What foods were fed to our dogs when I was growing up?
💚 I grew up in the 70's and 80's in South Africa with a very matriarchal french mother who fed all the dogs that we had while I was growing up with home cooked food, just as she fed us homecooked meals every night. She tried her best as a Mum to us and the dogs and thought that she was doing all the right things. There was no other source of information in those days, other than books and what was available on the shelves of the supermarkets!
💚 She chose to feed the large number of dogs that we had over the years that included
- A Westie called Maccy Boy
- 2 Shetland Sheepdogs Meg and Shelley
- A Bearded Collie called Biddy
- A Crossbreed called Chagall
They were all fed a diet called 'Beefies' which she would buy from the supermarket and it was just tripe and organ meat sold in large plastic sausages that would line our freezer. She would defrost these daily, cook them in a large pot with some rice, and feed them to our dogs and that is all that they were fed all their lives.
Every single one of our dogs mentioned above died from kidney disease!
Why does a high meat diet affect the kidneys of dogs?
Are meat-based veterinary prescription kidney diets the answer?
Absolutely NO! Read here about the amount of bioaccumulated toxins in pork fat and pork liver that would put extra strain on the kidneys of your dog....and is actually one of the ingredients in Royal Canin meat-based prescription kidney diet as shown below!!!! You would be giving your dog added toxins in these meat-based ingredients that compromise an already ailing kidney.
The food below also contains maize flour as an ingredient which is corn and is the most genetically modified crop in the world fed to feedlot animals for very rapid growth. The fact that this food also contains the pesticides in the corn flour as it is not specified as being non GMO, would mean that yet again, the kidneys of a dog being fed this food would be compromised even further!
What does Nutritionist and Author of Plant Powered Dog say?
💚Nutritionist and published author Diana Laverdure-Dunetz of the widely acclaimed book The Plant Powered Dog, (which is highly recommended - you must read it!) reminds us how valuable a plant-based diet is in the human space.
Studies of more than 26000 people with chronic kidney disease who consumed a higher proportion of plant protein and less meat protein, had a lower risk of dying.
Here is the published article, and just the same would happen in our dogs as quoting from this article:
- Vegetable protein amino acids protect against high blood pressure
- Plant proteins create an alkalinising effect on the blood which protects the kidneys
- Fibre from plants reduced harmful uraemic toxins (from protein breakdown)
- Phytate, the form of phosphorus found in plant proteins, is far less absorbable than animal based organic phosphate
Using pure natural plant-based proteins is actually one of the kindest diets for dogs with kidney disease. You are able to give the right levels of pure protein that contain none of the meat-based concerns. Remember though, that a diet aimed at supporting your dog’s kidney is there to extend the lifespan and quality of life of your dog. There is no diet or treatment that can reverse kidney damage once it has been diagnosed in your dog.
What is the best kidney support plant-based dog food diet?
💚 A kidney diet if your dog is suffering, should have:
- reduced phosphorus
- pure proteins from plants
- reduced sodium
- supplemented Omega 3 fatty acids from Microalgae
- Potassium from good quality sources
- extra Vitamin B
All the commercial vegan dog food diets and supplements will have extra phosphorus and sodium added for dogs with normal functioning kidneys that ensures a long and healthy life, so you may need to home cook for your dog (with guidance see our Plant Based Dog Nutrition Course), or buy The Plant Powered Dog Book off Amazon to read more.
What is the vegan cottage cheese recipe?
💚I used to love eating cottage cheese before I was vegan ( a real '80's' food!). It was also something that as a vet, I would recommend to owners of cats or dogs with kidney disease, as it is such a good form of proteins and palatable to both dogs and cats....but I knew nothing in those days about the power of plants!
You post amazing things on Instagram and I found this 'plant-based' option to make cottage 'cheese' and I just love it and eat it regularly on rye bread for lunch! It is also really palatable to dogs (or cats), suffering from kidney disease (or also healthy dogs and cats), who need an extra boost in their nutrient levels.
Ingredients in 'vegan cottage cheese' (it couldn't be simpler)
💚 Mix together -
- Crumbled raw tofu
- Nutritional yeast (nooch)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Plant-based yoghurt
It offers a tasty blend of highly nutritious ingredients for us and our dogs for anytime, but especially good for dogs with kidney disease who need a diet high in moisture to flush the kidneys through, and pure clean plant proteins. You can even add in some chopped nori seaweed (the sheets you buy to make sushi) for added iodine.
What other foods can be fed to dogs with kidney disease?
💚 Lovely Holly from Fleetful has prepared a 5 minute video showing which wholefoods full of phytonutrients (from colourful blueberries, apples, sweet potato and more) really benefit our dogs (and us) -
What are signs of kidney disease in dogs?
- Nausea and loss of appetite
- Lack of energy even though they drink so much more
- Stomach and tongue ulcers to make eating harder
- Shortened lifespan due to high blood pressure and dehydration
💚Your vet will perform a simple blood test and urine test if your dog is off their food and is drinking and urinating more. These show up results as those of sweet 15 year old May the rescue Labrador cross as shown below -
💚 I am a little bit in love with May since I spoke to her Mum during a teleconsult in July. Here is her history -
💚 "May has been with me for nearly 13 years, with her age estimation when adopted being 2-4 years, so she is at least 15. She is always eager to eat (and will eat pretty much anything), go out etc and still chases squirrels and rabbits.
She sleeps more soundly at times in recent years, not always hearing me or being aware if I walk into a room when she’s focused in the other direction.
Her main food: Oats with some ground pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight in water, with half a banana or some cranberries/blueberries/goji berries.
She eats her dry food Greta Mini outside as we scatter it around the garden for her to forage everyday. 1/2 tin of wet food - various between Hownd, Give a Dog a Bean, Greenwoods Veggie and Lukullus Veggie Various fruit and veg throughout the week - sticks of celery, raw carrot, blueberries (everyday), strawberries etc and a Lily’s Kitchen Woofbrush dental chew.
May had a routine blood test recently and was shown to be suffering from Grade 2 kidney disease. Our vet was amazed that May is showing absolutely NO signs of kidney damage with lethargy, being off her food, vomitting.
She has always drunk a lot of water, but she is still full of energy and loves her food!"
What a success story! 🙌 The blood results show a high level of damage, but due to the protective nature of the plant-based diet that she is having, she is symptom free!
I did advise that her Mum soak her food in extra water or plant-based milk to offer even better hydration...except for the Greta biscuits that May forages for in the garden - such an excellent idea as it keeps her mentally stimulated and SO happy!
Dr Arielle Griffiths Vegan Vet (Book a teleconsult with Dr Arielle here
