Is chicken broth good for dogs with kidney disease
Can Dogs Eat Chicken?
NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any new foods, especially people foods. What might be OK for one dog might not be good for your dog, depending on multiple factors, such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside the diet.
Chicken is a nutritious protein source for humans and dogs alike. Its a popular ingredient in dog food, and there are plenty of chicken-flavored dog treats and toys to choose from.
But while dogs can eat chicken, youll want to be careful about how much you give themand how its prepared. As with any new food that finds its way into your dogs bowl, moderation is key. Heres what to know.
Is Chicken Good for Dogs?
Chicken can be a healthy food for dogs if prepared correctly. Its an excellent source of protein and contains several nutrients that can help maintain your dog's overall health, including vitamin B6, vitamin B3, and zinc.
Just be sure any chicken fed to your dog is cooked thoroughly to avoid the risk of salmonella and other foodborne illnesses. Watch out for extra ingredients that might make them sick, like garlic and onions, and remove any bones because they can cause choking or digestive issues.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Chicken?
Do not feed your dog raw chicken. Raw chicken is known to harbor unsafe bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, which can make your dog very sick. Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked before sharing it with your dog.
What Chicken Products Can Dogs Eat?
There are several ways to prepare chicken, and not all of them are a good choice for our four-legged friends. Plain, boiled chicken is generally considered safe. But fried chicken and chicken thats been prepared with seasonings such as garlic, onions, or high-fat ingredients like cream or oil should be avoided.
Boiled Chicken
Boiled chicken is a good option to feed your dog. In fact, boiled chicken and rice is a common remedy for dogs with digestive issues, and your vet might recommend feeding this if your pup is vomiting or has diarrhea.
Fried Chicken
A tiny piece of fried chicken probably wont make your dog sick, but its certainly not a healthy option for your pup. Fried chicken made with oil can cause digestive upset, and eating high-fat food can cause a painful condition called pancreatitis. Fried chicken can also contain seasonings that are toxic to dogs, including onion and garlic.
Chicken Nuggets
Your pooch probably wont get sick if he snags one of your kiddos chicken nuggets from the floor, but its not a good idea to give your dog these as a regular treat. Chicken nuggetsespecially if theyre friedare not a healthy snack for dogs.
Chicken Feet
Unfortunately, your dog should also steer clear of chicken feet, as both the raw and cooked kinds can cause digestive issues. Just like any other type of raw meat, uncooked chicken feet carry the risk of harmful bacteria like salmonella that can make your dog very sick.
Cooked chicken feet dont have the same risk of bacteria, but the bones can splinter and cause tears or obstructions in your dogs digestive system.
Chicken Broth
Dogs can have chicken broth as long as it doesnt contain any harmful added ingredients. But onion and garlic are both common additives found in canned chicken broth andagainthese are toxic to dogs. But plain, low-sodium chicken broth (or homemade broth!) can make a nice addition in their dog food bowl when given in small amounts.
Can Dogs Eat Chicken Bones?
Do not let your dog eat chicken bones, as they can cause serious internal problems. Though theyre small, chicken bones can be serious choking hazards for dogs who ingest them.
Even if your dog doesnt choke, the bone can easily splinter and, as they move through your dogs digestive system, those tiny sharp-edged pieces can cut your dogs stomach and intestines. This can potentially cause ruptures, blockages, and infections that all require serious medical attention.
If your dog likes having something to gnaw on, skip the chicken bones and opt for a safer alternative, like a chicken-flavored chew bone or another chew toy.
What To Do if Your Dog Eats a Chicken Bone
If your dog eats a chicken bone, try to get it out of their mouth (as long as you can do it without distressing them further or getting bitten). Try offering another treat to get them to drop the bone.
If your pup ends up swallowing it, watch them carefully. If the bone appears to be stuck in their throat, this is an emergency and should be addressed ASAP. Take your dog to the vet immediately.
If you suspect your pooch has eaten a chicken bone, watch for signs of distress. If they display any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet as quickly as possible:
If your dog is acting normal, its OK to keep monitoring them closely from home. Always call your vet if you have concerns about your pets health.
Can Dogs Be Allergic to Chicken?
Protein sources such as chicken (or beef, dairy, egg, lamb, and fish) are some of the most common causes of allergies in dogs.
