A BARF [bones & raw food] Diet for Kidney Failure
Copyright Ian Billinghurst

Apart from the absolutely essential need to be whole, raw and natural with no grains, the most important characteristic of a diet to support an animal with kidney failure is that it be LOW IN PROTEIN, LOW IN PHOSPHORUS AND LOW IN SALT. 

A kidney diet should have no commercially prepared foods, because mass produced commercial foods do not contain whole raw and natural foods and are all high in grains, salt, phosphorus and protein. 

The reason a kidney diet should contain no grain foods is because grain foods in general are biologically inappropriate for dogs.  They are high in starch - the killer carbohydrate - are high in phosphorus and their proteins are poorly digested and of low quality. 

Kidney failure diets must contain reduced levels of protein - THE DEGREE OF REDUCTION DEPENDING ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE KIDNEY FAILURE HAS ADVANCED. The protein they contain should be of a high quality.  To ensure high quality protein at low levels, feed small quantities of meat [chicken, beef, pork etc], eggs, fish and offal such as liver, kidney, brains and heart.  It is a good idea to include as many of these items as possible in the diet. That is, tiny bits of each.  Do feed liver, but keep the levels well down in advanced cases of kidney failure. 

Where the kidney failure is in the early stages, the protein reduction should be moderate.  As the condition advances the protein levels will have to be further reduced.  It is important to keep the protein levels as high as possible - comensurate with the degree of kidney failure - to prevent loss of lean body mass and support immune function. 

Where the problem is only mild, continue to feed raw meaty bones, because the benefits by far outweigh the costs.  In more advanced cases of kidney failure, feed no bones to reduce the mineral content of the diet. 

The kidney failure diet will be high in fats that are high in the essential fatty acids.  Use fat from egg and chicken and flax seed oil.  Add additional vitamin E to prevent rancidity of those fats within the body. 

The kidney failure diet will be very high in crushed raw fresh vegetables. 

The kidney failure diet needs to be easily digested so that the addition of digestive enzymes will be of benefit.  Add the ones used in dogs whose pancreas no longer functions to produce enzymes normally.

The kidney failure diet needs to be high in the water soluble vitamins - that is - vitamin C and the B complex because these are lost at an abnormally high rate because of the continual urination.

The kidney failure diet cannot contain kelp because of kelp's high salt content.  It cannot contain Cod liver oil because high levels of Vitamin A are not handled well by an animal with kidney failure, and we advise against brewers yeast because of its high protein content.

The basic kidney failure diet consists of three quarters raw crushed vegetables plus one quarter raw meaty bones [or meat only in advanced cases of kidney failure] crushed and mixed through the vegetables, plus flax seed oil, plus vitamin E, B complex, and vitamin C. Remember, leave out the bones if the dog is in advanced kidney failure.

A SAMPLE KIDNEY DIET

note ........totally........RAW

Three quarters of the mix should consist of raw crushed fruit and vegetables -- eg three kilos ... vegetables such as carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli etc.. fruit such as apples, oranges, mangos, apricots etc...

The other quarter [one kilogram] consists of lean ground [minced] - beef, chicken, lamb, pork, fish [whole] - or a mixture of these. [All raw of course.]

Where the kidney failure is only mild [in the early stages] it is strongly recommended that at least half of this meat consist of ground or minced chicken wings or necks - including the bone.  If bones are omitted [as in advanced kidney failure] - add 100 gm tahini [crushed sesame seed] which is high in calcium - to the mix.

To the minced meat and crushed vegetables add such things as yoghurt - low fat and plain - 250 ml eggs - raw - preferably free range - about 3 flax seed oil - four dessertspoons liver/kidney/brain/heart/green tripe - raw - up to  250 gm garlic - 3 cloves 

Any surplus - not fed on the day should be formed into patties frozen thawed out as required.

Daily additives include: B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, digestive enzymes.

As the condition worsens, gradually reduce the meat [protein] portion of the mixture. It should not drop below one eighth.

Learn more about feeding a BARF diet here!