Alison’s mother had chronic kidney disease (CKD) and from having a 2-year prognosis based on a bad heart condition, we wanted to get her off dialysis and extend her life expectancy. Alison was a clinical nutritionist at the time (for humans), with a focus on functional medicine and so made it her mission to get her in a better state of health and mind. This condition was never going away but life could be easier for her. After much research and countless testing, we discontinued dialysis, created an impeccable diet and added in a supplement regime. Her mother continued on to have another 8 years with pretty much problem free health (other than the obvious). Ever since then, Alison has seen a lot of cats and dogs with the same problem. Although their nutritional requirements are different to humans, the general rules and pathophysiology’s apply. It’s all a balancing act at maintaining health that can be finely tuned to help with wellness. We are not ‘kidney-ing around’, so read on! Kidney disease – chronic and acute If your pet is presenting with kidney disease, it’s either acute or chronic. Acute Kidney disease presents suddenly and is more easily reversed. Acute is usually due to an obstruction or ingesting a toxic substance or some such case. Prognosis is always better than chronic. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can take months or even years to identify itself. In fact, most pets don’t even show symptoms until 70-75% of kidney function has been lost! Signs and symptoms of CKD There are number of signs and symptoms in CKD. If any of these arise consistently, you should go to the vets and get it checked out. I would say the first signs would be excessive thirst and weight loss but this is an extensive list: Ascites (swelling of the abdomen) Blood in urine Diarrhea Decreased urination Urinating outside of the litter tray Frothy urine Increased water consumption and increased urination Lack of appetite and weight loss Lethargy Pale gums as a result of anaemia Ulcers on the tongue, inside cheek or gums Joint swelling in conjunction with some of the above Muscle wastage (this tends to appear when advanced) Seizures Blindness Vomiting Weight loss Unfortunately, the majority of these aren’t necessarily specific to CKD as signs and symptoms can vary from case to case. A visit to the vets as soon as any symptoms arise is always the best option. Kidney Function Kidneys have a lot to do and help filter the blood by getting rid of waste products such as glucose, salts, urea, uric acid and unwanted water. The waste products and additional water become urine, which eventually gets eliminated when your pet urinates. The filtering of waste is done by a network of tiny nephrons, as blood passes from the capillaries through the nephrons, essential molecules are kept, but waste products are removed and expelled as urine. The kidneys help regulate the amount of water they retain in our blood and their bodily potassium and sodium levels. The kidneys also produce three major hormones that help regulation of other mechanisms. Calcitriol is a form of vitamin D that helps calcium absorption, Erythropoietin encourages bone marrow to produce red blood cells and renin helps to regulate blood pressure. Diet for CKD The checklist for CKD A fresh and unadulterated fresh food diet Low in Phosphorus (0.2% – 1% dry matter) Moderate in protein Omega fats and antioxidants Low in salt (added salt in particular) Super tasty and easily delivered(hunger can decrease in CKD) Regulated treats that are part of the daily calorie intake No leftovers fed off the plate The use of an appropriately formulated diet is the only treatment that has been shown to prolong survival times and improve quality of life in pets with CKD. We have seen the best results with freshly fed pets on a specific formulated diet whether it be home cooked or raw. Cooking tends to reduce phosphorus levels and is often preferred over raw food. Dry food is a big ‘no no’ in CKD. Dry foods are dehydrating to the bowel, this delivery system can increase thirst and tax the kidneys further. Fresher and more bioavailable proteins are more effective as the kidney’s don’t have to work quite so hard. The protein in dry food can be cross-linked and not very easily assimilated. Dry foods are often higher in sodium and contain a large content of starch, both inappropriate for cats and dogs and kidney disease. Restricting dietary protein is controversial as testing and research was mostly based on processed food fed cats and dogs with limited solid findings. There isn’t a clear consensus as to what level protein intake should be reduced to in the diet of pets with CKD. In stage 1 and 2 CKD, we find moderate levels of fresh and more bioavailable proteins, low in phosphorus and reduced sodium and potassium is the best. We always work with blood tests to see the markers of poor function such as urea and other nitrogenous substances and get a professional to formulate for you. The type of protein you feed a dog with CKD should also be considered. Protein with high biological values leaves less waste behind. For this reason, protein derived from sources such eggs, fish and meats are preferable to vegetable-derived protein such as tofu. In pets with CKD, the excretion of phosphorous is impaired, which can result in further damage to the kidneys. Therefore, while an important component of a healthy pet’s diet, phosphorous should be restricted somewhat. In fact, dietary restriction of phosphorous has been shown to slow down the progression of CKD and this has been key to my practice in pet nutrition. Foods highest in phosphorus include raw bones, dairy products, organ meats, and egg yolks. That does not mean not to feed these foods at all, as they are an important component of a healthy diet, but they should be fed in moderation. When it comes to sodium, there are
