Special canine diet for liver
In general, diets should be low in sodium and copper. Soluble fiber such as beet pulp and gums lowers the production and absorption of ammonia and helps the growth of beneficial bacteria. Moderate amounts of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber can help a dog with liver disease. Diets for dogs with liver disease should be formulated for your dog based on the specific diagnosis provided by your veterinarian. There are many factors to consider when the liver is not functioning properly. The diet should be calibrated based on the digestive capacity of the diseased liver. Dogs with liver disease are usually suffering from a condition where less protein is being broken down (catabolic) resulting in increased energy needs and therefore the need for more protein. Fiber (both soluble and insoluble) also helps your dog rid itself of bile acids. RAW DIET (This is the best recipe if your dog has an appetite and is eating on their own. If your dog is suffering from Ascites (abdominal fluid retention) please see the natural diuretic suggestions on the instructions page. Sign up for our FREE Monthly Dog Health Newsletter. Protein is Essential for a Canine Liver Disease Diet. High quality protein, low ammonia producing foods and in some cases low salt intake are necessary. Most veterinarians recommend that owners feed their dogs a mix of animal based and plant proteins since the use of soybean or lactose-containing dairy protein diets are not liked by some dogs and can cause diarrhea. Dogs with liver disease can tolerate larger quantities of fat in their diet (30 - 50% of calories).
The exception to this is if your dog has hepatic encephalopathy, a condition in which the liver disease has advanced so far that the brain has become affected. The Egg and Sweet Potato diet is the first diet we would recommend you start with. What foods you feed when your dog has liver disease is very important. Please do not feed your dog a commercially prepared diet or any processed foods (wet or dry) while on our program as this will only lessen the effects of the herbs and in turn put more stress on the liver. We have seen this diet work best with severe cases of canine liver disease and it can easily be pureed to a fine consistency so it can be syringe fed if your dog is not eating on his own. To put as little stress as possible on the liver, the quality of the protein being fed is very important. In this case, a low-protein diet is recommended. Remember we are here to help along the way so give us a call if you have any questions. The diets below have been specifically developed to work in combination with our canine liver health program. Foods that come from animals or from plants such as soy isolates, wheat gluten and dairy products are better tolerated than meat proteins in people which may be the case with dogs. Our herbal formulae work with the home prepared diet to ensure your dog will have the best chance at recovery. If your dog has Ascites (abdominal fluid retention) and you are planning on syringe feeding this recipe because he is not eating on his own, instead of thinning it down with water, use the parsley tea as described on the instructions page. This recipe is the daily amount for a 40 lb dog, divide the meal in two or more servings this will put less stress on your dogs body. Please offer only filtered drinking water to your dog, do not give him tap water. High-quality proteins are better digested and have an amino acid content close to the levels your dog needs. Canine liver disease diet should contain normal amounts of high quality protein, at least 20% of daily calories.
