Liver Disease In Dog Food - Feeding The Right Homemade Diet

Symptoms of Liver Disease
Liver disease has close to a dozen different symptoms, any of which or all of which can be present at any time during the illness. Due to the nature of the liver, many of the symptoms have to do with urine and the manner in which fluids are processed by the liver. Some of these symptoms include increased thirst and urine output, accumulated abdominal fluid causing a swollen belly (ascites), belly pain, and orange urine, among others. The orange urine comes from the difficulty the liver has with processing the bile, excreting a toxic substance called "billirubin." Billirubin is also the cause of another liver failure symptom, called jaundice.

Proteins
Diets for dogs that have liver disease are typically carefully controlled in terms of protein s. If the protein level of the diet is too high, then the liver will be unable to process it efficiently and ammonia will be released into the dog's blood stream. However, the liver also needs sufficient protein to help it repair itself and to prevent the body from essentially digesting its own muscle. It is recommended that dogs with liver disease consume the highest-quality, most digestible protein available.

Carbohydrates
The dog's diet must also be carefully controlled in terms of carbohydrates. Because the liver does not efficiently metabolize carbohydrates with liver disease as a normal liver does, simple carbohydrates, those that end in the suffix "-ose," do not get broken down sufficiently. For dogs with liver disease, a diet that contains a high percentage of complex carbohydrates, such as cereals and grains, is the most efficiently digested.

Fats and Fiber
Fats and fibers are inter-related nutrients. Fat is an important factor in the dog's diet to produce sufficient energy and calories. That fat should be of a high quality and easily digested. Fats that are liquid at room temperature are more easily digested than those that are solid; that is oils are more digestible than lard. Fiber aids in the digestion of fat and removes ammonia from both the dog's feces and the dog's blood.

Sources of Nutrients: Homemade diets
A diet that is produced for dogs with liver disease should have high-quality, easily digestible ingredients. These ingredients must also be carefully balanced, so that they work together in an efficient fashion. Homemade diets are not difficult to produce for your dog, once adequate recipes have been put together in concert with a canine dietitian. These recipes can be expensive to provide to your dog on a regular basis, however. Some recommended ingredients include:

• Proteins: Eggs, white meat chicken with the fat and skin removed, fish, and yogurt.
• Carbohydrates: Canned pumpkin (plain, unspiced), barley, oatmeal
• Fat: Fish or salmon oil from the body, not the liver.

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