What to Feed a Dog With Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is characterized by loss of appetite, difficulty eating, vomiting, ulcers and depression. In dogs, failure can occur rather quickly and often the best way to treat it is to change the way your dog eats. Meals that burden the kidneys should be avoided, while those that help them flush out toxins must be encouraged.

Depending on the health of your dog, you may want to talk to your vet about switching to a raw diet, which would provide higher-quality protein to the diet. Egg whites are the purest, cleanest form of protein and a great source of nourishment for a dog with kidney failure. Raw meat is also a good choice. Cooked and processed meats are also acceptable, although you will need to make sure that the dog food you choose contains only meat, without fillers such as corn or bone meal.

Ideally, a dog with kidney failure should not be eating more than 9 mg of phosphorus per pound of body weight. Fish, dairy and egg yolks are all high in phosphorus and should be avoided. So are certain vegetables and grains, such as yams, whole wheat and millet.

Dogs that are uremic need to have diets that are lower in proteins. The level of uremia can be determined by a blood or urine test done by your vet to determine the level of nitrogen buildup in the blood. Once this happens, symptoms of kidney failure become more evident, and your dog may experience vomiting or lethargy. Special-formula foods, low in protein and phosphorus, are available through veterinarians for dogs with renal disease.

Commercial renal diets are available from veterinarians and are usually low in both protein and phosphorus. Companies such as Royal Canin, Essex Cottage Farms and Hill's sell specialty foods in both dry and canned form.

Fresh foods can and should be added to commercial foods to improve the dietary quality of your dog's meals. Any of the natural ingredients mentioned before would work well, or you can try ricotta cheese for a change in flavor.