One of the many different varieties of dog food that many manufacturers and stores provide is a low phosphorus option. If you've gone shopping for dog food for your pet, it's likely that you've noticed a wide selection at the pet supply store. Not only are there likely to be many different brands of dog food, but most brands have a number of different formulations.
It's not uncommon to see pet food that is specifically designed for puppies, middle aged dogs, dogs in old age, pets with diabetes and weight problems, and many other types as well. Low phosphorus dog food is generally not a good option for most dogs, but can help dogs suffering from particular types of health problems.
When Low Phosphorus Dog Food Is a Good Option
You should generally not plan on giving your pet low phosphorus dog food unless your veterinarian recommends that you do. If you've taken your pet in for an examination and your vet suspects unusual kidney function, he may recommend that you provide low phosphorus dog food for your animal. Typically, many older dogs will benefit in particular from this type of food. It's not uncommon for pets suffering from damaged kidneys or kidney disease, or event hose suffering from kidney failure, to require low phosphorus food. In almost all other cases, giving your pet this type of food will actually harm his health, however.
Why Low Phosphorus Food Can Help
If your pet's kidneys are not functioning as they properly should, they'll have a difficult time flushing the toxins out of his blood stream and his urine. This means that those toxins will then build up in his system and can cause a number of different problems. One of the many issues related to kidney damage or kidney disease in pets is an abnormal buildup of phosphorus.
Phosphorus is typically used in your pet's kidneys to help reduce the levels of calcium in his urine. However, low functioning kidneys can actually have a difficult time eliminating the phosphorus from the blood and urine as well. Therefore, a low phosphorus diet will help your pet to avoid the secondary problem of too much phosphorus building up in his blood stream by giving him less in his normal ingestion.
How to Transition to Low Phosphorus Dog Food
While many dogs are not picky eaters and will try any food that is presented to them, others will hesitate if you switch foods outright in this manner. If you suspect that your dog will be in the latter category, it's a good idea to begin to mix in low phosphorus dog food with your pet's regular food in a small quantity. Over time, you can gradually increase the amount of low phosphorus food while you decrease his standard food. Eventually, he'll be eating mostly and then entirely the new food. Again, it's crucial that you follow your vet's instructions for giving your pet a special diet like this one.