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Home > Health > Kidney Disease > Kidney Diet > Non-Prescription Diets


NON-PRESCRIPTION COMMERCIAL DIETS FOR DOGS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE

 * Contents
   * Introduction
   * Adding Fresh Foods
   * Dog Food Mixes
   * Using the Table
   * Table of Foods

See Also:

 * Kidney Disease in Dogs
 * Tests used to Diagnose Kidney Disease
 * Diet for Dogs with Kidney Disease
   * Overview of Dietary Goals for Dogs with Kidney Disease
   * Is a Low Protein Diet Necessary or Desirable?
   * Table of Nutritional Values of selected foods
   * Sample Homemade Diet for early to moderate stage kidney disease
   * Nattie's Story
   * Prescription Renal Diets
   * Non-Prescription Commercial Diets
   * Supplements
 * Medical Treatment for Dogs with Kidney Disease

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, nor do I have any formal training in any
> medical field. The information presented here is not meant to replace your
> vet's advice or prescribed medications, but only to suggest additional options
> to explore, based on your dog's condition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


INTRODUCTION

There are two factors that have been shown to slow progression of kidney disease
and prolong life: reducing dietary phosphorus, and adding omega-3 fatty acids
from fish oil (EPA and DHA). Note that reducing dietary phosphorus is not
necessary and will not help before kidney disease progresses to the point where
creatinine is greater than 2.0, or fasted blood phosphorus is above 4.5. Add
fish oil in an amount that provides up to 50 mg EPA+DHA combined per pound of
body weight daily (this maximum amount has increased from 30 mg in recent
years). See my article on Fish Oil for more information.

Some commercial diets approved for adult dogs only, especially senior and light
diets, contain low enough phosphorus to be fed to dogs with early stage renal
disease (creatinine less than about 2.6 and fasted blood phosphorus no highter
than 4.5). A few have been included below, but there is an old chart of many
more included in the article Phosphorus Content in Dog Food (always be sure to
verify the amount of phosphorus with the manufacturer, as it may have changed).
This chart is listed in order of mg phosphorus per hundred calories, which is
the best way to look at the data. Note that the numbers provided below are
extracted from a number of sources and are not guaranteed to be current; it is
always best to contact the manufacturer and ask for a nutritional analysis (not
the guaranteed minimum) to be sure.

Not all of the foods listed below are appropriate for dogs with kidney disease,
as some have changed since they were originally added. As kidney disease
progresses, you might be able to combine the lower phosphorus commercial foods
listed below with a prescription kidney diet to improve the overall quality of
the diet. Once your dog's fasted blood phosphorus levels rise above 5.0, you
will need a prescription kidney diet, as the amount of phosphorus you should
feed to your dog at that point is less than AAFCO recommends.

In the table below, use the "dry matter" percentages for comparing wet and dry
foods, such as canned vs. kibble. Use the "as fed" values for computing how much
you are feeding. In particular, do not use the amount per can or per cup for
comparison purposes, as the size of the can/cup varies quite a bit between
brands. See Know the Difference: “As Fed” vs. “Dry Matter” Percentages for more
information.

Remember that feeding a low protein diet is unnecessary and even harmful unless
your dog is uremic, but low phosphorus is advisable. Moderate protein reduction
may be required if your dog has proteinuria (significant protein in the urine).
Canned food may be preferable to dry, as the extra moisture can help your dog
stay hydrated, though you can add water to dry food to accomplish the same
purpose.

For comparison purposes, most regular commercial diets have around 1-2%
phosphorus on a dry matter basis. A dog with early stage kidney disease should
be limited to no more than 0.6% phosphorus on a dry matter basis. Another way to
figure it is that you want to feed no more than 30 mg phosphorus per pound of
your dog's body weight daily if your dog has early stage kidney disease (less is
better). These numbers must be reduced further for dogs with moderate stage
kidney disease.

