your dog drinks plenty of water, dry food that meats the proper nutrient ratios is still healthy.
The dog foods that I’ve recommended for dogs with kidney disease are mostly veterinarian-prescribed because of their low protein content. Talk with your dog’s veterinarian to find the perfect food for your dog.
