Low Protein Dog Food for Liver Diseases

Liver disease is one of the common disorders affecting mostly older dogs. There are different causes of canine liver disease, some of them being, unhealthy diet, trauma, infections, metabolic diseases, etc. Liver diseases in dogs can be cured with specific treatment and diet is also an important part of it. Generally, protein rich food is recommended for canine liver disease, however if the dog is suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, a low-protein diet is recommended. Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition wherein the liver disease has affected the brain. Except for proteins, dog food for liver disease should be high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and fibers. Though ready-made low protein dog food is available in the market, it is not recommended as it contains high amounts of preservatives which can worsen the condition. Homemade dog food for liver disease on the other hand can be made fresh and contains only the ingredients that will not worsen the liver disease. The following are a couple of recipes which are safe for any dog with liver disease.

Low Protein Dog Food Recipes

Recipe #1

Ingredients

• Cooked rice, 2 cups
• White bread, 3 slices
• Regular ground beef, braised with fat retained, 1 pound

Process

This is one of the easiest low protein recipes, and more importantly it has only moderate amount of proteins in it. Take a large bowl and add rice and beef in it, set aside. In another bowl, make small pieces of bread and then add them to the beef bowl. Mix all the ingredients well and feed immediately.

Recipe #2

Ingredients

• Whole wheat flour, 2½ cups
• Cooked vegetable (sweet potatoes, zucchini or winter squashes - cooked and smashed or pureed) 1 cup
• Low sodium, low fat chicken broth, 6 tbs
• Cold water, ½ cup
• Garlic powder (optional), ½ tsp

Process

Firstly preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Next, take a bowl and combine garlic powder and flour in it, stir in veggies and chicken broth. Slowly add in enough water as to form a dough. Using a cookie cutter, roll out the dough into a ½ inch circle (or bone shape). Place these cut pieces of dough on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Let it cool before feeding it to the dog.

Recipe #3

Ingredients

• Salad Macaroni (cooked), ½ pkg
• Brown Rice (Cook separately: 1cup rice w/2.5 cup water/45 min.), 1 cup
• Hard-boiled and chopped up finely, 2 eggs
• Crushed (calcium carbonate), 8-10 tums
• Frozen Broccoli, ½ pkg
• Frozen Carrots - steamed until crisp/tender, ½ pkg

Process

This is a very easy recipe which contains all ingredients that are low in protein. To make this recipe, take a large bowl and add all the ingredients in it. Combine well until well incorporated. Feed immediately. You can even refrigerate this dog treat so that you don't have to make this again and again. If you have to serve it to a big dog, you'll need to double the ingredients.

Recipe #4

Ingredients

• Raw Ground beef, 1/8 lb
• Brown rice, 1⅓ cup
• Egg, 1
• Carrot, 1
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Calcium powder, 300 mg
• Liquid vitamin B complex, 10 mg
• Liquid canine multivitamin complex

Process

To make this recipe, grate the carrot with the help of a food processor or a vegetable grater. Peel the garlic clove and grate it, divide it into half and set aside. Cook brown rice in 2 cups of boiling water or as per the directions given on the packet. Let the cooked rice cool. Meanwhile, blend egg and beef. Add the cooked rice to the beef mixture, combine well. Take a small bowl and mix vitamin B complex, calcium powder and liquid canine multivitamin complex, as per the dosage recommended by your vet. Add this mixture to the beef mixture and combine well. Divide the prepared dog food into two portions, feed one portion in the morning and the other in the evening.

As you must have observed, making these recipes is not at all difficult. So instead of opting for the ready-made food, make dog treats at home itself. Try making changes in the above recipes, but make sure that the ingredient you are adding is low in protein. After all, they are meant to be low protein dog food recipes.