Most of the time, dog food allergies affect the skin and coat, though they can also cause vomiting or diarrhea. Symptoms that may indicate your dog has a chicken allergy include:
Its possible for dogs to develop a food allergy at any point in their lifeso if Fido is suddenly scratching after he eats his regular chicken and rice kibble, you may want to try an elimination diet to see if something in his food is causing it.
How Much Chicken Should You Feed Your Dog?
Chicken is a common ingredient in commercial dog food and treats, so its safe to feed your pup chicken as a treat or occasional food topper. Just be sure its thoroughly cooked and unseasoned.
As with any new ingredient, moderation is key! Once your pup gets used to eating fresh chicken in small amounts, you can use the following as a guide to feeding your dog chicken. Generally speaking, your dog should have about 1/41/3 cup of meat protein per 20 pounds of body weight each day.
Extra-small dog (220 pounds) = About 1 tablespoon cooked, unseasoned chicken
Small dog (2130 pounds) = 2 tablespoons cooked, unseasoned chicken
Medium dog (3150 pounds) = Up to 1/4 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Large dog (5190 pounds) = About 1/3 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Extra-large dog (91+ pounds) = About 1/2 cup cooked, unseasoned chicken
Examples:Newfoundlands,Bernese Mountain Dogs,SaintBernards,Great Pyrenees
If your dog experiences digestive upset or other discomfort after chowing down on chicken, stop feeding it to them and call your vet.
Featured Image: Adobe/bit24
WRITTEN BY
April Saylor
Freelance Writer
What To Feed a Dog With Kidney Disease
Nutrition plays a big role in the management of dogs with kidney disease. Because dogs with kidney disease usually arent feeling well, the first step is often to merely get your dog to eat anything.
Kidney disease can make dogs nauseated, and they can also develop ulcers in their mouth or stomach, which makes eating painful. A feeding tube may be necessary to get dogs with severe kidney disease the nutrition they need.
Once your dogs condition is more stable, you can turn your attention to providing more optimized nutrition. Kidney diets for dogs have to tick a lot of boxes. Heres a guide that explains nutritional needs and what to feed a dog with kidney disease.
What To Look For in a Kidney Diet for Dogs
Kidney diets for dogs are significantly different from regular dog foods. However, no single kidney diet is going to be best for every dog throughout the rest of their life.
For example, a dog in the early stages of kidney disease could thrive on a kidney diet with more protein, but as their disease progresses, a diet lower in protein and phosphorus might better control their symptoms.
As a rule of thumb, good kidney diets for dogs tend to have anutrient profilethat looks like this:
Nutrient | Grams/1000 kcal |
Protein | 31-41 |
Phosphorus | 0.5-0.8 |
Sodium | 0.4-1.2 |
EPA and DHA | 0.4-1.2 |
Unfortunately, it can be hard tofind this information on dog food labelsor on pet food manufacturers websites. If you are having trouble getting the numbers, your veterinarian can help you pick a good kidney diet based on your dogs needs.
Here are several important elements to look for in kidney diets for dogs:
Taste
The most important characteristic of a kidney diet for dogs can be the hardest to achieve: It has to be delicious! Thats because the metabolic and physical changes associated with kidney disease can lessen a dogs appetite.
To counteract this effect, kidney diets need to smell and taste great. After all, a kidney diet that isnt eaten isnt going to do a dog any good. Kidney diets should also be calorie- and nutrient-dense, so dogs can eat less and still get a lot of nutrition.
Hydration and Water Content
Kidney diets should also contain a lot of water. Dogs with kidney disease struggle to maintain their hydration. All dogs always need to have access to bowls of fresh clean water, but a diet that has high water content is a great way to boost a pets water intake when they have kidney disease.
Wet foods are almost always a better option for dogs with kidney disease than dry foods. If you are feeding your dog kibble, ask your veterinarian about adding water to the dry food or other ways you can supplement their water intake.
It's also important to keep an eye on the sodium levels in kidney diets for dogs. Too much sodium increases the chances that your dog will becomedehydrated.
The Right Amount of the Right Protein
Next comes the balancing act that is protein. Dogs with kidney disease need protein, but not too much. The breakdown products of protein digestion are responsible, in large part, for making dogs with kidney disease feel yucky.
The goal is to feed just enough protein to meet a dogs needs for muscle maintenance, immune function, and the other vital jobs proteins have in the bodybut not to feed too much more. Extra protein will only be turned into calories that can be more safely provided by carbohydrates and fats.
Protein quality is also important. Proteins should be highly digestible and supply all the essential amino acids dogs need.
