My dog has kidney disease. Should I stop eggshell powder with Ipakitine?

Aghh Poor Chico, sorry to hear about his kidney disease. Homemade diets are notoriously difficult to get right as it is never as simple as just working out calories etc. My general advice would be persevere with different renal brands as these will ultimately have a better balance. However, having said that, if you are sure about going down the root of a homemade diet, you sound like you are taking the right approach. For your dog's stage I would worry you are giving too much protein. The essential pointing this diet is to reduce protein and phosphorus whilst maintaining vitamin and mineral balance. Renal foods typically has a dry protein of about 14% so with you feeding wet meat I would reduce it to around a third of the diet then make up the rest with pasta, rice and range of vegetables. The supplements you are adding will be helpful and the phosphorus binder will help greatly.

More information would be required in order to help assess Max's case such as his signs and symptoms (including any blood in stool), any change in thirst/appetite and body weight as well whether the bloods were taken fasting more than 12 hours or after feeding. Ipakitine is a phosphate binder and is used to protect the kidney from high blood phosphate levels and monitoring of this would be important.

I'm sorry to hear about your dogs diagnosis! Phosphorus is something we try to avoid with renal failure because the kidneys have lost the ability to excrete it properly. Because milk is high in phosphorus I would avoid giving it. A prescription renal diet like you are using is the best food to avoid giving too much phosphorus. If your dog's phosphorus levels are already high you can ask your veterinarian about giving medications like aluminum hydroxide. As far as additional things you can do at home for your dog, subcutaneous fluids may be worthwhile. Your veterinarian can teach you how to administer these fluids. Medications like Azodyl may also be helpful. As an integrative veterinarian I also manage my patients with kidney disease with acupuncture and herbal medicine. It may be worth looking into integrative veterinarians in your area. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and your dog!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A phosphorus binder is used when the phosphorus is high not when just the creatinine is elevated. I would have your Vet get a urine sample and a blood pressure. This will help stage Ike's renal disease. Prescription renal diets are highly recommend to slow progression of disease. Blood pressure medications should be used if high. I wish you the best!

The phosphate binder needs to be given with every meal as this is where dogs get their source of phosphorus. The cerenia helps with appetite so I would recommend giving it at least an hour prior to feeding this way it can have the greatest effect. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions let us know!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Chico. Chicken broth is typically a very low protein source. I think it's a good idea to add this to try to entice Chico's appetite. Serving the food warmed up may help bring out the aroma and flavor also. There is a new kidney supplement for dogs in kidney failure but I can't think of the name of it. It starts with Nef..... I believe. Might be worth asking your veterinarian about. Good luck with Chico. Another thing you can try is a different carbohydrate such as pasta to entice Chico.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tony. The most important thing is that he eats. If he will eat better with the powder folded in, then I would recommend doing it that way. Typically bloodwork is monitored when a patient is taking a phosphate binder to test his levels. This will let you know if he is taking the correct amount and if it is working for him. I hope this information helps!