Prescription Kidney Health Dog Food

Kidney health is often one of a pet owner's largest concerns surrounding their dog. As dogs get older, they become more and more prone to developing kidney problems. Because kidney disease is a chronic condition that can progress over time, it's important that you be very aware of the different options for helping to manage your dog's condition. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate kidney disease from your pet, with the proper care and attention you can help to give him the treatment that he needs to maintain kidney function and to slow the progression of the condition.

Characteristics of Prescription Kidney Health Dog Food

Kidney health is largely dependent upon your pet's diet. There are a number of important factors in the diet of your pet that will help to determine his long term kidney health. The quality of the ingredients is very important. All prescription kidney health dog foods should have ingredients of the highest possible quality. These are the best at delivering nutrients to your pet's system which helps to keep his kidney function (and his other organ function) as high as possible.

Kidney health dog food will limit certain ingredients as compared with standard dog foods. This is important because particular dog food ingredients may actually cause problems for your pet's kidneys, and eliminating these ingredients will therefore be beneficial overall.

Low Phosphorous

One of the most important ingredient traits of a prescription kidney health dog food is that it be low in phosphorous. Phosphorous is a trace mineral that is necessary in your pet's system, but only in very, very small amounts. Lowering the phosphorous level in your pet's body is important if he has kidney problems in general, or if you're concerned about his being at risk for developing these problems. The reason that phosphorous is potentially dangerous for your dog is that it combines with calcium to form hard deposits in the kidneys. These deposits can cause damage to kidney cells, exacerbating the kidney health issue your pet already has.

Protein and Fat

While many people believe that prescription or specialty diets for kidney health in dogs should be low in protein, this is not necessarily the case. Far more important is the type of protein that your pet gets. Eliminating standard protein sources in favor of other meats and vegetable proteins is the healthiest way to keep up your pet's kidneys. Kidney health pet food should have moderate to high levels of fat for optimal health maintenance.

Obtaining a prescription for kidney health dog food requires that you pay a visit to your veterinarian. Ask the vet for information about how to best treat your dog based on his existing condition, and the potential conditions which he may develop as well.

 

Comments