In addition to the high-quality foods listed in the table below, the following
foods may have less than 0.6% phosphorus minimum on a dry matter basis,
according to a chart I saw in a book. They're not high-quality foods but may be
better choices than lower-protein diets for dogs with early-stage disease. Be
sure to verify the amount of phosphorus (dry matter) with the manufacturer
before feeding any of these foods:

 * Hill's Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Gourmet Beef Entree (canned)
 * Hill's Science Diet Adult Light dry, canned, and Small Bites dry)
 * Hill's Science Diet Mature Adult Active Longevity (dry) and Gourmet Beef and
   Savory Chicken (canned)
 * Hill's Science Diet Mature Adult Large Breed and Small Bites (dry)
 * Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Weight Management (0.5-1.0% phosphorus,
   152-305 mg/100 kcal)

The following foods have phosphorus amounts between 0.6% and 0.7% minimum on a
dry matter basis. Again, be sure to verify the amount of phosphorus (dry matter)
with the manufacturer before feeding any of these foods:
 * Hill's Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Beef & Chicken, Savory Chicken,
   and Gourmet Turkey (canned)
 * Hill's Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Original Dry
 * Hill's Science Diet Adult Light Large Breed (dry)
 * Hill's Science Diet Mature Adult Active Longevity Gourmet Turkey (canned)
 * Nutro Natural Choice Lite and Natural Choice Herring Meal, Rice & Potato
   Formula
 * Royal Canin LA23, Maxi, Medium and Mini Adult 2 (dry)
 * Superior Brands Dr. Ballard Oven Bake Senior (dry).

Add water If you feed dry food, it's best to add water to help your dog stay
hydrated. Remember that dry food will spoil once water is added, so you
shouldn't leave it out all day.

Return to Top of Page

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ADDING FRESH FOODS

One option to consider, particularly if your dog does not like any of the
prescription kidney diets, is to feed a  lower-phosphorus regular
(non-prescription) commercial food such as those listed below, and then add some
low-phosphorus fresh foods to reduce the overall percentage of phosphorus in the
diet.

If you're feeding a high-protein commercial diet, you can add some
low-phosphorus carbohydrates such as white rice, pasta, potatoes and sweet
potatoes. If you are feeding a low or average protein commercial diet, you could
add fatty meats that are low in phosphorus. You can add a combination of both
low-phosphorus fatty meats and carbs to any kind of diet, prescription or
otherwise.

For dogs with early stage kidney disease, look for foods to add in the Table of
Nutritional Values with less than 100 mg of phosphorus per 100 kcals. The goal
is to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the overall diet to around 100 mg per
100 kcals. Dogs with moderate or late-stage kidney disease will need foods with
even less phosphorus. You cannot use non-prescription diets at all for these
dogs.


Be sure to add calcium, which acts as a phosphorus binder, at the rate of 1,000
mg (1/2 teaspoon ground eggshell, or any other form of plain calcium) per pound
of added fresh food.

EXAMPLE: You might provide half the dog's daily calories from a relatively
low-phosphorus commercial food (less then 200 mg phosphorus per 100 kcal). The
other half of the calories would come from a mixture of half fatty meat, such as
80% lean ground beef or dark meat chicken with skin, plus half low-phosphorus
starchy carbs, such as white rice or sweet potatoes (the latter are more
nutritious). The mixture would be based on weight, not volume; e.g., 4 oz ground
beef plus 4 oz sweet potato, not half a cup of each.

Those mixtures will provide in the neighborhood of 50 calories per ounce, to
help you compute how much to give. You'll have to figure out how many calories
their dog needs, which you should be able to do based on whatever you've been
feeding before. Such a mixture will provide in the neighborhood of 50 mg
phosphorus per 100 kcal.

You must add calcium at the rate of around 1,000 mg per pound of added food. You
can use ground eggshell (1/2 tsp eggshell powder provides 1,000 mg calcium), or
any other form of plain calcium. Calcium helps to bind phosphorus, as well as
meeting dietary needs. Dogs with kidney disease should get two to three times as
much calcium as phosphorus in their diets.

