sobesmom Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Diana was diagnosed with kidney disease a week and a half ago (or thereabouts). We immediately tried to feed her the Hills k/c the vet recommended. Her already blah interest in eating went from blah to NO. She didn't eat at all for over 24 hours. So I consulted GT and did research from the suggestions given. We tried appropriate canned, other appropriate dry, some home-food etc. She barely ate at all for a week. We threw away more soggy food than she ate. Sunday I made up home-cooked for her. Pasta, sweet potato, fatty ground beef, skin-on chicken thighs, boiled egg whites, a bit of ground eggshell, and a fishoil capsule squirted in. All in the proportion I believe I've read is appropriate. I packaged it all up in meal-sized baggies for easy feeding for a few days. DH and I agreed to feed her this, and sneak in some of the Hills dry dogfood with low-sodium chicken broth on it if we could, and the Hills canned or other canned Senior food, to try to round out her diet until I figured out what supplements to add. We also switched her water to bottled distilled instead of our well water out of the tap. I know it has a lot of minerals in it that her kidneys now can't filter now. After just 3 days on this - she's now eating like a horse! Her appetite has picked up amazingly! I fed her a packet of home-cooked tonight, she wolfed it down, then still kept going to her bowl. So I thought what the heck - and I gave her a cup of the Hills k/c kibble with just water on it. She scarfed it down! Her appetite has picked up so much in the last few days that I'm AMAZED! Her appetite is not only better than it's been since we've tried to feed her a "kidney disease" appropriate diet - it's better then it's been in the last year. She's always been a thin girl, and that was fine But she's gotten fussy about food for a while - that might have been a symptom of the kidney issue that I missed. It's NICE to see her attacking her food again. I'll try to keep giving her a diet that is healthy for her - and accommodates her issues - but in renal failure my main goal is quality of life. if I can feed her to keep her eating, and feeling good for whatever amount of time... I'm really happy about that. And making the home-cooked really didn't take that long, and it's actually less expensive than the dry prescription dogfood that she hates. I think I'll cook it up and bag it in meal-sized portions each Sunday. I'll leave a few days' food in the fridge, and freeze the rest to thaw and serve later in the week. I'll rotate the ingredients so she doesn't get bored. Rice or pasta, sweet potatoes or squash, beef or chicken or fish, etc. Thank you GT! Your suggestions were awesome, and spurred me to my own research, and the combo came up with a diet for my Diana that is healthy for her, workable, and financially reasonable. I'm SO HAPPY Diana is eating again! And - she's gotten spunky again!! Her energy level has gone right up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 That's great! Getting kidney dogs to eat can be so hard and frustrating! Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dancer Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Yeah!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spottydog Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 A very inspiring story! Go Diana! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 :) :) Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galgrey Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 That's great! Getting kidney dogs to eat can be so hard and frustrating! So glad to hear it. Quote Cynthia, & Cristiano, galgoAlways in my heart: Frostman Newdawn Frost, Keno Jet Action & Chloe (NGA racing name unknown), Irys (galgo), Hannah (weim), Cruz (galgo), & Carly CW Your Charming Princess http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=1018857 "It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." -- Unknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieRhea Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Wonderful news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 That is fantastic news!!! Go, Diana! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracegirl Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Bringing this thread back up as I might need to start cooking for Fenway. Can you share your exact recipe that you cook for a week and the amount you give her per day? Quote Poppy the lurcher 11/24/23 Gabby the Airedale 7/1/18 Forever missing Grace (RT's Grace), Fenway (not registered, def a greyhound), Jackson (airedale terrier, honorary greyhound), and Tessie (PK's Cat Island) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliemac Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Congratulations!! If you want to prepare cooked ground beef and also rice/pasta ... consider putting both in a stock pot with plenty of water and boil them both together (you can add a bit of low sodium boullion to the mix to add flavor). boil it until the rice absorbs the liquid (it can't be overcooked, so no worries), and bag all of it together for those meals. She'll get plenty of liquid, flavor, and MUCH EASIER for you. I put this type of mixture in bigger freezer containers (each holding a day or two of food), and thaw one while using another. If you want other veggies into the mix, you can use leftovers that you throw into the stock pot (so they're mush when they come out), or you can use babyfood or applesauce. If you use a lot of this diet, you'll want to supplement calcium and other nutrients. Calcium is easy if you cook the bones from a rotisserie chicken for ~12hours in a slow cooker (they literally disintegrate between your fingers) or you can use food grade bone meal powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurfette Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I feed raw meat plus cooked veggies and pasta, rice, potatoes. My dogs get 2,5% of their own weight as meal per day. 70% are meat and 30% are veggies, pasta... I used this at a starting point. In time You get a feeling how much your dog needs. Quote Sorry for butchering the english language. I try to keep the mistakes to a minimum. Nadine with Paddy (Zippy Mullane), Saoirse (Lizzie Be Nice), Abu (Cillowen Abu) and bridge angels Colin (Dessies Hero) and Andy (Riot Officer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lillypad Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Wow, I love to learn how diet can change a dogs health... for the better. I often think how boring and tedious it must be to eat the same kibble 2-3 times a day, day in day out, week after week. Good for you to shake things up and add a little interest as well as improve your hounds health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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