If your dog or cat food contains too much phosphorus, it may be destroying your pet's kidneys [formating fixed]

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Because many seemingly normal pets have kidney disease, we recommended all adult pets avoid excess dietary phosphorus. This can be accomplished by meeting the minimum recommended dietary allowance for phosphorus. The National Research Council employs the same logic for human nutritional guidelines. Check the level of phosphorus in your pet's food. The minimum dietary allowance is 0.55% (dry matter basis). Some pet foods contain up to three times this amount. [Unfortunately, this study doesn't give the percentage of phos. in canned foods, however, looking at An Analysis of Dry Cat Foods and then checking An Analysis of Canned Cat Foods should give you a rough idea of canned food content. (You'll have to track down info on dog food.)]

More information about Kidney Disease

The kidneys are two of the most important organs in the body. They remove protein and mineral excess and toxic substances, reabsorb needed nutrients, recycle water, and control the balance of acids or bases in the body. When kidney disease affects animals, they eventually lose the ability to remove waste products and excess nutrients from the blood, which can ultimately lead to death.

Research shows that excess dietary phosphorus can accelerate the progression of kidney disease. Many pet owners are unaware of the high incidence of kidney disease in dogs and cats. Studies by the Morris Animal Foundation in 1986 and 1991 concluded that kidney disease was the leading cause of non-accidental death in cats and the second leading cause of non-accidental death in dogs. Another researcher found kidney disease was second only to cancer as the leading cause of death in dogs. A third study concluded that 20% of dogs over five years old have more than a 75% reduction in kidney function.2

Once started, kidney disease is unstoppable. As the disease progress (months to years), kidney function continues to decline. Health reaches a critical level when the kidneys fail. Kidney disease is not easy to detect, especially in its early stages. Routine tests used by veterinarians to identify kidney disease (serum creatinine and serum urea nitrogen) cannot do so until about three-fourths of kidney function is lost. 1

What is the link between kidney disease and excess phosphorus in pet foods?

Causes of kidney disease are difficult to avoid. Causes include aging, bacterial infections, hypertension, toxins (e.g., antifreeze and certain drugs), or it can be an inherited trait from the parents. Thus, prevention of kidney disease is difficult, but the progression of kidney disease can be slowed.

Research in dogs and cats with advanced kidney disease revealed that decreasing the level of phosphorus in the food slowed the progression and reduced the severity of kidney disease, thereby improving the length of survival. 4,5 In the study using dogs, two identical foods were fed except for the level of phosphorus. The high level of phosphorus was 1.50% and the low level was 0.44% of the food's dry matter. After two years of feeding these foods, only 33% of the dogs fed the high phosphorus food were alive, but more than 75% of the dogs fed the low phosphorus food were alive. In the study using cats, the food's dry matter phosphorus levels were similar to those used in the dog study (0.42% and 1.56%). The kidneys of the cats fed the low phosphorus food had little or no changes. The kidneys of the cats fed the high phosphorus food had deteriorated when examined under the microscope.

Because low phosphorus foods slowed the deterioration of kidney function in dogs and cats with advanced kidney disease, it is logical that limiting excesses of phosphorus throughout an animal's adult life can reduce the progression of kidney disease in its earlier stages when diagnosis is so difficult.

The health care profession applies the same reasoning to our foods for limiting the intake of cholesterol, fat, and sodium. Since we cannot predict accurately who among us will get coronary disease or high blood pressure, the experts recommend that all adults eat less cholesterol, fat, and sodium as part of a sensible nutritional plan.

Sometimes what's not in the bag is what counts.

How can pet owners pick a pet food that contains lesser amounts of phosphorus? Either ask your veterinarian or call the pet food manufacturer's customer service department for information about the level of phosphorus in their foods.

Formulating a pet food, with adequate but not excessive levels of phosphorus, requires medical knowledge, nutritional expertise, and careful selection of ingredients. Ingredients such as meat and bone meal and fish meal can contain high levels of bone that adds excess of phosphorus. Because pet food manufacturers are not required to list phosphorus on the nutritional label guarantees, products containing fish meal and other meat and bone meals should be evaluated with added attention.

