Veterinarians have many theories, but no concrete reasons as to why pets contract chronic kidney disease. Research is pointing at commercial foods, vaccinations, pollution, and sedentary lifestyle, while others say it happens naturally in older animals. Many holistic veterinarians feel the reason is pets are forced to live lives which are radically different than the lives nature intended them to live. To holistic veterinarians, it is lifestyle and diet changes which hold the key to a pet’s good health and long life.

The best cure, however, is prevention. A disease like chronic kidney disease is usually the result of years of imbalance in a pet’s diet and lifestyle. Cats and dogs with any sign of kidney issues may benefit from better food, targeted supplements, moderate exercise, and a low-stress lifestyle before kidney disease ever develops. Education is the key to a pet’s well-being. Knowing what to buy and what not to buy can mean the difference between a long and happy life and a short and unpleasant one. Knowing how much exercise your pet needs is something else which should be in the forefront of the pet owner’s mind.

When it comes to kidney disease, both holistic and conventional veterinarians will immediately recommend a change in diet. If a pet is consuming food nature has not designed it for, problems will begin to surface. Perhaps these problems will not be immediate, but over time the food will cause breakdowns and  wear the pet down much faster. It is important to know what kind of food your pet should be eating in the first place, when you first come into ownership.

Prescription diets and home cooked meals my be prescribed by conventional veterinarians. Holistic veterinarians will look at the entire pet’s lifestyle and make recommendations on diets based on that. Because, in addition to good food, pets need to exercise, be out in the fresh air and sunshine and consume the fuel nature has designed them to consume. Veterinarians will have this in mind and recommend accordingly.

One problem prescription diets have, however, is the pet may not be willing to eat it. When this happens the pet will begin to go hungry. The owner, meanwhile, out of concern will begin to give them just about anything just to get them to eat and not starve.

Some veterinarians have begun to recommend pet owners give their pets certain human foods. These include chicken, beef and fish. Raw food has natural enzymes which are good and other recommendations include trying commercial frozen raw diets which are pre-formulated to be balanced. The goal is to get the pet’s diet as high quality as possible as this will help them fight diseases. Be as informed as possible regarding the food given to the pet and make sure it is not something you, yourself would not eat.

There are also supplements which may help pets combat illnesses like kidney disease.  kidney-care and urinary-support herbal, nutraceutical, or homeopathic formulas pet owners can be given to their pets can help when pets show early signs of kidney problems. Enzyme supplements such as probiotics, and essential fatty acids which the kidneys contain also play an important role in kidney health.

Probiotics are especially potent when blended with prebiotics and sodium bicarbonate to help improve digestion function and allow the kidney to rest as the gut functions as an extra filtration unit for toxins in the bloodstream. One such supplement is our very own Kidney Restore For Cats & Dogs™ which blends the freshest, highest quality ingredients to ensure your cat or dog is getting the very best help for their kidneys.

Herbal formulas are another option and they include carrot, dandelion, and sesame seeds. Antioxidants like blueberries and lactoferrin; anti-inflammatories like rosemary and sage extracts, wheat grass, and barley grass; anti-microbials like garlic and uva ursi can help prevent issues with bacteria. Other options include desiccated sea plankton and chlorella which may actually speed the healing of damaged kidney tissue.

Remember when purchasing supplements, talk to your veterinarian, research the company which produced them and educate yourself on the benefits. Your pet’s life depends on it.

 

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