Kidneys are very important organs in our bodies. They are fantastic blood filters.
Their main function is to sieve salt, toxins and debris from the blood, rejuvenating it and keeping it healthy for the heart to operate with.
Blood, as you can imagine, contains a lot of water, and is essential for normal functions. Moreover, a high level of moisture in the dog or cat's diet is essential to start tacking this problem.
Salivary Amylase and its role:
Dogs and cats have not evolved like us to break down starches. Whilst dogs have evolved somewhat to break down some carbs, cats are obligatory carnivores and lack the enzymes to break them down. With dogs, they have a very hard time converting starches into glucose which they can then use for energy.
Some symptoms include
- Increase in urination & problems doing so.
- Coat & skin deterioration.
- Weight Loss
- General discomfort. Weeping.
- Shivering, trembling...
Possible causes:
- Excess carbohydrates in food. Especially if the dog/cat is only dry fed. Excess carbohydrates become hard to digest and calcify, causing acute pain. High starch diets increase the likelihood of struvite crystal formation in the bladder, partially blocking urine.
- Chronic dehydration. Not enough moisture in a dog or cat's life leads to chronic dehydration. This slow burner causes problems in the long run.
- Hypercalcemia: Excess calcium in the blood due to a bad diet. Excess organ meat, offal or bone content.
Solutions.
Treat it with good nutrition & read the ingredients on the food. Cut out any maize, corn, rice, white potato, pea starches & high glycemic carbs from the diet. The very bag of food you're currently feeding or have been switched to might be causing the issues.
Increase the moisture in the dog or cat's diet.
For a free nutrition chat, please contact us today.
Feed them better.
The Pet Quarter.