Chronic Kidney Failure - low Phosphate diet

[carolm]

Hi. I am just wondering if any of you know of a low protein, low phosphate home cooked diet that I can try on Molly.  She has been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney failure.  She has just spent 3 days on a fluids drip. Vet thinks she may have about 25% use left of kidney.  She is on Fortekor to help increase blood supply to kidneys.  She has also been prescribed Hills K/D diet, which is low protein and low phosphate.  However after a couple of days on this, she is refusing to eat it.  This seems to be a pattern with her.  She will eat something and seem to enjoy it, then suddenly she will not eat it any more.

From being a dog that was food mad - this is just such a change.  We are at out wits end trying to get her to eat.  It is so important to get the phosphate and protein levels down, otherwise the vet has told us she will only have days left to live.  I'm sure she would like to eat all the rubbish of the day, but we just can't chance it.

I would be grateful for any ideas on either home cooked diet, or ways to get her to eat the prescription diet.

Thanks

Carol

[Karma]

No experience I'm afraid, but this information sheet may be useful to you.

http://www.windyhollowvet.com/Document/info/ChronicRenalFailureDiet.pdf

[hollyd443]

Hi Carol,

Sorry to hear that Molly has CRF. Its a subject I've learnt a lot about over the last few months as my Penny was diagnosed back in September. You may be able to pick out bits from her thread: http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=66178.0

The main thing for Penny is the food. I have her on a homemade diet. After looking at the ingredients of the prescription diet I wasn't very impressed (animal derivatives, egg powder etc) and at the price they charge for it found it pretty disgraceful! It really upset Penny's tummy to. I use the diet found here: http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html I adapt it every now and then as my once 'very greedy, eats anything dog' has become a bit fussy since being diagnosed. So the main things I make for her are lamb mince with pudding rice, parsley infusions, crushed egg shell and egg white. It seems a bit faffy but its really easy to make and freexe in batches. She really enjoys it and theres more moisture content to flush through her kidneys than her old dry food diet.

Re the protein - I've heard its better to give them a small amount of high quality protein than no or really low protein. Chicken is quite high in phos and interestingly pukes it up so I use lamb which is low in phos. She sometimes has things like sausages as she's looking a bit skinny and they're quite fatty and fats aren't supposed to be too bad and she needs her energy from somewhere.

I have heard good reviews on this oil: http://www.astroscrfoil.com/ and so have been importing it for Penny and she does seem perkier for it. I have made my own version to out of salmon oil, Coenzyme Q10 and herbs.

I'd definately recommend the homemade diet and if you are having something that would be okay for her own dinner on certain days make a little extra for her to so her diet gets chopped and changed a bit. For example, if we're having sweet potato/cous cous/pasta with our dinner, I give Penny that instead of the rice to make a change.

Hope that helps a little  If you have any questions please let me know and I'll try to see if I can help. Def save the DogAware site to favourites as its sooo helpful!

Hx

[Deb H]

Hi Jasper has been on the renal diet for two years and we occasionaly have problems with him eating the biscuits (i think he gets a bit bored with it poor lad) but we now mix the biscuits with the renal meat and that seems to help.

[Sarah1985]

I know you were particually interested in home cooked diet but have you looked at the Royal canine food for Dalmations. Im sure that they need Phosphate diets and that this food is ideal. Although Im not 100% on this so it might be worth giving them a ring to check

If you can tempt her into eating it, that is

Good luck

[carolm]

Thank you all for replying.  Sorry I have taken so long to get back to you.  We decided to take Molly (the black one in the picture) and Tess away for the weekend to their Favourite beach.  We should have left on Saturday, but Molly took a turn for the worse.  She ended up on a fluid drip until 7.00 o'clock in the evening.  We left on Sunday and spent a couple of lovely days having a "Molliday", with her doing all the things she really enjoys - digging in the sand and jumping through the waves. It seemed to lift her spirits.  Since coming home she has become very lethargic, and sleeps for most of the time.

We are trying the Astros oil from Canada, and at the moment just letting her pick what she wants to eat, which is probably not what is the best health wise, but she has to eat something.

We don't know how much longer she will be with us, so want her days to be happy and comfortable.

All advise is very precious to us.  Only other doggie people fully understand when you feel helpless to be able to make your wee pals feel better.