The minimum dietary allowance for phosphorus in adult dogs and cats is 0.5% (dry matter basis).6 There are products sold in both specialty stores and grocery stores that contain 1% to 11/2% phosphorus--two to three times the minimal necessary amount. To do the best for our pets we should select foods that contain lesser amounts of certain nutrients. In the case of phosphorus, more of this nutrient is not better for your pet and could be influencing the progression of undiagnosed kidney disease. Link

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2002

Answers

Response to If your dog or cat food contains too much phosophorus, it may be destroying your pet's kidneys [formating fixed]

It's very difficult for me to write that the average pet food contains not only unspeakable matter totally unfit for human consumption (not to mention human eyes), but very often contains dead dogs and cats from shelters. Yeah, I know, sounds like an urban legend but I've researched this very carefully since I heard about it, and didn't believe it, a couple of years ago and--trust me--it's true. If your pet food says "meat by-products" on it, look out. In addition, that means hooves, beaks, feathers, horse's eyebrows, possum lips and God knows what other undigestible "protein" which further puts strain on the kidneys. I'm not going to tell you what kind of stuff they use in the "unfit for human consumption category" because it makes me nauseous just to think about it. It makes cheap hot dogs look like premium gourmet health food.

There are numerous alternatives, which aren't that cheap. But your pet will eat less because there's more "useable" food in it and you'll save money in vet bills down the line. You can find these products on the lists of foods in order of phosphorus content linked in the first para above. You can even order them online to save an extra trip to the store.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2002


Response to If your dog or cat food contains too much phosophorus, it may be destroying your pet's kidneys [formating fixed]

I also want to add that I've given Polly three subcutaneous fluid treatments in the past ten days. I've found the trick is to check the needle for the "flat" side, which is where the hole is. With that uppermost, the needle can be "slid" into the appropriate place without a problem, especially if you kinda slide the skin onto the needle at the same time. I've found out there's a brand of needle that's better than the others, in that the size of the needle is the same but the interior capacity is greater, thereby allowing a somewhat faster flow of fluid into the animal. They're called Terumo. As soon as my Monojets are used, I shall go with the Terumos.

Note that I have a needle phobia. It stems from having shots administered by the National Health nurse or doctor from a syringe made of glass and stainless steel with a needle that was used a number of times (ten sticks in my mind--oops, no pun int.) and then sent to be resharpened. Those needles were effing HUGE! Anyway, when Sooty needed fluids it was either give them myself or run up a vet bill equal to the mortgage every month--I had to stick her. It was astonishingly easy and I was angry with myself for being so scared of it. Cats have hardly any sensitivity in their shoulder blade area.

The good news is that Polly purrs through each fluid session and doesn't flinch at all when the needle goes in. She feels better afterwards and often goes straight to her dish to eat. Warming the fluid before admin helps enormously. She seems a lot happier sp I guess the toxins are being flushed out by the extra fluid. When I told the vet I would be happy just to keep her for another year, he said, "Oh, no, I expect you to keep her much longer than that! She's in very good shape otherwise." So I shall have to keep sticking away. By the way, scar tissue will invariably build up, just like in diabetics who stick themselves regularly, and I've learned you can administer the fluid in any area that a saddle would cover on a cat's back. I hope the omega-3 will help her skin heal well.

Polly gets a small chunk of a human B-complex every day, a quarter of a 10 mg Pepcid every other day, will be getting a mg of an ACE inhibitor every day soon, and also gets 1/2 tsp of expensive yuppie flaxseed oil (which tastes like buzzard shit, lol!) every day. That's for the omega-3 fatty acids. (Can't give her the fish oils because of the possibility of toxic build-up of A and D.)

I've received an order of empty gelcaps (size 1), and a little gelcap holder, which I fill with Pepcid and B-vitamins, some together, some not, so as to make admin easier on the days when she has the two together. It will be easy to add the ACE, when we get that sorted out, as well as other meds and supplements when later imbalances occur. I have a baby scale bought from a thrift store so I can keep track of her weight, lol!

Yes, it seems like a lot of trouble but once you get the routine down (I have to keep a little log to make sure she gets the various things on the right days) it's no biggie. She's been with us for 17 years and she's definitely worth it.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2002


Response to If your dog or cat food contains too much phosophorus, it may be destroying your pet's kidneys [formating fixed]

I don't think I could go thru all that. It's hard enough remembering to fill my own pill box for work.

As a matter of fact I forgot to do just that yesterday. I ended up taking two of the white ones instead of one white and one pink. No one seemed to notice me bouncing around but I should be asleep right now and I'm not. I tried rum and coke, but it hasn't made me wind down as yet. Soon I hope, I'm out of rum.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2002


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