{"id":2057,"date":"2022-07-14T22:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T22:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jessiebeecreative.com\/?p=2057"},"modified":"2023-02-10T18:09:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T18:09:23","slug":"homemade-dog-food-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jessiebeecreative.com\/homemade-dog-food-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Homemade Dog Food Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Search for Food for Dogs with Renal\/Kidney Disease<\/h2>\n

Trail of research<\/h3>\n

When my thirteen year old mini schnauzer was diagnosed with renal disease and was headed toward stage 3 kidney failure, I was prepared to only have her with me for six more months or less. The most disheartening part was the pain that she was in every time she ate. So I started researching the disease and found out that\u00a0 the process of food digestion (in dogs in renal failure) causes toxins to build up in the body, making mealtime painful.<\/p>\n

When I started my research, I discovered that there was a lot of information; but that information was all over the place. I had to piece things together and discuss with my veterinarian to compile an exhaustive plan for making my sweet furbaby comfortable in her final days. So, I’m hoping my research (and this article) can help someone else who is going through the same thing. Just remember, I am not a vet and have no training in this area whatsoever. I did however, work closely with my vet to come up with the right combination for my dog. Your circumstances may be different, and your dog may require a totally different plan.<\/p>\n

My vet and supplement dieticians that I worked with said to do a low phosphorus and medium protein diet. Unlike in healthy dogs, phosphorus makes digestion painful for them (for lack of a better way to describe it). Georgia (my mini) actually quit eating because she was in so much pain. Originally, my vet prescribed a prescription dog food specifically formulated for renal disease. However, because of my research, I found that even the dry food meant for aiding kidney disease is highly processed and difficult for the system to break down. At this point I decided I wanted to feed fresh food.<\/p>\n

The problem with fresh food is that most commercially sold fresh food options are not made for renal disease. They have ingredients in them that are higher in phosphorus and the protein balance isn’t optimal. So I decided I would find a recipe that I could cook for her myself.<\/p>\n

That led to a new problem. Cooking a properly balanced meal is very complicated and it’s almost impossible to include all of the necessary nutrients. They don\u2019t get everything they need unless you stick to a strict diet that has a balance of things like bone marrow, organ meats, egg shell powder, omegas, and other stuff. So you need to add nutrients with a supplement.<\/p>\n

Of course, this led to an entirely new rabbit trail of research. How was I supposed to find the right recipe with the right type and amount of nutrients and supplements? There are actually a few resources out there to help formulate this for you. Keep reading to see what I found.<\/p>\n

Some Answers<\/h3>\n

Balance IT<\/a> is a supplement and dietary service to help people formulate special diets. They have professional dieticians that work with your vet to create an exact recipe in combination with the proper supplements. I went through the process and ordered the supplement. They sent me a couple of recipes to use with it. It is a high quality product and I’m very impressed with the service.<\/p>\n

One problem. She didn’t like it! It has a pretty strong smell and I assume the taste is strong as well. She just wasn’t going for it. So back to the drawing board!<\/p>\n

It wasn’t a total loss. Although I had to resign myself to the fact that the next solution would be a little less precise, I felt like I was beginning to get a pretty good grip on the ratios of proteins, carbs, and fats that needed to be included in her diet. I was able to find another supplement created just for homemade fresh food diets. I modified their recipes to fit with the low phosphorus-moderate protein plan created by my vet and Balance IT. Georgia loved Azestfor<\/a>, and she began eating enthusiastically! She even began to anticipate mealtime again and began to gain a little weight. She no longer had pain after meals and her urea and creatine levels began to slow and level out.<\/p>\n

My sweet little furbaby outlived her predicted six months and had a fun, full, and comfortable life for three more years! As time-consuming and inconvenient as it was to cook for her every week, I would not trade the experience to provide this for her! What I thought was making her comfortable in her last days, was actually saving her life. This experience has also caused me to rethink my own food intake and the effects it has on my body.<\/p>\n

Breakdown the Information<\/h2>\n

Foods<\/h3>\n

So now let’s talk about specific foods. Not only should you consider meals, you need to remember what you are giving as treats and snacks. Most treats contain ingredients that are not desirable in a restricted diet. And if you use too many meat treats, you’ll be adding too much protein to the overall diet. So be mindful of everything you allow your dog to eat. I found this article to be a very good (although not exhaustive) resource: The Dog Kidney Diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Proteins<\/h4>\n

You will find several different schools of thought on the amount of protein to use for renal disease diets. This is a discussion you should have with your vet and dietician. We decided to go with the moderate-protein diet.\u00a0 At first, I would pur\u00e9e the protein with the other ingredients and serve the entire meal as mush (helps with digestion). Later, I found that it was easier and allowed for more variety to begin with the vegetable and starch base as the pur\u00e9e and then sprinkle the protein over the top of each serving.<\/p>\n

Proteins I included the most in Georgia’s diet:<\/strong><\/p>\n