How much food should I feed a dog with kidney disease?
The simplest answer to this question is that your dog should eat between 2–3.5% of their body weight every day, although smaller and more active dogs will need around 4%.
If your dog is losing or gaining weight, this means you’re feeding them the wrong amount of food. Simply adjust the quantities of their meals slightly until you’ve hit the sweet spot.
Remember the ideal figure for a dog with kidney disease is lean, as this limits the number of jobs their kidneys perform and ensures they’re not digesting more than they need.
How many meals should I feed a dog with kidney disease?
If your dog has Stages 1–3 kidney disease, they should either eat one meal a day or two meals a day within a five-hour window. You can feed your dog treats outside of this window, but only if they’re small, training treats.
This gap between meals will allow your dog’s digestive system time to rest; constant digestion is unnatural and stressful and can cause further aggravation to any digestive issue. Therefore, a reduction in time spent digesting will be a major part of ensuring your dog’s long-term health.
If your dog has Stages 4-5 kidney disease, you should reduce your dog’s daily food intake by 20% and feed them three meals a day.
Supplement Quantity Recommendations
If the supplements you’re using are specific to dogs, the packaging should provide you with information about the correct quantity your dog should be given. If they’re human grade, the amount your dog will need should be based on their weight. Follow the guidelines below to determine how much of each supplement you should give your dog.
- If your dog weighs 5–10kg: 1/4 of recommended dosage
- If your dog weighs 10–20kg: 1/3 of recommended dosage
- If your dog weighs 20–30kg: 1/2 of recommended dosage
- If your dog weighs 30–45kg: 2/3 of recommended dosage
- If your dog weighs over 45kg: Recommended dosage
