Are you looking for the most recommended, vet-approved, store-bought food for dogs with kidney disease? We dove in and researched the market based on other dog owners’ recommendations.
Living with a dog with kidney disease
Sometimes despite a healthy diet and lifestyle we inevitably have to deal with heart-wretching situations: the illness of our pups. Not only is there constant worry about the progress of treatment, there are also a bunch of factors where their condition also depends on us.
Kidney disease is one of these, once our dog suffers from any of its variations, there are numerous strict guidelines by which we have to adapt their diet. It’s not even the planning or purchasing part, but the difficulties might come after. As kidney-friendly dog food is lower in protein and also sodium, it usually offers much less taste than what our pups are used to. If possible, opting for wet food might be a better idea because of an ill dog’s increased fluid intake they’ll need the extra moisture they can get. And on top of that, from personal experience, they are more likely to eat that, too.
After a thorough research and based on the recommendations of experienced doggy parents on the topic, we set up a toplist of the most recommended store-bought dog food for dogs with kidney disease of any form:
Dr. Harvey’s Canine Health
Dr. Harvey’s magical recipe is actually not a ready-to-eat dog food despite being included in the list. The blend works with organic ingredients and combines grains and dehydrated vegetables to make for a healthy and variable base, you just need to add meat and oils or fats, cook them up, and they’re all ready to serve. Because you can freely control the amount of meat, it can be a perfectly kidney-friendly base of food, but many people also praise it for its efficiency in weight control, allergies and general digestive issues.
The company also offers a trial bag for free – only handling & shipping has to be covered – so you can see for yourself, what your pup thinks about it. So far, on any platform there wasn’t a single comment suggesting their dog didn’t like it – which is a huge plus, especially if you have to greatly reduce protein in your dog’s diet. You can order it here.
Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care – Only purchasable by your vet’s approval
This dog food comes in both wet and dry kibble version, of course as usual dry food might be a more economical choice. They also come in several variations from chicken to lamb, and they also contain added oils, minerals, fibers and vitamins. It’s actually quite enriched, even among other similar dog food, which is very much necessary because of your dog’s quick filtering process. People who tried this dog food claim that their pups happily eat it up, and the food also significantly improved their test results – which is what matters at the end of the day.
You can order the dry version from Amazon here, but if you’d prefer wet dog food, they offer multipacks here.
JustFoodForDogs – Only purchasable by your vet’s approval
The brand has numerous flavor combinations depending on what issue you’d like to target with a proper diet, but overall they all have a transparent and limited list of ingredients – which is for the better. All combinations contain healthy carbs as in rice, protein from meat and internal organs, healthy fats, amino acids and minerals, as well as brewer’s yeast.
Generally, brewer’s yeast can be beneficial for your dog’s health as it improves longevity. However, if your pup suffers from a weakened immune system, possible yeast allergy, or takes medications it could interfere with, it’s best to leave it out of their diet.
This wet dog food has a practical package and promises to provide enough food for a day for dogs up to 13 lbs. If you’d like to give it a try, you can check it out here.
All in all, these are the top 3 store-bought dog food for kidney support we’ve been advised to use the most, and based on the ingredients we can wholeheartedly recommend them to you, too. Of course it’s always best to consult your vet before trying out anything new!
xoxo, Team Pockets
