Things to monitor and try to bump up and supplement would be: Some other important Do’s and Don’ts in the diet. Combinations that would produce a nevertheless tasty dish.Low phosphorus ingredients throughout (proteins, veggies, grains, fats).Carbs and veggies high in vitamins and with sufficient soluble fibre - this will ‘bulk up’ the diet as well.Good “fats” rich in calories and other necessary compounds.And while I have chosen to use some supplements in his diet, I’ve largely tried to rely on “functional foods” and variety in his diet to provide him his necessary nutrients. Smaller and more frequent meals have played an important role for him. The result of this is reduced food drive and weight loss which was a telling symptom in Ben. One of the symptoms of renal failure is an acidic tummy and nausea. And remember, Ben is a dog that I’ve been feeding and largely cooking for since the beginning: he has discerning palette, to say the least. That is to say, what I created had to not only be good for Ben, he had to like it enough to eat it. And yet, even at that, there is one more thing you can’t forget - and that this isn’t simply a chemistry experiment: it’s food. Dogs still need other nutrients and in the end it is about balance - it means, to the best of our ability, equipping the dog (Ben) with what they need while omitting what is going to shorten life. But before I sing out my solution, there is something else to this story: it is not as simple as omitting or limiting phosphorus. You see, phosphorus occurs most abundantly in protein rich foods, but it occurs to some degree in almost all food and ingredients. This is why this post is about a low “phosphorus” diet, not low protein. In short, there are two outcomes in Ben’s immediate future: heart attack/stroke or multi-system failure which will require the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make …. As a result, over time phosphorus levels rise and accumulate in the body’s tissue which causes multiple system issues and in particular, as kidney the disease progresses, cardiovascular complications become more and more likely. This is a double whammy because the body uses calcium to bind with the phosphorus as part of the excretion process. Of particular concern in a mature dog like Ben who has no real pathology but who has simply outlived his kidneys (rare in a dog but more common in cats) is the reduced ability to excrete phosphate and, conversely, retain calcium. The issue is that when the kidneys stop to work at their full function, certain things are not being filtered out and excreted and this creates an imbalance in our blood chemistry. Why? Well, what I learned is that the issue isn’t with protein specifically, but what accompanies the protein: protein isn’t the problem and Ben couldn’t live without protein either. This is why people and animals with chronic kidney disease are often given a protein-restricted diet. That’s not to say the protein is the cause, but that once renal failure sets in, protein in the diet becomes a concern. Often when we hear about kidney disease, or least when I’ve heard mention of it in the past, it has been related to protein levels in the diet. So, to begin with, I had to learn about renal failure and what is happening in the kidneys which are our bodies’ main filters. Ultimately, this is a post and recipe written by a man who loves his dog above all else these past 18 years and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him … and the least I can do is making him remaining months full of quality and love, which starts with his diet. I’m hoping that in keeping this post simple, however, that my distilled research and understanding will be easy for those of you with similar battles in front of you, now, or in the future. What I’m presenting is, therefore, a layman’s understanding of things - and my approach has been devised in consultation with Ben’s amazing veterinarian and pharmacists. I’m lay person with a great propensity for doing research and learning. I want to make it clear from the outset that I’m not a veterinarian, medical doctor, or anyone with a ton of biologic sciences in my background. But after a few days immersed in the sadness of the future, I turned my attention back to the present … and, like a participant in some 12-step program, I started to turn my attention to what I could control: Ben’s diet. I couldn’t imagine losing him I couldn’t imagine a life without him. When I first received the news of Ben’s condition, I was heartbroken and I grieved … hard. Having said that, Ben still clearly has a lot of life and love left in him and so neither of us are throwing in the towel. Failing some other catastrophic illness, his vet of 11 years has said this will be the ‘thing’ that finally takes Ben from this world and my life. After 18 years, Ben, my longtime dog, was diagnosed with chronic renal failure three months ago.
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