The more fresh foods that are added to the diet, the more important it becomes
to balance the diet in the long term (short term, a few weeks to maybe a few
months, it's OK to feed an incomplete diet). This is especially true for younger
dogs, who may be on the diet for years. So if half the diet is fresh foods, just
fatty meat plus starchy grains won't provide all the nutrition your dog needs.
Add a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that does not include phosphorus to
help make up the difference.


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DOG FOOD MIXES


THE EASIEST WAY TO CREATE A DIET IS BY USING BALANCE IT CANINE K PLUS. UNLIKE
THE REGULAR BALANCE IT CANINE-K, THE PLUS FORM CONTAINS NO ADDED PHOSPHORUS. I
DO NOT RECOMMEND USING THE REGULAR FORM THAT DOES CONTAIN PHOSPHORUS.

You will need your vet's approval in order to generate recipes and purchase this
supplement, but they make that easy to get. Unfortunately, the recipes generated
are lower in protein than is necessary for most dogs with kidney disease, unless
your dog has significant protein in the urine. The recipes are sometimes higher
in omega-6 fatty acids than is advisable for dogs with kidney disease,
especially if using poultry (if the nutritional analysis for "18:2
undifferentiated" is much above 100%, reduce the percentage of calories from fat
or switch out the plant oil for coconut oil or olive oil when you customize the
recipe). The recipes recommend using Welactin for Dogs, a fish oil supplement
with 1,440 mg EPA+DHA combined per scoop (6 ml). You may want to give more fish
oil than the recipes recommend (up to 30 mg EPA+DHA combined per pound of body
weight daily for dogs with kidney disease).

To generate recipes, select Free AutoBalancer EZ for Vet Patients from the
Homemade Food menu on the left. Next, click on Kidney Disease, then select the
appropriate option for your dog using Canine K Plus. Use Customize Recipe to set
your dog's weight, and also to increase the percentage of calories from Protein.
You may also want to increase the amount of fat, as long as your dog doesn't
have problems with too much fat. You will need to try different combinations to
determine the maximum amount of protein you can request in order for the recipe
to "pass." For example, the default Beef & White Rice recipe for early-stage
kidney disease has 17% of calories from protein and 25% from fat. I was able to
increase the percentage of protein to 22% (but no higher) while leaving the
percentage of fat at 25% (higher or lower didn't affect the amount of protein I
could use). The generated recipe had 526 mg phosphorus per Mcal (1,000
calories), or 52.6 mg phosphorus per 100 kcal, to compare to other foods on the
chart below. Note that this amount of phosphorus is more appropriate for dogs
with late-stage kidney disease then dogs with early-stage disease.


There are no longer any dog food base mixes that I know can be relied on to
create a diet for dogs with early stage kidney disease. These mixes are designed
to be combined with fresh foods to create a complete diet. Use higher-fat meats,
tripe, whole milk ricotta cheese and combinations of whole eggs and egg whites
to keep phosphorus levels reasonable, as long as your dog can tolerate a
high-fat diet. Be sure to use a variety of fresh foods, not just one kind, and
it's OK to feed very small amounts of foods that are higher in phosphorus, such
as liver, for variety and better nutrition. Use the Table of Nutritional Values
to see the amount of phosphorus per 100 kcals in various foods (far right
column). Although these foods are designed to have fresh foods added, I would
still add calcium at the rate of 500 mg (1/4 teaspoon ground eggshell, or any
other form of plain calcium) per pound of added fresh food to help bind
phosphorus.

