Cancer, Protein, and the Kidneys Azodyl

Chronic kidney disease is also called chronic renal disease and chronic renal failure. It means the kidneys have been gradually and irreversibly deteriorating over a period of months or years. Chronic renal failure is unfortunately extremely common in older domestic pets and is a leading cause of death in cats.

Elderly pets usually develop some degree of kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease tend to go hand in hand in many aging pets. 
Cancers toxic byproducts put an extra load on the kidneys as well.



Reduced kidney function affects the kidneys' ability to concentrate urine, so very dilute urine is a very common problem. Pets with failing kidneys really tend to drink more, then pee a lot, and then drink even more and pee even more. If they don't drink enough, and there is alot of waste and histamine breakdown products it can be brown.

It is important thyroid function is checked in any pets suspected of having kidney disease, especially if the pet is older. Hyperthyroidism often exists alone or in conjunction with kidney failure, and its presence can change the way the conditions are treated.

Blood pressure should also be checked since many pets with kidney disease also have hypertension or high blood pressure.



Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Treatment goals for pets with kidney disease are to:

Control uremia (which is the buildup of nitrogenous waste products in the blood)
Delay the progression of disease
Maintain the pet's quality of life for as long as possible

Fluid therapy is usually recommended initially to deal with dehydration, anorexia, and vomiting, and to flush the circulating waste products out of the pets's system. Depending on the animal's condition, fluid therapy may be administered in the hospital intravenously.



Proper Nutrition for pets with Chronic Kidney Failure

A diet high in excellent quality protein and lower than normal amounts of sodium and phosphorous is recommended. Controlling phosphorous intake has proven to be very important in controlling the progression of kidney disease.

Many veterinarians still insist that a renal diet should be low in protein, despite studies that show aging pets -- including those with kidney disease -- need more, not less protein. But it has to be very high quality protein.

So here's the thing. If your dog is addicted to a food with rendered ingredients, meaning if your dog is eating a poor quality food that is difficult to digest and process, I do recommend you reduce the amount of toxic protein in the diet.

However, if your dog is eating mostly human-grade protein, then protein restriction is often counterproductive and actually exacerbates problems of weight loss and cachexia (muscle wasting) -- two common health issues for pets with failing kidneys.

Many veterinarians will suggest a prescription dry food diet for kidney disease, but I absolutely recommend against this as well. Unless a prescription dry food is the only food your dog will consume, I don't recommend you feed prescription dry kidney diets.

Pets with renal disease do best eating high-quality human grade canned food or a fresh, balanced homemade diet. Pets with the disease still eating all kibble should be transitioned if at all possible to a diet that provides much more moisture to help nourish the kidneys.

Most importantly, pets with kidney disease must continue to eat. Unlimited access to fresh water should always be provided.

Additional Help for pets Kidney Patients

There are a variety of other therapies that can be helpful depending on your pet's symptoms. High blood pressure may need to be controlled. Anemia may need to be addressed. And sometimes certain medications must be given to alleviate GI symptoms.

There is a probiotic supplement specially formulated for kidney support called Azodyl. You can even order it on Amazon.com . Read the reviews it seems to help.

Your veterinarian will help you decide if these are indicated or not based on what your pet's specific situation is.


A Final Word on the Epidemic of Kidney Disease

Since kidney disease is a leading cause of death for housecats but not for wild cats, we must ask why feline renal failure in domestic pets is at epidemic proportions.

In my opinion, feeding high-quality protein in its natural, unadulterated form as soon as a pet is weaned means that pet will have a moisture-dense diet over a lifetime. This takes an enormous amount of stress off the kidneys and supports those thousands of important nephrons.

Feeding pets nothing but over-processed dry food for a lifetime I feel will absolutely increase kidney stress. A combination of eating all dry processed diets, toxins in the environment, poor water quality, inbreeding, and too many vaccines makes kidney disease inevitable for today's housepets.

In my opinion, the very best approach to preventing or managing kidney disease is vigilant monitoring of organ systems. This way you can identify risks and subtle changes long before kidney failure occurs.

Many pets live full and very happy lives when this disease is identified early and managed very proactively.