My dog drinks a lot & wakes at night. What diet prevents kidney issues?

Question

My 140 pound 9 yr old dog is waking and drinking 3 times a night (2 pints total water ish...total per day 7-8 pts). (despite size, his breed typically lives to 15) Bloods show no kidney prob, urine analysis slightly low specific gravity (due 2 increased urine diluting?) what diet to try and avert possible kidney probs? I want to make my own. Vet wants to give Hills Renal, but surely low phosphorous, low protein is for after kidney disease, not as a preventative. Thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 8 years and 3 months old | 140 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

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!

My dog drinks a lot & wakes at night. What diet prevents kidney issues?

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