How To Support Your Dog’s Renal System

Find out how to support your dog’s renal system, from kidneys to bladder. Learn about common health problems, natural treatments, and dietary tips to maintain his well-being. 

Among your dog’s many bodily systems, the renal system is one of the most crucial. A properly functioning renal system, supported by the right diet along with other factors, helps keep him healthy. Let’s take a comprehensive look at how to support your dog’s renal system. This includes the problems that can affect it and what to do about them. 

What makes up the dog’s renal system?

The canine renal system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. It processes blood to form urine. The kidneys create and concentrate the urine, which passes down the ureters to the bladder. The bladder collects the urine until urination occurs. At that time, it passes from the bladder, goes through the urethra, and exits the body. 

Problems with the canine renal system

• Bladder infections 

Dogs commonly develop bladder infections. Signs include blood in the urine, frequent urination, and straining to urinate. Your vet can run tests to see what the problem is, which bacteria are involved, and which antibiotics can be helpful. If they suspect stones (see next section), they will also recommend radiographs.

• You can use natural treatments like a diuretic (such as dandelion) to help wash out bacteria and decrease their numbers. 

• A few additional herbs are both diuretic and demulcent (soothing to the bladder lining), especially marshmallow (Althaea officinalis — the plant, not the candy) and corn silk. 

• The homeopathic remedy Urtica Urens can be used for both bladder infections and stones. 

• A capsule of cranberry concentrate, given once or twice daily, decreases the bacteria’s ability to attach to the bladder wall. Dogs that get repeated infections should stay on cranberry capsules every day, whether or not they are showing any signs.  

• If a bladder infection is caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a Chinese herbal formula called Ba Zheng San can work well. This formula is not meant for long-term use, but only until the problem is resolved.

• Uroliths  

Signs of stones (uroliths) are the same as those of a bladder infection. If a male dog strains to urinate without passing any urine at all, this can mean a stone is blocking his urethra. This is an emergency – the bladder can rupture if the stone is not removed – so the dog should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Female dogs have a shorter urethra with a wider diameter, so stones are much less likely to block it.

Uroliths are a problem in a number of breeds (see sidebar on page xx). They are most commonly seen in the bladder. Concentrated urine increases the likelihood that stones will form. Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent them is to keep your dog’s urine from getting too concentrated. 

• Feed him moist food or add water or salty broth to kibble if you use the latter. Salt should be skipped if your dog also has a heart problem.

• Dandelion acts as a gentle diuretic that can help if your dog has a problem with stones.

Dalmatians inherit a gene that causes them to change purines (a nitrogen-containing molecule) to urates (with low solubility) instead of uric acid (highly soluble). Because urates do not dissolve well, they can form stones, even when urine is dilute. Here are ways to help prevent these stones: 

• Provide lots of liquids.
• Feed low purine protein such as eggs, chicken, and most fish (but not sardines).
• Avoid organ meats and red meats, as they are high in purines. 

In other breeds, uroliths usually form from various mineral compounds, especially magnesium ammonium phosphate, also known as struvite. Often, struvite stones can be dissolved using a special diet that makes the urine more acidic.

Calcium oxalate stones are fairly common. They’re actually more likely to form in acidic urine, so a diet that helps dogs with struvite stones can make it more likely for oxalate stones to form. 

Other less common uroliths are based on cystine, silica, calcium phosphate, and xanthine. Some stones form more readily in acidic urine, while others are more common in alkaline urine. Additionally, some stones require a diet low in purines or minerals like magnesium. This is why there is no one standard diet to prevent or treat all stones. 

The best approach is to have your veterinarian test your dog’s urine to determine its acidity or alkalinity.  

• Dl-methionine is an amino acid that can be used in the diet help make urine more acidic, while bicarbonate can make it more alkaline. 
• Bladder stones can form in both acidic and alkaline urine in the same dog if he is given too much calcium as a supplement – with the help of your vet, reduce calcium levels to the correct amount for your dog to fix this problem.

• Nephron loss

Nephrons in the kidney filter water with small water-soluble particles and concentrate it into urine. Young healthy adult dogs have about 400,000 nephrons. 

The most important chemical the nephrons concentrate and excrete is urea, which is formed by the liver. Nephrons also pump ions and glucose in or out of the urine to maintain the correct balance of each in the bloodstream.

All dogs, no matter how healthy, lose nephrons as they get older, as part of the natural aging process. A natural, moist diet with quality protein and plenty of antioxidants, regular exercise, and lots of love is the best way to slow this loss. 

When too many nephrons stop functioning, dogs will drink more water, urinate more, and have very dilute urine. Waste products can build up in the body. These dogs may need to eat less protein. It should always be high in quality (i.e. meat, poultry, fish, eggs). 

• Infections from leptospirosis and borellia 

These infections can cause kidney damage, so it’s important to check if these pathogens exist in your area. If they do, vaccinations may be warranted as long as the strains in the vaccine are the same as those in your area. If leptospirosis and borellia aren’t an issue where you live, do not vaccinate against them.

No single diet or treatment can prevent or treat all kidney or bladder problems in all dogs. However, knowing how to support your dog’s renal system is an important step to take. Ultimately, the best thing you can do is feed your dog a natural, holistic diet. Opt for moist food made from whole food ingredients and no artificial additives. 

Additional renal system issues 

• In older male dogs, difficult urination may be caused by an enlarged prostate. Although the prostate is not part of the canine renal system, the symptoms of an enlarged prostate can mimic some urinary tract problems. Saw palmetto is an excellent herb to use for this.

• Older dogs sometimes develop incontinence. Gingko biloba, bearberry (Uva ursi) and varuna (Crataeva nurvala) may help. 

• Sudden severe damage caused by poisoning is the most dangerous kidney problem in dogs. Antifreeze and xylitol are the most common causes, and the resulting damage is difficult to treat. The faster your veterinarian administers IV fluids to dilute the urine and flush the toxin out, the more likely the dog is to survive. 

• Grapes and raisins can also lead to death in some dogs. Ensure your dog has no access to these fruits. 

• Some antibiotics such as gentamicin, and some NSAIDs when used over the long term can also cause kidney damage. NSAIDs are often used for arthritis, but natural treatments for pain and inflammation can decrease or eliminate the need for these drugs. 

Glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamins C and E, boswellia (Boswellia serrata), and curcumin help with inflammation and pain. If there is a lot of arthritis visible on x-rays, homeopathic Hekla Lava may also help.

Some breeds are more prone to renal system problems

Some breeds inherit genetic predispositions to certain problems and may require a different diet:

• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Cocker Spaniel
• English Springer Spaniel
• Greyhound
• Lhasa Apso
• Poodle
• Rottweiler
• Samoyed
• Shar Pei
• Shih Tzu
• Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier

Breeds that most commonly get bladder stones include:

• Dalmatian – ammonium urate stones
• Miniature Schnauzer, Lhasa Apso, Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Miniature Poodle — oxalate stones
• Newfoundland, Dachshund, Basset Hound, English Bulldog, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Irish Terrier – cystine stones

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