Guest rottngrey Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 My foster girl, Francy, has some kidney issues. The vet suggested a kidney diet-Hills KD. I was wondering if anyone has another food that would help, I'm not crazy about Hills. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 IVD kidney diet or better yet home cooked. Is there really an issue or does the vet not know greyhounds? Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 If it's the company you don't like(Hills) Purina also makes an excellentet food for kidney issues Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Here is some info on kidney issues & diet: Dogaware kidney info. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greytbookert Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Here is some info on kidney issues & diet: Dogaware kidney info. That site is great, it was my reference material when Mama was dx with kidney failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thank you for that site. We have been struggling with Sterling's kidney disease all year. His bouts of eating and not eating are cycling more rapidly now to the point where he's only eating well one week out of the month and we are trying everything possible to get him to eat. That site is reassuring to me since we gave up on the Hills KD and have been feeding him non-prescription food but the amount of info is also a bit overwhelming. I am going to try to give Sterling some ground beef this weekend in addition to his kibble in order to try to get him to eat. He is so skinny and just not himself anymore. Every day I worry about him and wonder if his time is coming soon or if we have years of this fight left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Is he on anything like Enalapril? Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Every day I worry about him and wonder if his time is coming soon or if we have years of this fight left. If I ever have a true kidney failure dog again, I'll follow the new thinking re protein is fine it's the phosphorus. A senior diet should work for most kidney issues. Solid Gold Holistique Blendz is a good food and I know several kidney dogs that did well on it for a long time. My biggest regret looking back was not feeding Jesse the whole darn chicken the last time she ate well Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Goldie HATES KD! She loves Purina NF, or Royal Canin Renal MP, both Kibble and canned. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Every day I worry about him and wonder if his time is coming soon or if we have years of this fight left. If I ever have a true kidney failure dog again, I'll follow the new thinking re protein is fine it's the phosphorus. A senior diet should work for most kidney issues. Solid Gold Holistique Blendz is a good food and I know several kidney dogs that did well on it for a long time. My biggest regret looking back was not feeding Jesse the whole darn chicken the last time she ate well Sterling is on Solid Gold Holistique Blendz food. In fact, I believe that you suggested it to me several months ago. When he eats it, he is fine. But he is just not eating anything well at all. (Not even nice stinky canned fish, which I tried today out of desperation.) He has a recurrent infection in his mouth so the vet has us giving him a week of antibiotics each month as a preventative measure. That appears to be keeping his mouth in good shape (no more redness/tenderness as far as I can tell) but he's just not eating. He is on: Enalapril, ascriptin (maalox-buffered aspirin), soloxine (his T4 was .3 when last checked, which is below the min of .5 for greyhounds), and then the 1 week/month of amoxicillin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I know that the school of thought here seems to be not to focus on the protein but only the phosphorus, and making sure that the protein is quality protein, but I have to tell you, following that school of thought put Misty into kidney failure. Yes, she had other problems but her kidney disease had been under control for years and she was doing great. God forgive me because I had no choice when she totally stopped eating and the kidney diet had to go out the window, but the protein really did damage Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greyladydown Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Our senior hated Hill K/D but loves Royal Canin MP and is doing fantastic on that food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Our senior hated Hill K/D but loves Royal Canin MP and is doing fantastic on that food. I agree! Goldie LOVES The Purina NF and Royal Canin MP!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 He is on: Enalapril, ascriptin (maalox-buffered aspirin), soloxine (his T4 was .3 when last checked, which is below the min of .5 for greyhounds), and then the 1 week/month of amoxicillin I'd add carafate. Also, baytril or clindimyacin is better for pulsing re mouth and you only have to do 5 days. God forgive me because I had no choice when she totally stopped eating and the kidney diet had to go out the window, but the protein really did damage Quality of life. If they are not eating it does no good to keep them on a kidney diet. You do what you have to do I think dogs that truly have a kidney issue are the most frustrating. You offer them everything and anything and they simply do not want to eat. My aunt who suffered from kidney failure was the same way. I did a search and the reason: Urea in the gastric juices may cause upset stomach. There is a paste you buy for kidney failure dogs. Of course I cannot remember the name.... Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 (edited) Quality of life. If they are not eating it does no good to keep them on a kidney diet. You do what you have to do That's exactly it. At a certain point it doesn't make sense to keep buying kidney diet food when he wasn't eating at all. My aunt (vet) also advised me that if he wasn't eating anything (or very very little), feeding him non kidney diet food is a lot better than letting him starve. Using the linked page above, I made him a homemade meal tonight: 6 oz ground beef, 6 oz macaroni, 1.5 egg, 1 oz chicken liver, and 2.5 oz heavy cream. He ate half of it (slurped out the cream and egg and picked out the beef) at his regular meal time and then lay down. So I stuck it in the fridge for about 90 minutes and then offered it again and he ate the liver and about 1/3 of the macaroni. That was a big improvement in his eating so I'll keep trying with it over the weekend. I'll check into the carafate and other meds. I appreciate all of the suggestions! Edited November 14, 2009 by ZBippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Using the linked page above, I made him a homemade meal tonight: 6 oz ground beef, 6 oz macaroni, 1.5 egg, 1 oz chicken liver, and 2.5 oz heavy cream. He ate half of it (slurped out the cream and egg and picked out the beef) at his regular meal time and then lay down. So I stuck it in the fridge for about 90 minutes and then offered it again and he ate the liver and about 1/3 of the macaroni. That was a big improvement in his eating so I'll keep trying with it over the weekend. If you're not using some source of calcium or a phosphorus binder, you need to. The easiest & cheapest is ground eggshell powder at 1/2 tsp per pound of food fed. Phosphorus is hard on the kidneys & boneless meat & the macaroni will have a lot of it. Calcium binds with the phosphorus so it's easier on the kidneys while allowing him to get the benefit of the protein. I'd probably use even more than 1/2 tsp at this point until he's feeling better. If he's already on a phosphorus binder, then never mind. I'm glad Sterling ate for you & hope it continues. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 I am just starting to learn about kidney issues. My girl Jaynie is currently on Royal Canin / MediCal Reduced Protein kibble, and loves it. There is a yahoo group dedicated to kidney diet. I haven't introduced Jaynie there as we are still waiting for her values to stabilize, but you may want to join - it has a lot of good resources as well as knowledgeable member support: K9KidneyDiet list FWIW, I was told by Jaynie's internal med specialist that eggs were about the most digestible protein you can offer. They are relatively high in phosporus, so you can't do this in quantity. But when Jaynie was so sick, and even now, I prepared a buttery one egg omelet per day, and fed it gradually in the course of the day - she loves it. You can do more if you use egg whites only - most of the phosphorus is in the yolks. The other thing he suggested was cottage cheese. Very best of luck - I am learning what a difficult and tricky disease this is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Using the linked page above, I made him a homemade meal tonight: 6 oz ground beef, 6 oz macaroni, 1.5 egg, 1 oz chicken liver, and 2.5 oz heavy cream. He ate half of it (slurped out the cream and egg and picked out the beef) at his regular meal time and then lay down. So I stuck it in the fridge for about 90 minutes and then offered it again and he ate the liver and about 1/3 of the macaroni. That was a big improvement in his eating so I'll keep trying with it over the weekend. If you're not using some source of calcium or a phosphorus binder, you need to. The easiest & cheapest is ground eggshell powder at 1/2 tsp per pound of food fed. Phosphorus is hard on the kidneys & boneless meat & the macaroni will have a lot of it. Calcium binds with the phosphorus so it's easier on the kidneys while allowing him to get the benefit of the protein. I'd probably use even more than 1/2 tsp at this point until he's feeling better. If he's already on a phosphorus binder, then never mind. I'm glad Sterling ate for you & hope it continues. I crushed up the eggshell and put it in with the food. I am guessing that is the same as ground eggshell powder but maybe I should grind it finely rather than crushing it. I'm not sure how much that equals teaspoon-wise. I'll measure it when I make his food in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 I crushed up the eggshell and put it in with the food. I am guessing that is the same as ground eggshell powder but maybe I should grind it finely rather than crushing it. I'm not sure how much that equals teaspoon-wise. I'll measure it when I make his food in the morning. It is the same but it may come out the way it went in. I grind mine in the coffee grinder. It'll make more powder than you'd think. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 You may want to contact Dr Remillard at Angell Memorial, MA. She is a board certified veterinary nutritionist. She will do a phone consult with you and prescribe a home cooked diet specifically designed for your dogs dietary needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedoketo Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Is a PEG tube an option? It can be put in place for months to years in a patient that refuses to eat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Update: Sterling has been eating his new homemade food all weekend! After the 2nd time when he left the macaroni, I started substituting cream of wheat instead. He loves it, licks the bowl completely clean. It probably seems too soon but he does look like he's put at least a little bit of weight back on and is acting more energetic. I'm going to stick with this diet for 2 meals a day for a few more days and then I'm hoping that I can combine it with the SG Holistique at some point. I've found that the egg shell grinds up nicely in my Magic Bullet blender. I'm glad to finally have a use for that thing. I asked for it as a gift a few years ago and found out that it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I've found that the egg shell grinds up nicely in my Magic Bullet blender. I'm glad to finally have a use for that thing. I asked for it as a gift a few years ago and found out that it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. But it looks so fabulous on TV! Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZBippy Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I know I thought it would be a good substitute for a food processor. I actually asked DH to get it for me and when I found out it was a dud, I didn't want to hurt his feelings by getting rid of it so it has been sitting in the cupboard for 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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