Does your lab have chronic kidney disease? You’re not alone. Members of our I Love My Lab Facebook community recently shared their insights on the following question: What foods would you recommend to the Kidney Disease Lab? We received hundreds of helpful responses, and here are some of the best.
Always remember to consult your veterinarian before making any health changes to your lab diet, especially if the person has chronic kidney disease (CKD). iHeartDogs is reader powered so some of the links below may be affiliate links where we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The 25 best lab foods for dogs with chronic kidney disease
Correct. My English lab has kidney disease and vet recommended Purina kidney tonic foodIt’s a prescription diet.
Author: Lynn R.
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My dog has liver problems. I made a liver diet that you can find online for dogs, I’m thinking sweet potatoes, brown rice, chicken, carrots. I made it in a large Tupperware earlier in the week and reheated it during the week. But you should check with your vet. Good luck
Author: Joanna B.
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My last lab with pancreatitis was on RX food and it was filled with new RX needed then asked them if I could buy something grain free cheaper they said definitely would arrive Purina a grain free ….I did…. he lives to 13 3/4 good dog but he is a strong willed alpha man geeeez
Author: Christine LW.
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My lab has diabetes- we started him fresh pet, a 6 lb log, and he did a great job with it. Love it and lose weight. We still feed our existing dogs.
Author: Jan Reeder S.
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My dog is having trouble eating after suffering from pancreatitis and liver problems due to Rimadyl prescribed to him after cancer surgery. Won’t eat anything. So I did my own research. I boiled the chicken breast and added rice, string beans, and sweet potatoes. You can also change and use regular potatoes, corn, peas and I have extra pumpkin puree. Everything is cooked. I throw sweet potatoes or regular potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes. What really did it was the topper that I mixed in and also left on top of the chicken bone broth. They make it for dogs, I believe it’s called Brutus Bone Broth or you can just use human broth. I make 4 breasts at a time and feed her one every day (finely chop them all) along with the rest of the food so I don’t have to cook every day. I don’t think I’ll be able to take on the extra work but it really doesn’t take long and is actually cheaper than expensive dog food if you can buy chicken cutlets for $1.99 a pound like I can here in NJ. He gobbled it up with no problem! Good luck!!
Author: Cecilia M.
Prefer: 2
Our Maci has Cushing. Weight Control Pro Plan, Pro Plan kidney tonic wet food and a few pills a day for her. Now she is “picky” with her food. She’s 12 years old so she’s also a bit stubborn.
Author: Douglas L.
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My dog was diabetic and had to eat dog meat and Diabetic Royal Canin, of course he didn’t care, so I started looking for every human diet recipe and finding things it could eat from the list and then I started making it food from scratch…I also found out that I took dry diabetic food and ground it to make a flour-like dough , then I can add ingredients to it and bake them like her favorite cookies… I hope this helps. my fur baby
Author: Sherry P.
Prefer: 2
Mix the new food with the old food. Start 75% old w 25% new. After a few days, go to 50/50; then 75/25; then all new. Dogs are attached to their normal food so switching to a new food is a process. If your puppy is used to dry food, you can also try mixing the new food with the wet food in the same way. God bless you and your puppy.
Author: Paul P.
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royal dog. Our lab didn’t like it, but ended up eating it anyway. We put broth with it. Her numbers are much better and she has dry diapers.
Author: Gail Dietz B.
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My dog has stage 3 kidney disease. We’ve tried all the prescription diets, but he hates them. I received a homemade recipe from our vet and he loved it. I cook 1 pound of turkey, add an egg, the rest is baby food. The doctor said that if you use baby food, you don’t need to add any vitamins. I added chicken and eggs, baby cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and apple sauce.
Author: Donna Wikstrom H.
Prefer: 0
Royal canin kidney support wet food
Author: Robyn Brodsky S.
Prefer: 0
There are special foods for kidney disease. Hill’s prescription diet k/d. My lab has kidney disease and my vet says to feed him whatever he wants to eat if he refuses to eat a special food. Pale chicken and brown rice are always good temporary substitutes. Carrots and broccoli are also good to give them. Praying for you and your baby.
Author: Holly P.
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Orijen be the only one my dog will eat and not get sick
Author: Nhila B.
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Mine is turned on Hills scientific diet, kidney care. He didn’t like it but ended up eating it anyway. We had chicken and turkey! ! !
Author: Colleen K.
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Our 11 year old lab has kidney problems and can’t have anything with protein in it. She is on Royal Canin Kidney. It’s prescription food.
