Best Foods for Dogs With Chronic Illness
Best Foods for Dogs With Chronic Illness. It has been my honor to watch over many of the sickest, sweetest patients I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, the reality of veterinary medicine is that animals often get chronic diseases everything from diabetes and kidney disease to cancer and congestive heart failure. When an animal gets a chronic illness, nothing becomes more important to their overall well being, than their diet.
A specific diet can help with reducing inflammation, providing energy, supporting struggling organ systems, and improving the quality of life for any chronically ill dog.
That said, figuring out how to help an animal with their diet can be incredibly intimidating. The goal of this extensive resource is to shed light on the newest ways that we treat chronic illness with diet based on the most recent veterinary evidence. Please keep in mind that these guidelines are to be used to learn about and as a supplement to, but not in replacement for, your own veterinarian’s advice.
Best Foods for Dogs With Chronic Illness
Why Diet is the Cornerstone of Managing Chronic Illness?
Diet is a major key in managing a variety of chronic diseases. It’s estimated that over 50 percent of all chronic enteropathy (CE) cases can be managed with a therapeutic diet alone, and the probability of success increases if several systematically implemented dietary trials are pursued . CE-A chronic diseases disorder normal bodily systems; nutrition affects these systems.
Properly applied diet can reduce stress on an ailing organ, decrease inflammation, deliver readily available nutrients for the immune system and manage clinical symptoms.
Food-responsive enteropathy (FRE) is the most common CE and requires manipulating many dietary parameters for successful remission.
Important warning: prescription diets are NOT high end “holistic” type foods. They are medication formulated to fight specific diseases. The wrong food can make your dog worse – even if it’s an excellent, highly “natural” type food. Always feed any new food over a period of 5-7 days to decrease gastrointestinal issues and always consult with your veterinarian.
Key Nutritional Strategies by Condition
The optimal diet varies greatly depending on your dog’s specific illness. Your veterinarian will guide you toward the most appropriate therapeutic food. Here are common strategies for prevalent chronic conditions.
1. Chronic Gastrointestinal Disease (Chronic Enteropathy, IBD, Chronic Diarrhea)
Chronic enteropathy is a group of diseases presenting with chronic vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss . The goals for these dogs are to minimise gastrointestinal inflammation, assist gastrointestinal function and restore gut integrity. Dietary Approach Highly Digestible Diets Recommended at 85-87% and 90% protein and fat/carbohydrate respectively this decreases the amount of undigested food reaching the large intestine thereby limiting the impact of dysbiosis and diarrhoea .
Hydro lysed or Novel Protein Diets: A large number of CE patients respond to dietary trials. Hydro lysed protein diets are formulated with proteins broken down into tiny peptide fragments to reduce immunogenicity . One study reported that an extensively hydro lysed diet resulted in improvement in 10 out of 11 dogs failing other diet trials . Novel protein diets contain a single protein source that your dog has not had previously, eg kangaroo, duck. Low Fat Diets Required if there is suspicion of fat mal digestion and intolerance eg pancreatitis, intestinal lymphangiectasia .
Fibre supplementation: If there is chronic large bowel diarrhoea, supplementation with appropriate fibres can improve stool consistency.
Fibre sources are fermentable by large intestinal microflora, and shift the balance away from the proteolytic fermentation (producing protein break down products that promote inflammation and dysbiosis) to a more saccharolytic type of fermentation (producing carbohydrates that can be used by the large intestinal flora to produce healthy SCFAs such as butyrate which can be used for colonocyte energy). Many commercial veterinary diets for GI problems now incorporate a fibre blend. Moisture Increasing the moisture content of food can also be beneficial to combat dehydration due to chronic vomiting or diarrhoea .
Example: Vet Line GASTROINTESTINAL Diet: The Vet Line GASTROINTESTINAL Diet is designed for digestive disorders and aims to soothe the stomach, intestines and pancreas with a easily digestible duck protein. The diet is low in fiber and contains an increased amount of electrolytes to compensate for loss through vomiting or diarrhea .
Liver Disease (Chronic Hepatitis, Copper Storage Disease): The liver filters toxins, produces many important substances and metabolises nutrients.
Therefore, any dietary support will need to decrease the workload on the liver and promote regeneration. Dietary Approach High Quality, highly digestible protein is needed to maintain body condition without contributing to the risk of hepatic encephalopathy . High quality proteins have a low ammonia production rate. Low Copper The amount of copper included in the diet should be controlled especially in cases of copper-related chronic hepatitis . Antioxidant Support Antioxidant supplementation (eg.
Vitamins E, C, EPA/DHA) may assist in reducing oxidative damage to the liver . Microbiome support Probiotic and prebiotic supplementation may assist in balancing the gut microbiome and reduce the toxic load on the liver .
Example: (Golden Prince) Liver (HEPATIC) Diet For digestive and liver disorders ‘s Hepatic Diet has been clinically formulated to support the health of the liver.