Be sure to verify the amount of phosphorus (dry matter) with the manufacturer
before feeding any of these foods:

 * Sojo's Original and Grain-Free (formerly European Style and Europa) --
   Warning! Sojo's has replaced calcium with tricalcium phosphate in their
   foods. This increased the amount of phosphorus to 246 mg per 100 calories for
   the Original, and 260 mg per 100 calories for their Grain-Free mix, too high
   for dogs with kidney disease. Their complete diets are similar.
 * Grandma Lucy's Artisan Pre-Mix Warning! The amount of phosphorus shown for
   all Grandma Lucy's products has increased. There is too much phosphorus in
   all Artisan, Pureformance, and Macanna products. Only the Valor line is low
   enough in phosphorus for dogs with early-stage kidney disease.
 * Essex Cottage Farms Kidney Diet -- ECF Kidney Diet (item 9) has approximately
   0.25% phosphorus on a dry matter basis when fed as directed with just one
   pound of meat, according to the analysis on their web site (may not be
   reliable).
 * The Honest Kitchen Preference -- Preference has 0.99% phosphorus on a dry
   matter basis (254 mg phosphorus per 100 kcals), which is too high for dogs
   with kidney disease. Kindly is even higher..
 * Wendy Volhard's NDF -- I have heard one direct report of a dog with kidney
   failure that gained weight, lost foul breath and water consumption went back
   to normal on this diet (dog was fed less meat than normally called for). See
   K9KidneyDiet message #2100. They could not provide me with the amount of
   phosphorus in NDF, only figures that included added protein (80/20 raw beef,
   lamb or cooked chicken with skin on), which are (dry matter basis): Protein
   34.7%, Phosphorus 1.3%, Calories per pound 2,172. That translates to 272 mg
   phosphorus per 100 kcals, which is too high for dogs with kidney disease.
 * Burns Hypo-Allergenic Mixer (UK, Europe, Hong Kong): Just 0.17% phosphorus as
   fed (335 kcal/100 grams = 51 mg phosphorus per 100 kcal).

Return to Top of Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


USING THE TABLE

To use the table below, pay most attention to the column on the far right,
Phosphorus mg per 100 kcals. For dogs with early stage kidney disease, try to
find a food (or combination of foods) with 150 mg of phosphorus or less per 100
kcals. The same is true of fresh foods you add to the diet, from the Table of
Nutritional Values.
Also pay attention to the next column to the left, Phosphorus (dry matter). For
dogs with early stage kidney disease, you would want to feed a diet that is
0.60% or less phosphorus (dry matter). Again, you may be able to combine two
different foods, one with higher phosphorus and one with lower, to get them to
average out to the numbers you're looking for. You can also add fresh foods to
help reduce the overall percentage of phosphorus in the diet (see above).

Note that dogs with significant proteinuria need a diet moderately reduced in
protein in order to control the amount of protein in the urine, most accurately
measured by urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio. I have not been able to
determine exactly what level requires a dietary adjustment. UPC of 0.5 -0.9 is
considered questionable and 1.0 is considered definitely abnormal, but
glomerulonephritis is not usually diagnosed unless the UPC is 3.0 or above.

If your dog is uremic, with BUN over 80, creatinine over 4.0, and symptoms such
as vomiting, nausea, inappetence and lethargy, you will have to reduce the
amount of protein, but not otherwise (as long as there is not significant
proteinuria), as protein only affects symptoms, it doesn't harm the kidneys
(other than increasing inflammation when protein is being lost in the urine).

Note that those foods shown in red below used to provide values indicating that
they were low in phosphorus, but later values indicated they have much more
phosphorus than shown before. There's no way to know if that's due to a change
in formulation, or just inaccurate information. One of the problems with feeding
non-prescription foods is that the analyses are not as reliable. Be sure to ask
for an actual nutritional analysis, not just a guaranteed minimum. If the
company can't or won't provide you with this information, you cannot rely on
them for a special-needs diet.


BE SURE TO VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF PHOSPHORUS (DRY MATTER) WITH THE MANUFACTURER
BEFORE FEEDING ANY OF THESE FOODS.

If you discover that a food on my list now has different levels of phosphorus
than what I show, please let me know. Also let me know if you find a
low-phosphorus food (150 mg phosphorus per 100 kcal or less) that I have not
listed, I would also appreciate your telling me. You can find my contact info at
the bottom of the page.

