11 Harmful Foods That Cause Kidney Failure In Your Pet Dog
Some foods are healthy for humans but dangerous for dogs to consume. Because dogs and people have completely different metabolic processes, it is extremely detrimental to a dog’s health to give it human food.
In rare instances, this can even be fatal for the dog. This article discusses several different types of food that are harmful to dogs.
If you have a dog, it is essential to place certain foods out of your pet’s reach at all times. The following are some foods that should never be given to your pet because they are toxic:
What Exactly Is It That Causes Kidney Failure In Dogs?
Your dog’s kidneys are a vital organ since they are responsible for filtering waste products out of the bloodstream and ensuring that the body’s fluids and minerals remain in their proper proportions.
But if the kidneys cannot perform their functions, your dog could end up in a life-threatening situation.
A condition known as kidney failure causes damage to your dog’s kidneys and can eventually lead to kidney or renal disease. Chronic renal disease is the most prevalent kind of kidney failure in dogs and is also the most common (CKD).
Chocolate
This is the pet food that gets the worst press for being poisonous to dogs and cats.
The pet’s size, the amount of chocolate consumed, and the type of chocolate all have a role in determining the severity of the symptoms and the level of toxicity they experience.
The rule of thumb is that the higher the cocoa content, the higher the level of toxicity. This is because of the fact that it has a higher concentration of theobromine, which is the component responsible for this poisonous effect.
Even a moderate amount of milk chocolate can be hazardous to your pet if a sufficient quantity is consumed. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate present the most risk.
Chocolate poisoning can manifest itself in various ways, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, hyperthermia, tremors, irregular heart rhythms, seizures, collapse, and ultimately death.
Grapes And Raisins
Dogs are susceptible to severe poisoning from eating grapes, raisins, and even currants.
If even a tiny amount is consumed, there is a risk that the individual will get acute renal failure. Other common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, and irregular drinking or urine patterns.
Onions And Garlic
Both dogs and cats should avoid eating foods from the Allium family, which includes onions, garlic, chives, and leeks, amongst others.
Poisoning from onions or garlic can cause damage to the animal’s red blood cells, increasing the likelihood that the cells will burst.
It can also cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and drooling, as well as other symptoms such as lethargy, pale gums, elevated heart rate and respiration rate, weakness, and collapse.
Salt
In dogs, consuming excessive salt can cause a disease known as salt poisoning, which a lack of water can also cause.
This can lead to neurological conditions such as cerebral edema, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, and fever. In extreme circumstances, it could potentially prove lethal.
A dose of between 2 and 3 grams per kilogram of body weight can be poisonous to dogs. According to the report of the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists, a dose of 4 grams per kilogram can be lethal.
Because of this, it is not a good idea to give your dog salted foods like pretzels, popcorn, or chips. Instead, avoiding giving your dog these kinds of snacks is best.
In addition, you should ensure that your dog has unrestricted access to clean water to drink at all times.
Fatty Foods
Although greasy foods like hamburgers, bacon, french fries, and other items like these may taste good, we all know that they are not good for our bodies and that the same is true for our pets.
If you give your dog even a small amount of one of these high-fat foods, you risk causing an upset stomach, which may manifest as vomiting, diarrhea, or gas, among other symptoms.
A nasty case of pancreatitis can also be brought on by eating a sufficiently high-fat meal.
Avocado
Persin is the name of the toxin found in avocados; however, this toxin is only harmful to certain animals, namely birds, and cattle.
However, if a dog or cat consumes avocados, there is a possibility that they will get gastrointestinal obstruction. It is possible for the seed, or the entire avocado if swallowed whole, to become lodged in the gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms of this condition would be things like throwing up, diarrhea, not defecating at all, and anorexia.
Alcohol
Even though it should go without saying, alcohol toxicity in pets is more common than most people realize.
This is not always the result of individuals openly giving their pets alcoholic beverages (although there are certainly people who do this), but rather the fact that alcohol is available in a wider variety of products than many of us realize.
For instance, unbaked bread dough contains a significant amount of yeast, which, if allowed to ferment in the stomach (similar to how it does when making beer), might result in alcohol poisoning.
When alcohol is consumed, it can result in a variety of unpleasant side effects, including nausea and vomiting, a dilated and bloated stomach, low blood pressure and blood sugar, hypothermia, weakness, collapse, seizures, difficulty breathing, and even death in extreme situations.
Bones That Are Cooked
Raw bones, on the other hand, have the potential to be a healthy treat for your dog, but cooked bones pose a significant health risk.
They are far more brittle, and it is very easy for them to split into jagged shards.
If your dog or cat were to ingest these shards of bone, they could wind up piercing their tongue or mouth or end up with a foreign body penetrating their esophagus, stomach, or intestinal tract.
A full gastrointestinal tract obstruction can also be caused by large bone fragments that have broken off and been swallowed.
If a sharp item scrapes and cuts the intestinal wall, you may also experience constipation, severe stomach discomfort, or bleeding from the rectum. All of these symptoms might occur simultaneously.
Cherries
Cherries are thought to be harmful to cats and dogs due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides that they contain.
This toxin interferes with the ability of the cells in the body to take in oxygen effectively.
In the most severe cases, cherry toxicity can manifest itself in various ways, including dilated pupils, trouble breathing, low oxygen levels, bright red gums, shock, and even death.
Mushrooms
Several types of mushrooms can cause severe and even deadly toxicity in cats and dogs, even though the vast majority of mushrooms are not poisonous.