Not only is diet important to your pet’s health but also their dental hygiene is essential. Poor dental care and disease is also linked to a higher rate of heart disease. Many owners leave it until it’s a problem. Let’s look at prevention instead shall we? Dry food isn’t something that pet’s naturally graze on with grating action. They nominally chew or crunch the dry food and down the hatch it goes. Once chewed and wet, it’s like any other food, it collects around the teeth and contributes to plaque build-up that leads to hardened tartar. Dental problems and issues are within the top 10 complaints seen by vets in 2019 but here at MPN we have some great tips to help prevent this from happening. Raw feeding (although for some is controversial) boasts great dental hygiene and whiter, cleaner teeth. Feeding bones is also a socially and mental stimulation that namely dogs require. The bare bones of it! My Pet Nutritionist have a strong working relationship with veterinarians but have to tread carefully on how we approach dental care as many vets are ardently against feeding raw bones unless they lean towards raw feeding and holistic care. Bones are perfectly fine but there are hard and fast rules and we would always recommend monitoring at all times (as a duty of care). Vets see mostly dogs coming in with fractured teeth and raw bone due to a lack of knowledge. Both are serious and expensive so please read on. Do not feed cooked or smoked bones. They are dry, hard and would most likely splinter due to indigestible materials. Raw chicken bones are nutritious but can be awkward to consume and they are too soft to warrant cleaning. It’s the grating and consistent gnawing action that tends to clean the gums and teeth, alongside the natural enzyme action, helping to destroy bacteria in the mouth. Medium sized animals such as lamb and goat are probably the most effective and safest bones to serve your dog and ones I generally recommend. If the prey is hard for the dog (or cat) to tackle naturally, then the bones will be too large and hard for your pet to gnaw in reality. Larger animals and bones such as beef are too hard and will more than likely cause dental fractures (think beef knuckle) if left to chew for too long and without supervision. We recommend avoiding beef, bull and bison. Raw dental bones are best fed as a treat approximately twice a week to keep teeth clean. It’s important to note that recreational bones are not to be completely consumed and that any bone should always be fed under supervision. Other options Oral chews have been shown to be beneficial, of course the type is important. plain meat chews, braids and non hides can he very useful. Avoiding dental chews such as dental sticks are highly advised due to poor ingredients. Findings here There are certain supplements on the market and one of which is based on a seaweed that does have a couple of randomised clinical studies to show it helps with the build-up of plaque. The seaweed is called ‘Ascophyllum Nodosum’ and the well-known and registered food supplement product for dogs is called Plaque Off. As part of a regime I have found this useful but great care must be taken with cats as hyperthyroidism can be expressed when taking anything with a high iodine content. This can be added to food or simply added to a homemade treat. Keep sugar containing foods (this includes dry food) to a minimum and even fresh foods naturally containing sugars should be given with care. We are not keen on companies who dehydrate fruits and vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots and papaya and sell them as dental chews. These are highly concentrated sugar chews and for gnawing action aren’t recommended for good oral hygiene, rather an odd treat. Brushing teeth doesn’t have to happen if you feed the correct raw food and bones but generally we need to consider keeping up with a good regime. Brushing teeth with a natural toothpaste and bamboo toothbrush is preferable. Alternatively, you can use a tooth cleaner and the polish from Lintbells. Make sure you don’t use human grade toothpaste with sweeteners added such as xylitol. This is dangerous to dogs. Please remember disease is complicated and our services offer an 8 elements approach to health, looking at nutrition, genetics and the environment. A complex jigsaw to piece together but one we are fully acquainted with and have great success! We look forward to helping you in the future. MPN Team x