Update February 2018: All foods from the following brands are too high in
phosphorus for dogs with creatinine greater than 2.0 or fasted blood phosphorus
greater than 4.5: Acana, California Natural, EVO, First Mate, Grandma Lucy's
Artisan, Pureformance and Macanna lines (Valor is OK); Lotus (canned); Orijen;
The Honest Kitchen; Sojo's; Tiki Dog; Wellness (all dry foods, including
Complete Health, CORE, Simple, TruFood, and TruFood Make It Fresh; Wysong (not a
complete list).


Comparison of Calories, Protein and Phosphorus in Selected Commercial Diets with
(or formerly with) Relatively Low Phosphorus Food Calories
(as fed) Protein 
(as fed) Phos 
(as fed) Protein
(DM) Phos 
(DM) Phos
mg/100 kcal Dry Foods Blue Buffalo Senior 3398/kg
(35 oz)
456/cup (4.75 oz) 24 g/cup 1,073 mg/cup 20.0% 0.89% 235 Canine Caviar Special
Needs 3519/kg
(35 oz)
399/cup
(4 oz) 20 g/cup 680 mg/cup 19.6% 0.65% 185 Burns Original Chicken & Brown Rice
(UK, Europe, Hong Kong) 3,300/kg
(35 oz)     18.9% 0.76% 212 Burns Original Fish & Brown Rice (UK, Europe, Hong
Kong) 3,280/kg
(35 oz)     18.9% 0.91% 255 Dr E's Rx Formula Duck Dog Food (made by Great Life)
3,717/kg
433/cup
(4 oz) 20 g/cup 747 mg/cup 20.0% 0.73% 177 First Mate Pacific Ocean Fish
3,226/kg
(35 oz)
500/cup
(5.5 oz) 36 g/cup 775 mg/cup 25.6% 0.56% 155 First Mate Pacific Ocean Fish Large
Breed 3,600/kg (35.3 oz)
510/cup
(5.5 oz) 39 g/cup 930 mg/cup 27.8% 0.67% 167 First Mate Ocean Fish Senior
3,032/kg (35.3 oz)
470/cup
(5.5 oz) 28 g/cup 775 mg/cup 20.0% 0.56% 165 Great Life Dog Food -- Chicken
3,643/kg 414/cup
(4 oz) 27 g/cup 987 mg/cup 26.9% 0.97% 202 Great Life Grain Free Dog Food --
Open Range Chicken 3,991/kg
453/cup
(4 oz) 37 g/cup 907 mg/cup 36.7% 0.89% 200 Holistic Blend Lamb & Rice (Canadian)
3,390/kg     25.0% 0.75% 204 Holistic Select Weight Management 3,220/kg
302/cup
(3.3 oz) 20.7 g/cup 701 mg/cup 24.6% 0.83% 232 Holistic Select Senior Health
3606/kg
368/cup
(3.6 oz) 26.5 g/cup 714 mg/cup 28.9% 0.78% 194 Lotus Regular Bites Chicken
Recipe for Senior Dogs 3343/kg 375.7/cup (4.0 oz) 20.7 g/cup 549 mg/cup 20.6%
0.54% 147 Lotus Small Bites Chicken Recipe for Senior Dogs 3343/kg 632.8/cup
(6.7 oz) 35 g/cup 926 mg/cup 20.6% 0.54% 147 Royal Canin Mature Consult 314/cup
(3 oz) 20.7 g/cup 534 mg/cup 25.6% 0.66% 170 Royal Canin Mini Mature +8 360/cup
(3.3 oz) 23.3 g/cup 563 mg/cup 27.8% 0.68% 162 Royal Canin Mini Aging +12 322
kcal/cup (3.0 oz) 20.0 g/cup 350 mg/cup 26.7% 0.46% 112 Royal Canin Maxi Adult
5+ 331/cup
(3.1 oz) 21.1 g/cup 626 mg/cup 26.7% 0.79% 188 Royal Canin Maxi Aging 8+ 301/cup
(2.8 oz) 20.3 g/cup 488 mg/cup 27.8% 0.67% 160 Royal Canin X-Small Aging +12 360
kcal/cup (3.2 oz) 20.2 g/cup 423 mg/cup 24.4% 0.51% 128 SquarePet VFS Low
