DANA POINT, Calif. — “Canine kidney disease, an often fatal condition, can be helped with holistic pet care and early detection through laboratory testing,” says Susan B. Davis, pet nutritionist for Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist. Since canine kidney disease is not typically diagnosed until approximately 75% of kidney function has deteriorated, the disease is often well-advanced at the time it is discovered.
But, regular laboratory testing including blood work and urine analysis can identify early canine kidney disease even when symptoms haven’t appeared. Unfortunately, canine kidney disease progresses over a period of years and often goes unnoticed by even the most vigilant owners. When the signs of canine kidney disease finally appear (inappetance, excessive thirst and urination, malaise), conventional veterinary options are often limited to fluid hydration therapy and commercial prescription diets that many pets won’t eat.
The prognosis for canine kidney disease varies greatly depending upon the age, overall health and laboratory test results. Owners with pets diagnosed with canine kidney disease can feel hopeless and distraught since their pet may have acted completely normal until the sudden onset of symptoms.
Susan B. Davis, pet nutritionist, was caught off guard when her own seemingly healthy dog Ariel, at the age of 13 was diagnosed with canine kidney disease. “I was devastated when Ariel was diagnosed with canine kidney disease. Her prognosis was terrible and there were few treatment options available.” As a result, Davis went on a mission to try to learn as much as she could about canine kidney disease. Much of what she discovered came about through testing various foods and supplements on Ariel and then watching to see how her health and blood tests responded. Davis uncovered some critical information about canine kidney disease that helped Ariel to live past 14 years of age (she died from an unrelated cause).
Davis formulated a mathematical model that enables pet owners to prepare a balanced, homemade diet for canine kidney disease. This was especially important for Ariel as well as Davis’ many patients since pets with canine kidney disease often suffer from inappetance and become extremely picky eaters. Many times pets with canine kidney disease will eat the prescription diets provided by their veterinarians for a few weeks and then completely stop eating, resulting in rapid weight loss. “This dietary model for canine kidney disease can be used as a guideline which allows you to vary the different ingredients (e.g. chicken one day and beef the next) each day so that your dog is getting plenty of variety which reduces pickiness.
Davis teaches owners who have pets with canine kidney disease to use her dietary model, natural supplements and acupuncture, along with conventional veterinary care. She has found (especially if the canine kidney disease is detected early) that most pets show improvement within a week or so. “Many times pet owners call me when their pets are inappetant. The owners get frustrated and start giving them anything they want, which is usually some type of protein. Unfortunately, canine kidney disease should be treated with a reduced protein diet and so giving pets extra protein can aggravate their condition.”
Using her dietary model for canine kidney disease, Davis teaches owners to keep changing the diet, using just enough protein to keep the pet interested in eating. She offers holistic pet health consultations by telephone via her website www.AskAriel.com and in person at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital in Lake Forest, California.
Davis’ website is a library of common pet health conditions with guidelines on how to treat them using holistic care including custom-prepared diets, natural supplements and other holistic modalities such as acupuncture. Her recommendations for canine kidney disease and other health conditions are intended to accompany, not substitute for conventional veterinary care provided by a veterinarian.
For more information about canine kidney disease or Susan Davis, CCN, pet nutritionist, please visit http://www.askariel.com/pages.asp?pid=chronic_renal_failure or call 949-499-9380.
[tags]Susan B Davis, Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist, canine kidney disease[/tags]
