My young dog has kidney disease: What diet and activities are safe?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Shiba Inu | Male | neutered | 28.8 lbs
My dog got diagnosed with kidney disease. His BUN levels are normal but his creatinine levels were elevated and so were his SDMA. It seems like it has been caught early on. They want him on a low sodium diet. What can he eat and not eat? He's very food motivated. Can he do all his everyday activities such as the dog park? I'm terrified of watching him deteriorate. He's almost 4 years old.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 18th, 2017
I'm so sorry to hear of your dog's diagnosis of kidney disease at such a young age! If they haven't been run already, I would suggest additional testing to look for other underlying causes of kidney disease that are potentially treatable - urinalysis, urine culture, leptospirosis PCR (if in your area), ultrasound, etc. I would also recommend a urine protein:creatinine ratio, and a blood pressure measurement. If it's truly primary kidney disease, there are pet food companies that make kidney-specific diets that are low in protein and phosphorus (these are the two main ingredients to limit with kidney disease) - Royal Canin makes a Renal diet, Hill's makes k/d, Purina makes NF. Talk to your veterinarian about starting a kidney diet now while he's feeling good. As far as activities, he can do every activity that he enjoys!
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 13th, 2017
If you are suspicious that your dog may be developing kidney disease starting him on a renal diet is a good idea. By having lower salt, proteins, etc, the diet will be putting less stress on the kidneys and this will hopefully help them to function better and for longer. It is also helpful to start them on a kidney diet earlier rather than later because by the time they have notable kidney disease they don’t want to eat as well and it makes switching foods more difficult. As I’m sure your vet explained, kidney values do not start elevating until about 60-75% of all kidney function is compromised. This can make it difficult to determine early stages of the disease. There is a newer test to look for decreased kidney function called SDMA that can detect kidney disease earlier than traditional tests. You may consider asking your vet about this test if it has not already been performed. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!
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