Phosphorus Formula Dry Dog Food 4400/kg
462 kcal/cup
(8 oz) 15.1 g/cup 323 mg/cup 15.5% 0.32% 70 Wellness Complete Health Deboned
Chicken & Oatmeal 407/cup
(4 oz) 25.1 g/cup 904 mg/cup 24.7% 0.90% 224 Wellness Complete Health Deboned
Chicken & Peas 325/cup
(3.6 oz) 21.5 g/cup 613 mg/cup 23.6% 0.67% 189 Wellness Complete Health Deboned
Chicken & Barley 340/cup
(3.7 oz) 22.2 g/cup 792 mg/cup 23.6% 0.84% 233 Wellness Large Breed Complete
Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice 336/cup
(3.5 oz) 25.0 g/cup 750 mg/cup 28.1% 0.84% 223 Canned Foods  Castor & Pollux
Organix Organic Turkey & Vegetable Recipe 423/can (12.7 oz)
1174/kg 25 g/can 573 mg/can 27.3% 0.62% 194 Castor & Pollux Organix Organic
Turkey, Carrot & Potato Recipe 442/can (12.7 oz)
1227/kg 25 g/can 566 mg/can 27.2% 0.61% 164 Castor & Pollux Organix Organic
Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe 411/can (12.7 oz)
1143/kg 25 g/can 856 mg/can 26.2% 0.89% 170 Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free
Organic Turkey & Vegetable Formula 445/can (12.7 oz)
1236/kg 27 g/can 806 mg/can 27.7% 0.83% 194 Castor & Pollux Organix Grain Free
Organic Turkey, Carrot & Potato Recipe 451/can (12.7 oz)
1254/kg 27 g/can 626 mg/can 28.0% 0.65% 164 Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free
Chicken & Vegetable Recipe 425/can (12.7 oz)
1181/kg 27 g/can 813 mg/can 27.9% 0.84% 186 Castor & Pollux Organix Grain Free
Organic Chicken & Potato Recipe 434/can (12.7 oz)
1207/kg 27 g/can 766 mg/can 27.0% 0.82% 169 Castor & Pollux Organix Butcher &
Bushel Grain Free Organic Shredded Chicken Dinner with Potatoes in Gravy 360/can
(12.7 oz)
999/kg 25 g/can 681 mg/can 27.7% 0.75% 189 Merrick Chunky Carver's Delight
Dinner 375/can (12.7 oz) 29 g/can 866 mg/can 44.4% 1.15% 231 Merrick Chunky
Pappy's Pot Roast Dinner 323/can (12.7 oz) 29 g/can 707 mg/can 44.4% 1.09% 219
Merrick Chunky Colossol Chicken Dinner 347/can (12.7 oz) 29 g/can 982 mg/can
44.4% 1.51% 283 Royal Canin Mature Consult 362/can
(13.6 oz) 34.6 g/can 579 mg/can 38.1% 0.68% 160 Solid Gold Green Cow Tripe Dog
Food 374/can (13.2 oz) 35.7 g/can 636+ mg/can 41% 0.9% 169 Weruva Dogs in the
Kitchen Fowl Ball 135/can
(10 oz)
701/kg 25.7 g/can 312 mg/can 47.9% 0.63% 114 Weruva Dogs in the Kitchen Funk in
the Trunk 180/can
(10 oz)
633/kg 26.1 g/can 312 mg/can 52.6% 0.63% 121 Weruva Dogs in the Kitchen Love Me
Tender 182/can
(10 oz)
642/kg 25.5 g/can 312 mg/can 47.7% 0.58% 117 Weruva Dogs in the Kitchen The
Double Dip 175/can
(10 oz)
614/kg 25.4 g/can 397 mg/can 51.8% 0.81% 159 Weruva Hot Dayam! 425/can
(14 oz)
1063/kg 33.8 g/can 595 mg/can 43.4% 0.75% 137 Weruva That's My Jam! 389/can
(14 oz)
971/kg 40.7 g/can 516 mg/can 53.9% 0.67% 131 Weruva Wok the Dog