It provides a highly digestible low-copper protein with added antioxidants and a synbiotic microecological modulator to promote healthy gut microflora. It is often fed long-term in cases such as copper storage disease or chronic hepatitis.
3. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
When a person has CKD, the kidneys are unable to remove toxins efficiently from the body’s circulation.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Diet:
- Low in Phosphorus. One of the primary ways of delaying CKD progression.
- Limited protein of a moderate, high-quality type. Protein is still required to prevent protein breakdown and muscle loss, however, the amount must be monitored and regulated carefully to minimize waste products.
- Rich in Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) to prevent renal inflammation.
- Alkalizing compounds to assist in treating metabolic acidosis.
4. Urate Urolithiasis (Bladder Stones)
Some dogs are at a high risk of developing urate bladder stones due to being a Dalmatian or another breed. These stones are composed of uric acid, which is the end product of purine metabolism.
Treatment Dietary Management:
Low Purine Diets. These diets aim to decrease the excretion of uric acid into urine, thereby keeping uric acid levels within the normal range to limit crystal formation. There is minimal to no purine in the dry vegetarian diets and the urate urolith preventions diets. The main focus here is to minimize the ingestion of purine-rich food sources including seafood, organ meats, and certain purine rich vegetables.
Alkalinize & Dilute Urine. The aim here is to keep uric acid from being out in urine.
5. Pancreatitis
Painful inflammation of the pancreas is called pancreatitis . It’s essential to feed a low-fat diet to dogs suffering from pancreatitis because fat encourages activity in the pancreas. The kangaroo novelty protein diet may also be a good choice for a dog requiring a low fat diet.
Key Ingredients to Look For (and Avoid)
Look For:
- Single or Highly Hydro lysed protein sources eg Duck, kangaroo, heavily hydrolyzed poultry feather.
- Functional ingredients e.g. Pumpkin, sweet potato, MOS and FOS (prebiotics).
- Omega 3 eg from fish oil to aid inflammation.
- Managed electrolyte levels to prevent or manage fluid losses with chronic diarrhea.
Also Check: What Can I Feed A Weak Old Dog?
Avoid:
Unspecified “Meat” or “Animal By-Products”: These may be a source of protein that leads to an allergic reaction or sensitivity. Artificial Colors, Flavors, or Preservatives: These are nutritionally empty and have the potential to be irritating. Generic fillers (corn, wheat or soy): An excess of corn, wheat or soy not used as part of a therapeutic formulation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What if my dog doesn’t want to eat the prescription food?
This can be difficult. You could try warming the food up (even a little bit can improve smell), feeding it from your hand, or mixing it with a little warm water. Never add human foods or treats without talking to your vet as you can defeat the purpose of the diet! There are often different brands of a prescription diet as well as textures (wet versus dry).
Could I just cook for my dog at home instead?
While it’s certainly possible, if you plan to feed your dog a home-cooked diet you really must do so under the guidance of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Many homemade diets are lacking in one or more crucial nutrients. Your vet can refer you to a qualified nutritionist who will be able to design a recipe for your dog’s condition.
Are ‘limited ingredient diets’ and prescription diets the same?
Not necessarily. Limited ingredient diets (LIDs) can be purchased over the counter, and may work well in some very mild cases. Prescription diets are formulated very specifically and have proven success in more severe, diagnosed disease.
Are treats and supplements okay to use with prescription diets?
Only if your vet has said it is. Even one small treat could be counterproductive on a diet designed to limit protein for your kidney patient. That said, certain breeds and breeds of dogs with mal absorptive conditions will require additional supplementation, like vitamin B12 (cobalamin).
When will I see improvement?
This depends on the condition, but in many cases dogs respond within the first two to ten weeks of a therapeutic diet. Severe disease may take longer to resolve.
Are there any specific vitamin deficiencies to watch out for?
With many chronic intestinal disease patients, a deficiency in either vitamin B12 or vitamin D can indicate poor prognosis. This deficiency must be supplemented.
Is it safe to feed my sick dog a raw diet?
Raw diets are risky for contamination, especially in the face of immunosuppression from chronic illness. We don’t generally recommend raw for these animals unless otherwise specifically instructed by your vet.
Is the moisture content of my dog’s food really that important?
Very. The high moisture content in canned or wet foods can help support hydration for dogs with ongoing diarrhea, vomiting or those with kidney disease.
What if my dog has several problems? For example, he’s having problems with his pancreas and his intestines?
In this scenario your vet will need to address the most life-threatening problem first. Usually the solution is multifaceted and will involve a diet that is easily digestible and possibly low in fat and contains a single protein source.
Can I go back to my regular food once my dog is feeling better?
Unfortunately for most chronic diseases, this is the management tool, not the cure. In many instances, returning to a standard diet will lead to the symptoms returning. There’s no single answer, and your vet will discuss this with you at length.
Final Thoughts
Living with a chronically ill dog is a journey, and food is a critical part of your travel bag, along with your vet, medications and life modifications. The goal of working together with your vet to make healthy, delicious dietary decisions for your dog is to encourage them to have a long, pain-free, and happy life.