Because of this, it is advised to refrain from giving any mushrooms to your pet. Ingestion of toxic mushrooms can cause various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, aching belly, depression, walking drunk, tremors, and seizures.
Macadamia Nuts
It is not currently known what makes macadamia nuts hazardous to dogs; therefore, it is recommended that owners keep their pets away from them.
Macadamia nut toxicity manifests clinically as severe fatigue, fever, vomiting, tremors, joint stiffness, and an inability to move.
Your Dog’s Kidneys
In dogs, illnesses that are marked by declining kidney function are referred to by a variety of terms, including chronic kidney failure, chronic renal failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, CKD, and chronic renal disease.
A healthy dog’s kidneys carry out several important functions, one of which is the filtration of harmful substances from the blood. Your dog’s kidneys will gradually lose their ability to operate properly due to the chronic renal disease they are suffering from.
If your dog’s kidneys become diseased, they will be unable to remove waste products and poisons from the body, leading to a toxic accumulation in your pet’s blood.
Even though there is now no treatment to reverse chronic renal disease in dogs, the condition can often be controlled with a therapeutic diet.
On the specifics of the situation, maintaining your canine friend’s adherence to a therapeutic diet for an extended period may assist your pet in experiencing an improved quality of life.
The Evaluation And Management Of Canine Renal Conditions
Suppose your veterinarian has reason to suspect that your dog is suffering from a serious illness. In that case, he or she will conduct a comprehensive medical assessment of the animal, including nutritional counseling.
The veterinarian will evaluate the severity of your dog’s condition, along with several specific criteria, such as their health and age, before an appropriate treatment plan is suggested if your canine companion is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
In addition to taking medicine, the treatment for kidney disease frequently includes making several dietary adjustments or imposing dietary restrictions.
A therapeutic diet will help slow the advancement of the disease and help minimize the amount of work your dog’s kidneys need to do, while drugs are used solely to lessen the symptoms of the disease.
Dog Food Supplements For Kidney Conditions
A therapeutic diet for dogs with chronic kidney disease typically consists of a diet containing reduced amounts of sodium, protein, and phosphorus combined with increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
This type of dog food is typically recommended for puppies who are suffering from chronic kidney disease. Your veterinarian may also suggest potassium for you to take in certain circumstances.
Why Should Dogs With Renal Illness Have Their Protein Intake Reduced?
It is still being determined whether or not a dog’s diet should contain a lower percentage of protein; however, there are primarily two purposes served by taking this approach.
The first objective is to reduce the quantity of waste generated during protein metabolism, and the second objective is to reduce the amount of protein taken in by the kidneys’ filtration system.
This indicates that providing your canine companion with food that has lower quantities of protein may assist in lessening the strain placed on his or her kidneys, which, in turn, helps maintain renal function for an extended period.
Why Should Dogs With Renal Illness Have Their Phosphorus Levels Reduced?
The phosphorus level in your dog’s blood will rise to a higher concentration when their kidneys begin to fail.
Phosphorus in high amounts has been connected to several undesirable side effects, including a deficit in vitamin D and a diminished ability for the body of your dog to absorb calcium.
These adverse effects have been associated with elevated phosphorus concentrations. Normalizing blood phosphorus concentrations in dogs with chronic renal disease may assist in halting the progression of the disease if dietary changes accomplish it.
It is essential to be aware that the amount of protein in a canine diet has a one-to-one correspondence with the phosphorus content of the meal.
Limiting the amount of protein your dog consumes will be vital if you want to lessen the amount of phosphorus in the food they eat.
It is also essential that you know that normalizing your dog’s blood phosphorus levels through diet alone is typically only successful if the kidney disease is diagnosed and treated early.
Medications will also be required to treat the disease if the disease has progressed further.
Why Should Dogs With Renal Disease Have Their Sodium Intake Reduced?
Lowering the amount of sodium consumed by dogs with chronic renal disease will also be beneficial. The workload placed on your dog’s kidneys can be lightened by lowering their sodium intake, which will also assist in keeping your dog’s blood pressure healthy.
In addition to providing your dog with a therapeutic diet, lowering the amount of sodium your dog consumes will require you to pay close attention to the goodies you give to your dog.
Avoid eating jerky and cheese slices, as they often contain a significant amount of sodium and are rich in sodium.
Why Should I Add More Omega-3 Fatty Acids To The Food That My Dog Eats?
It has been demonstrated that reducing the generation of inflammatory substances that cause oxidative stress to the kidneys can help slow the advancement of chronic renal disease in dogs.
This is accomplished through the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon and other fish, favorites of many canines, are frequently included in foods with greater omega-3 fatty acids. These foods may also be supplemented with fish oil or flaxseed oil.
How To Determine Which Food Is Best For Your Dog
Your dog’s veterinarian can provide recommendations for the foods most beneficial to helping your dog battle the advancement of kidney disease or failure.
As with people, every dog is unique, and the diet that your veterinarian advises you to give your pet will depend not only on the severity of the ailment but also on how far it has progressed, in addition to your dog’s age, general health, and state of wellbeing.
Phosphorus and protein levels in most store-bought dog meals are probably already at unsafe levels for canines suffering from chronic kidney illness.
However, your veterinarian might be able to provide you with prescriptions for therapeutic meals. Prescription diets are specially created to suit your dog’s dietary needs while providing reduced sodium, phosphorus, and protein.
These meals are designed to be given by your veterinarian. Talk to your dog’s veterinarian about the type of food they recommend for your pet.
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