305/can
(14 oz)
763/kg

35.1 g/can 397
mg/can 50.2% 0.57% 130 Wysong Gourmet* 184-220/can (5.5 oz) 18.1-21.2 g/can 243
mg/can 44.7-52.4% 0.60% 110-132 Dehydrated Foods ** Essex Cottage Farms Kidney
Diet**       9.4-15%  0.25%   Essex Cottage Farms Hypoallergenic** 419/100 grams
21% 0.49% 117 Grandma Lucy's Valor Chicken (Valor Turkey and Fish varieties are
comparable) 554/dry cup (4.75 oz), 4107/kg 40 g/dry cup 647 mg/dry cup 32.6%
0.52% 112 Grandma Lucy's Artisan Dog Food Chicken
*WARNING* Too Much Phosphorus! 439/dry cup (4 oz), 3867/kg 30 g/dry cup 1135
mg/dry cup 28.1% 1.08% 259 Grandma Lucy's Artisan Pre-Mix** (must add meat)
*WARNING* Too Much Phosphorus! 390/dry cup (4 oz), 3440/kg 15 g/dry cup 907
mg/dry cup 14.4% 0.89% 232 Honest Kitchen Keen 470/dry cup 22.7 g/dry cup 1000
mg/ dry cup 21.9% 0.96% 213 Honest Kitchen Love 514/dry cup 37 g/dry cup 1012
mg/ dry cup 34.9% 0.95% 197 Honest Kitchen Preference** 398/dry cup 13.6 g/dry
cup 737 mg/ dry cup 13.2% 0.71% 185 Honest Kitchen Zeal 437/dry cup 41.7 g/dry
cup 897 mg/ dry cup 39.5% 0.85% 205 Frozen Foods JustFoodForDogs Beef and Russet
Potato*** 1,440/kg (40/oz) 2.5 g/oz 43 mg/oz 32% 0.60% 105 JustFoodForDogs Lamb
and Brown Rice*** 1,643/kg (46/oz) 2.1 g/oz 40 mg/oz 24% 0.49% 87
JustFoodForDogs Turkey and Macaroni*** 1,418/kg (40/oz) 2.9 g/oz 36 mg/oz 28.5%
0.36% 89 My Perfect Pet Kidney Support Blend 1374/kg (312/8-oz bar) 13.6 g per
8-oz bar 156 mg per 8-oz bar 20.3% 0.23% 50 My Perfect Pet Snuggles Blend
(Reduced Mineral) 1,548/kg (357/8-oz bar) 20.4 g per 8-oz bar 340 mg per 8-oz
bar 31.0% 0.53% 95 My Perfect Pet Boomer's Blend 1,582/kg (359/8-oz bar) 24.9 g
per 8-oz bar 408 mg per 8-oz bar 35% 0.60% 114 My Perfect Pet Roxy's Blend
1,852/kg (420/8-oz bar) 22.7 g per 8-oz bar 435 mg per 8-oz bar 29% 0.55% 104 My
Perfect Pet Ultra Low Glycemic Chicken/Beef 1,340-1,429/kg (304-324/
8-oz bar) 34.0/43.1 g per 8-oz bar 349/368 mg per 8-oz bar 67%/71% 0.7%/
0.6% 115/114 Nature's Logic Raw Frozen Beef Formula(phosphorus incorrectly
reported, do not use)         1.27% 263 Cooked Foods Caru Daily Dish Beef Stew
261/pack
(12.5 oz)
739/kg 18 g/pack 405 mg/pack 31.6% 0.60% 141 Caru Daily Dish Chicken Stew
254/pack
(12.5 oz)
719/kg 18 g/pack 376 mg/pack 31.6% 0.56% 128 Caru Daily Dish Turkey with Lamb
Stew 291/pack
(12.5 oz)
823/kg 18 g/pack 361 mg/pack 32.5% 0.54% 124 Caru Daily Dish Beef with Chicken
Stew 294/pack
(12.5 oz)
833/kg 18 g/pack 393 mg/pack 31.6% 0.58% 138 Caru Daily Dish Turkey Stew
287/pack
(12.5 oz)
812/kg 21 g/pack 431 mg/pack 33.0% 0.71% 150