Author: Kathy F.
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We use purine kidney function and mix in wet hills with supper, both prescriptions. I had to try a few to find one he liked, so buy small bags at first. We also infuse him twice a week with lactated ringers solution. It’s been 2 years and his numbers are normal. He is tested twice a year.
Author: Amy K.
Prefer: 0
When your dog has kidney problems, a low protein diet is best, that’s what my vet said when my son was constantly getting infections. He said put him on Chow dog Purina or any low protein food and it works, it seems to like moist and meaty Purina more than most! That’s my experience may not work for your puppy
Author: Pat K.
Prefer: first
Try fresh lamb… less fat… if you have a blender, grind it with dry toast… 1/2 cup each, 3 times a day… if your baby can stand it, after 2 days you can increase the number of servings to 4 times per day… if you don’t have a blender, chop finely. It’s NOT a cure-all, but it’s designed to ease the way his system processes food.
Author: Cle M.
Prefer: 0
I do So she won’t eat dry, until I add wet. So she won’t eat any K/D Hill until I ordered beef stew and she ate it as if she hadn’t eaten in days. I was told all dogs love this one. I’ve tried everything, grilled chicken, turkey, eggs, unsalted broth, I’ve tried everything and nothing… until I got this Beef Broth.
Author: Jody N.
Prefer: 2
You can contact justfoodfordogs and ask them to build a food for you. That’s what I did with my lab.
Author: Julie A.
Prefer: 0
Make your own food. That prescription food causes more problems, it’s not even real food, that’s why most dogs don’t eat it and are picky about it. It’s completely handled crap. Homemade dishes with garlic (yea garlic) are good for liver and kidney function. Tons and tons of information out there. I would also never give my dogs anything from Purina, they use animals from euthanized shelters and put in their food, there is a huge processing plant in LA . They found euthanasia in 13 major dog food brands.
Author: Melissa Ann C.
Prefer: 0
My dog is 8 years old and has no health problems. From one year old. I gave him goat’s milk. Goat milk contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an anti-cancer fat that reduces the risk of cancer and may shrink cancerous tumors. Fat increases white blood cells count and strengthen immune cells. This milk can help pets that have been diagnosed with liver disease, kidney and stone disease, and diabetes.
Author: Joan Teresa P.
Prefer: 0
It’s not really about food if your baby is a lab; they love all the food. Kidney disease makes them feel nauseous – rightly so. And then added dehydration because they don’t really want to eat = more nausea. Remove the food and your baby will eat when the nausea isn’t too bad.
Remember that dogs live in the moment and hope the moments they leave behind are good moments rather than bad ones. Suction kidney disease.
Author: Louise P.
Prefer: 0
There’s a paste you can get from the vet, it’s in the form of a tube and you use the syringe to dispense food, Amazon has them, you stick the tip of the syringe to the side of your mouth, just put the tip of the tube injected gently, slowly squeeze, the puppy will naturally lick it, it provides calories not full of nutrients but it provides enough energy to be able to, hopefully start a natural diet, also try warming up puppy dinner, with warm water, sometimes it will promote appetite, eat some soft food for kidney diet, some dogs will eat soft food instead , my vet told me that dogs can associate their food with reasons that make them feel bad, a return to, in essence, eating things that are not good, you are sick, kind of like that, I have one that’s doing it right now, I started it by hand, it’s working, so I’m going to use, what’s in the tube, which I believe is called K Cal, I think so but I can check the name if you are interested.
Author: Linda K.
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I give my dog Hill’s prescription diet k/d dry and I add her medicine and water to it. When she first wears it, I’ll add unsweetened apple sauce to it so it helps motivate her to eat. She is much better now, but there are days when she only eats once a day. Another option I spoke to with my vet is to make my own dog food, and she suggested that I check the website www.balanceit.com to be sure of something to discuss with him. your veterinarian if concerned. After reviewing it, I decided to stay with dry food because it was easier for me
Author: Erin Bradbury W.
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In conclusion, managing chronic kidney disease in the laboratory is crucial to their long-term health and well-being. Choosing the best dog food that suits your pet’s specific needs can dramatically improve their quality of life. Choose a diet low in phosphorus and high-quality protein, supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and essential vitamins. Consult your veterinarian for personalized recommendations for your lab, and always gradually transition your pet’s diet. By providing the right nutritional support, you can help manage your dog’s kidney disease and ensure they continue to lead a happy, healthy life.
iHeartDogs is reader powered so some of the links above may be affiliate links where we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
