[Annabelle]

Our little girl passed a bladder stone last week and our Vet is recommending that we place her on a Urinary SO diet. The Royal Canin SO (which she is recommending) has pork and chicken by-products and corn grits and that is basically it!

I refuse to put her on such a digusting diet, and so I'm currently researching vegetarian diets that I can prepare for her using ingredients suitable for human consumption...as opposed to the garbage found in most commercial dog foods.

I came across a few vegetarian diets for dogs, but they include "bonemeal" tablets and I'm not sure why and if it is appropriate. I will be supplementing her diet with a vitamin supplement.

I have dogs in my life for the past 25 years and have pretty much always cooked for them.
If anyone has any experience with low purine diets or can recommend any high quality dog food that I can purchase, I would greatly appreciate it.

Annabelle

[K9-Lovers]

I am not a veterinarian, and I don’t have any formal training in any medical field. This information is not meant to replace your vet's advice or prescribed medications. However, I have conducted my own research and home cooked for a dog with impaired kidney function.

Protein: For years, treatment for renal failure was by reducing protein. But, several universities have found that restricting protein in a dog's diet may do more harm than good by causing malnutrition. Research by Iams found that moderate protein helps maintain muscle mass and increase energy levels. This is true for humans well. The only time it is necessary to feed a low protein diet is when your dog is uremic, which generally means BUN is over 80 mg/dL (equivalent to 28.6 mmol/L), creatinine is over 4.0 mg/dL (equivalent to 354 µmol/L), and the dog is showing symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, won’t eat, or has ulcers and lethargy, which are caused by the build-up of nitrogen in the blood.

Calcium and Phosphorus Binder: It's also important to control phosphorus levels for dogs with kidney disease. The goal is to maintain blood phosphorus levels no higher than 4.5 for dogs with early-stage kidney disease (creatinine up to around 2.5), 5.0 for dogs with moderate-stage kidney disease (creatinine 2.5 - 5.0), and 6.0 for dogs with late-stage kidney disease (creatinine > 5.0). This can be done by restricting phosphorus in the diet, and by adding calcium.

Because bones have far more phosphorus than any other food, do NOT use bone meal as your calcium source. Do NOT use antacids that also include magnesium, such as Mylanta. Instead, you can use crushed egg shells, which not only provide calcium, but also act as a phosphorus binder and helps carry phosphorus out of the body.

If your dog has normal calcium and phosphorus blood levels, add about 1,000 mg (1 gram) elemental calcium (1/2 teaspoon ground eggshell) per pound of food fed. As you restrict the amount of phosphorus in the diet more and more as kidney disease progresses, this amount of calcium should provide a ratio that ranges between 2:1 and 3:1 calcium to phosphorus. One large eggshell makes about one teaspoon of ground eggshell, and contains about 5,000 mg calcium carbonate, which yields 2,000 mg elemental calcium per teaspoon. You can dry eggshells after washing them out, then grind them in a coffee grinder, or grind them between the bowls of two large spoons.

If you know how to calculate the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the diet that you're feeding, then use a ratio of about 3:1 calcium to phosphorus.

Fluids: It is important to have water available at all times. If kidney failure begins, humans use dialysis to flush wastes from their body. But you can accomplish the same thing by giving fluid under your dog’s skin. I also add water to my homemade foods to help flush the kidneys. When symptoms occur, your vet may give the pet extra fluids intravenously or subcutaneously. Diuretics can be used to increase urine flow.

Supplements: 1,000 mg fish oil (body oil, NOT cod liver oil) per 10 lbs of your dog's body weight daily. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil help protect the kidneys and are one of the best things you can do for a dog with kidney problems. Other supplements that may be helpful are B-complex (I use nutritional yeast for this), and small amounts of C and E. Do NOT supplement A.

Recipes: I use one part protein to 3 parts carbohydrates to be similar to the aafco standards for dog foods. To correctly calculate this, I use a cooking software (mastercook). Use the following ingredients:

Protein: Dark meat chicken, turkey and 20% fat ground beef are the meats lowest in phosphorus. Green Tripe is very healthy and low in phosphorus. You can also use egg whites in place of some of the meat. Regular cottage cheese and canned fish are good, too. (Jack Mackerel, Pink Salmon or Sardines packed in water -- drain and rinse the fish)

Carbs: Low phosphorus are couscous, farina, cream of rice, “sticky rice” (found in Asian markets or in that aisle in the store but that is empty calories), pearled barley, “No Yolks” egg noodles, and occasionally, old fashioned rolled oats.

Veggies: Low phosphorus vegetables include winter squashes, such as Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, and Butternut Squash. I also used sweet potatoes, which adds good carbs.

Extras: You can also feed plain, regular fat yogurt.

Fats: Kidney healthy diets recommend high fats. But, some dogs are predisposed to pancreatitis, which is brought on by fat. It’s painful and can be fatal. So, if you are told to use full fat dairy, or poultry skins, add it a little at a time and watch your dog for reactions (vomiting, loose stool, not wanting to eat).

If you need more help with actual recipes, please send me a private message.

[K9-Lovers]

In my earlier post, I recommended Jack Mackerel and Sardines, but because they can be higher in purines that the other meats, don't serve those. Serve low fat ground beef and drain well. Also, even if your girl does not have trouble with fats, I would serve her only low fat cottage cheese or yogurt, and never include the skin on poultry because fats hold onto uric acid in the kidneys, which encourages stone formation.

If you want a high-quality commercial food, Flint River Ranch has a special SO food that you could use to supplement her home cooked food.

[Annabelle]

K-9 Lovers,
Thank you so much for your reply. You have given me some very valuable information and I appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with me.
I will send you a PM because I do have a few questions.

Annabelle

[SALYBOW]

I have always used Life's Abundance which I get online. It keeps her healthy, she needs as much as 1/2 the amount you usually feed a dog. and it is low residue so there is less bowel movement.

[Annabelle]

Thanks Sally I will look into it....I've not heard of this product.