* Wysong makes high quality foods, but their Nephreon prescription kidney diet
is higher in phosphorus than other prescription kidney diets, so it would only
be appropriate for dogs with very early stage kidney disease whose phosphorus
levels are normal (and it's questionable even then). According to the
manufacturer, Nephreon is essentially Archetype with added nutraceuticals to
support the kidneys. Most of Wysong's other foods are actually lower in
phosphorus than either Nephreon or Archetype. See their Dry Matter Analysis of
Wysong Pet Foods for percentages of all their regular foods (does not include
prescription diets). Note that the canned "Au Jus" foods are just meat and
organs, they are not complete diets. Of the three canned Gourmet foods, Liver is
the best (lowest) and Seafood is the worst (highest) in terms of phosphorus per
100 kcals.

** You can't compare the figures for the various mixes directly to each other,
as ECF figures are as fed (with water and meat added), while the rest are dry
(before adding water, meat and other foods):

 * Essex Cottage Farm figures are as fed (mixed with meat, fish, eggs and
   veggies per instructions). Amounts are approximations, as they will vary
   depending on the fresh foods mixed in. The Kidney Diet numbers shown are for
   the mix combined with 1 lb of meat, 1/4 lb fish and 2 eggs to 5 cups ECF, but
   may not be reliable. This diet is low in protein. I would use 2 lbs meat
   unless your dog is uremic (BUN over 80). Note the instructions that come with
   the mix may be different from what is shown on the web site; do not increase
   the amount of fish that is added above 1/4 cup per 5 cups ECF, and do not use
   canned fish with bones, which are high in phosphorus. Also, do not add
   sunflower oil, which is high in omega-6 fatty acids that are not advisable
   for dogs with kidney disease. If you include poultry in the diet, there
   should be no need to add oils to the mix.
 * Honest Kitchen Preference figures are for the mix only, and do not count the
   meat and other foods that must be added to make this a complete diet. Keen,
   Love, and Zeal are complete diets that do not require other foods to be
   added.
 * Grandma Lucy's Artisan Pre-Mix figures are for the mix only, and do not count
   the meat and other foods that must be added to make this a complete diet. The
   rest of their foods are complete diets that do not require other foods to be
   added.

*** JustFoodForDogs also offers JustDoItYourself kits for their Daily Meals (but
not their Vet Support Diets), consisting of a recipe and a customized supplement
blend, so you can make this food yourself at home. Customized recipes and
supplement blends can also be created for a one-time fee of $195. Once created,
you have the option of having the company make the food for you, or you can buy
the recipe and supplement blend to make the food yourself at home. Note that the
Balanced Remedy is extremely low in fat.

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Last Updated: 2/14/2022

© 2000-2022 Mary Straus

These descriptions belong to the dogs in the header and other tooltips, but are
displayed here because you have javascript turned off.

Rocky is a Yorkie-Poodle mix who had suffered from digestive problems his whole
life. Click on his image to read about the diet his owner finally found to help
him.
Pashoshe Fisher, a Chihuahua, was a wonderful, joyful companion to his owner for
19 & a half years. He was on a high quality raw diet for over half his life.
This is Ella, my Norwich Terrier.
Uremia refers to very high BUN and creatinine causing symptoms such as nausea,
vomiting, lack of appetite and lethargy.