[Lola Mom]

When I adopted Lizzie last January, the rescue group sent her home with a large bag of the kibble they were feeding her. It is okay food, but not what I feed my dogs. I went ahead and used it, mixing it with the grain-free food I normally use, and she has been on grain-free, salmon-based food for maybe 8-9 months. She went to my vet within the first week I had her and was given a thorough exam, including a CBC. Everything was normal.

She had another CBC with her annual checkup and this time her kidney levels came in high. The vet did a urinalysis, but Lizzie doesn't have a UTI and she seems to feel fine. The vet wants me to put her on a kidney support prescription diet (low protein) which I am willing to try, but I got to wondering...

The prescription food has a lot of grain in it. Her current food has none. Her previous food was grain-based, but I know she wasn't on it more than 3-4 months. What are the chances that her particular system just basically needs grain? The vet wants more blood work after 6 weeks, to see if the kidney levels have normalized. What if a good-quality grain inclusive food would accomplish the same thing as prescription food (at half the price)?

 

[big black dogs]

One of my Rotties named Duncan had high kidney levels. Vet also pushed the kidney prescription food....Duncan would not eat it...or would eat very little. I ended up cooking him a kidney friendly diet. It's often a low protein, low phosphorus diet...that helps the kidneys. I followed Dr. Strombeck's kidney diet for Duncan. It was potatoes and eggs and some other stuff. It came to a point where he would not even eat that....his problem was from a young dog...and we adopted him at about 4...and put him down at the age of 6.

I did have a senior dog on a lower phosphorus dry good...I believe it was Wellness Chicken & Rice. I did a google search for "low protein, low phosphorus dog food" and that came up. She did well on it and the ingredients were not bad. The vet food is SO crazy expensive....and like you say..full of grains. What food are you feeding now? You may want to change the protein.

 

[Lola Mom]

I'm feeding the Kirkland (Costco) salmon and sweet potato food which is made by Diamond. They also have beef and turkey foods available. If high protein is the problem, I will have to switch to something completely different. I've always stuck with the salmon because their coats look so good. I guess I could always add fish oil to whatever I end up feeding. I'm just curious about the grain content. She will probably eat whatever I provide. I think she would eat a ground-up boot, if I put it in her bowl.