Low Phosphorus Levels
Theres a close relationship between protein intake and blood phosphorus levels. Dogs with kidney disease gradually lose the ability to excrete phosphorus in their urine, so it backs up in the bloodstream. Reducing phosphorus intake has been shown to slow the progression of kidney disease in dogs and increase their lifespan.
An important way to reduce phosphorus levels in the diets of dogs with kidney disease is to not overfeed protein and to ensure thatproteins relatively low in phosphorusare included in the diet. Plant-based sources of protein tend to be lower in phosphorus than animal-based sources of protein.
Supplements
Nutritional supplements can also help dogs with kidney disease. Supplements often included in kidney diets for dogs include:
Omega-3fatty acids:eicosapentaenoicacid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which can reduce inflammation in the bodyincluding in the kidneysand possibly improve kidney function
Antioxidants,which neutralize free radicals that can further damage the kidneys
Fermentable fiber,which helps get rid of protein digestion waste products in poop. This allows dogs to eat more protein than they might be able to otherwise.
Prescription Kidney Diets vs. Homemade Kidney Diets for Dogs
What abouthomemade kidney diets for dogs? Astudypublished in 2012 showed how hard it is to find nutritionally complete and balanced kidney diet recipes in books and online. Of the 39 recipes evaluated, none met all the National Research Councils recommended nutrient allowances for adult dogs.
In contrast, prescription kidney diets produced by reputable dog food manufacturers undergo testing to ensure they are safe for long-term feeding and have a positive effect on a dogs health.
How To Cook for Dogs With Kidney Disease
One big benefit of homemade kidney diets, however, is taste. If your dog simply wont eat anything else, a homemade kidney diet is worth considering. To avoid nutrient deficiencies or excesses, make sure a veterinary nutritionist or a service likeBalanceIT, which requires veterinarian approval, is involved in formulating recipes for your dog.
Common Prescription Kidney Diets for Dogs
After a dog has been diagnosed with kidney disease and their condition is stabilized, veterinarians typically recommend switching over to a prescription kidney diet. Your veterinarian may have recommended a particular food based on the details of your dogs case. Here are three popular options:
Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Careis available in wet and dry formulations and different flavors:
How To Transition Your Dog to a Kidney Diet
special attention to how you make the transition. Do notchange your dogs foodwhile they are still nauseated or feeling bad. They may associate their symptoms with their new food and refuse to eat it.
Once your dog has a good appetite, start making the switch very slowly. Give them lots of time to get used to the new flavors, textures, and ingredients. This reduces the chance of food refusal and lets your dogs digestive system adapt.
Here is a timetable for taking two weeks to switch your dog to a new diet:
Days 1 and 2:Mix 5% of the new food in with 95% of the old food
Days 3 and 4:Mix 10% of the new food in with 90% of the old food
Days 5 and 6:Mix 20% of the new food in with 80% of the old food
Days 7 and 8:Mix 40% of the new food in with 60% of the old food
Days 9 and 10:Mix 60% of the new food in with 40% of the old food
Days 11 and 12:Mix 80% of the new food in with 20% of the old food
Days 13 and 14:Mix 90% of the new food in with 10% of the old food
Day 15:Try 100% of the new food
If at any point your dog turns their nose up at their food or develops signs of digestive upset, move back a step in the timetable and proceed more slowly.
Signs to Watch for After Starting Your Dog on a Kidney Diet
Dont give up if you initially have trouble switching your dog to a kidney diet. Call your veterinarian if your dog wont eat the recommended food. They can help by:
Recommending an appropriate food topper to make the food more appealing. Avoid products that are high in phosphorus and salt.
Prescribing medications to reduce nausea, stomach inflammation, ulcers, or other symptoms that may be reducing your dogs appetite
Recommending a different prescription kidney diet or, if necessary, a suitable over-the-counter food
Referring you to a veterinary nutritionist to get recipes for homemade kidney diets
Talking to you about the benefits of a feeding tube
Many dogs with kidney disease live happily for quite a long time, particularly if they get the right kind of nutrition. Onestudyshowed that on average, dogs who were fed a kidney diet lived 13 months longer than those who ate regular dog food. Thats certainly a goal worth striving for!
Featured image: iStock.com/RichLegg
WRITTEN BY
Jennifer Coates, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Jennifer Coates is an accomplished veterinarian, writer, editor, and consultant with years of experience in the fields of veterinary...