Alison has majored her career in new product development for both the health and pet food industry. Although she develops pet foods, she adores NPD of supplements, as it really tickles her fancy for science and creativity. She loves bio chemistry but there’s also innovation and an artistry to formulating good and effective supplements. Here My Pet Nutritionist shares pointers as to how to choose the right supplements for your pets. You’ll sometimes get professionals and non-professionals saying supplements are a waste of money and not worthwhile. This is true if you 1. you don’t know what the issue is and blindly choose something to help the problem or 2. buy something that hasn’t been formulated well or contains inferior ingredients. For a supplement to work there has to be fine tuning to a product. We follow a principle called the 8 element system which is a naturopathic approach at looking at several body systems to consider what happens in its entirety and not looking at masking a problem. Like pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals can just mask an issue, if all aspects of health are not looked at. When formulating a product, we consider energy, immunity, digestion, detoxification, structure, neurological, hormonal and stress levels (including inflammation). We always develop synergistic blends that work in perfect harmony to establish nourishment, balance and restoration no matter what the situation. As you can imagine diet alone cannot often achieve this, especially if symptoms or disease are showing. Supplements help to modulate systems and food alone often cannot do this (although food is also incredibly important). The main criteria for choosing a good supplement · Know what your pet requires; problem specific or nutritional deficiencies for example · Check the source of ingredients; provenance of herbs, extraction or types of minerals · Clinically tested for absorbability; no point in taking it if your pet can’t absorb it · Clinically tested for pureness and safety · Manufactured by a legit R&D company · Well-priced for what you are getting 1. Know what your pet requires (problem specific or nutritional deficiencies for example) It’s important to know what is going on for your pet before purchasing a/several supplements for them. There are some wonderful tests to check mineral status for pets that can be used to establish any nutritional deficiencies in your pet. Don’t allow for blood tests they are inconclusive due to the blood leaching minerals from other parts of the body to try and obtain equilibrium, thus creating an unclear picture of health. If you have been to the vet and received a diagnosis such as arthritis or a nutritional deficiency, then you can get looking for your ideal supplement. If you are at a loss and there are lots of things going on for your pet, this is when coming to see someone like myself can help. 2. Check the source of ingredients; provenance of herbs, extraction or types of minerals used and so forth The source of any ingredient is important. If it’s a herb, it’s good to know it’s provenance, purity, extraction method and also how it is delivered. We love herbs and they have a beautiful nutritive and supportive role for so many systems in the body. Herbs can be adaptogenic so can up or down regulate a process in the body. This is clever and intuitive and unlike any pharmaceuticals we know of, however the purity, extraction and delivery method is important to how effective it may be. For example, we would choose organic for those herbs that are commonly used and extensively farmed. Echinacea is one of the most abundant and commonly used herbs in the industry but a mass farmed batch from China is probably less nutritive and clean than an organic echinacea grown in the Swiss Alps at high altitudes. Every herb and every ingredient has a story. Look to see what companies write about their ingredients used and why they have selected them. Give the brand a call and put them to the test. The type of substrates (binders) in minerals are also important. Different forms of mineral perform different mechanisms but may not be as bioavailable as another. Calcium and magnesium are great examples of this. Calcium carbonate is the cheapest calcium option on the market and the most wildly researched calcium in the pet industry. However, we know from research that calcium carbonate harder to absorb even though it’s around 40% pure calcium. Calcium citrate is probably second in line for expense but much better absorbed and around 20% pure calcium. Therefore we tend to choose better absorbed options such as citrate. 3. Clinically tested for absorbability; no point in taking it if your pet can’t absorb it I sometimes use registered ingredients that can claim and supply clinical data to support the product and gives sound piece of mind as to how effective it is. An example of this is with curcumin. Curcumin is an active extract and effective curcuminoid compound found in turmeric. Turmeric is something everyone seems to be talking about at the moment, whether buying a supplement or just reaching into the kitchen cupboard. And rightly so, this is an awesome and effective ingredient for many health related issues. However, we don’t use regular turmeric or curcumin as it’s hard to assimilate in the body. We therefore use and look out for certain patented curcumins such as Ultrasol® or Curcuwin® that have proven increased bioavailability by making them water soluble or liposomal without having to use added ingredients such as Bioperine®. Bioperine® a pepper extract is well researched for increasing other ingredients bioavailability by interfering with a process called glucuronidation in the liver. It slows down the metabolism and excretion of curcumin thus extending it’s life. MPN prefer to work with ingredients that solely enhance processes within the body and not dampen them down and so avoid ingredients like Bioperine®. Research does show that curcumin is also better absorbed with the whole turmeric that contains a number of curcuminoids. Therefore we like to see a plain
