How nutrition can save your dog’s life!
Hello Everybody,
Is your four-legged friend lethargic, losing weight and somehow not really there?
Then your animal friend could be suffering from kidney failure, just like my retriever Lisa.
How did I discover this?
I'll tell you today so that you too can recognise the signs in time and take precautions.
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In humans, the kidney is the organ that cleanses the blood. In addition, it excretes or retains excess fluid and electrolytes, depending on the fluid intake. Through the water and salt balance, the kidneys also regulate the blood pressure and keep the pH value of the blood constant.
My Golden Retriever Lady Lisa
Although she is already 10 ½ years old, Lisa always romped around like a playful puppy. Her favourite place was right next to our fridge. I wonder why? Well, she loves the noise and probably also the contents. (Does your dog also have a favourite place?)
The Discovery
But then, last summer, everything suddenly changed. She stopped eating, was listless and tired. She also no longer made it to her favourite spot next to our fridge. Every walk seemed to be more torture than joy. My worry grew, because nothing helped. And nothing like this had ever happened before. What was wrong with her? Weakness of age? Infection? Or something worse?
The Diagnosis
So I packed Lisa into the car and drove to our super vet here on the island. A health check showed nothing at first, because the general condition was normal, according to the vet. Since dogs can't talk, I stood in for Lisa and told the vet about my carefully observed symptoms. While I was telling her everything, she rubbed her forehead thoughtfully, for a suspicion had begun to germinate in her. She took my concerns very seriously and therefore immediately ordered a blood test. She paid particular attention to the kidney values. And bingo! The blood values of the kidneys were slightly elevated. Now I had certainty: Lisa had kidney insufficiency. Fortunately, this was not yet dramatic, but it did call for acute action.
The solution
My vet recommended a simple but effective dietary change for Lisa. This also coincided with what I had learned during my training in nutritional counselling for dogs. Even a small change in diet can work wonders for kidney failure. The new diet should stabilise Lisa's kidney values as well as bring the elevated value into the normal range and thus protect the remaining kidney tissue. Normally, this disease is not recognised until it is too late, which means that many dogs die from it.
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Often the outward signs of this disease are not visible until more than 50-60% of the kidney tissue (or nephrons) have already been destroyed. The symptoms are gradual and develop over several years. The initial symptoms are usually overlooked because they are very non-specific. Chronic kidney failure tends to occur in older dogs and is one of the most common causes of death.
Symptoms that may indicate that your dog is suffering from this disease are:
nausea / vomiting - bad breath - bleeding gums, mucosal lesions - increased drinking / urination - fatigue / listlessness - dehydration - weight loss - dull coat / scaly skin - susceptibility to disease - gastritis
The change of diet
As instructed, I immediately adjusted Lisa's diet and behold, after about 4 weeks, the dog already showed an improvement. She wanted to play again, slowly gained weight and went back to her favourite place. After 8 weeks the medical proof came: the kidney values had really improved due to the new diet. The next check-up will take place in 3 months and we will stick to this diet plan for Lisa from now on.
Conclusion
Observe your dog closely and if in doubt, go to the vet once too often rather than once too little. You know your dog best and since your four-legged friend has no voice of his own, you must be that voice!
Yours, Sandy
Would you like to know more about feeding your dog the right way?
Then feel free to send me an email and arrange a short initial consultation with me free of charge.