Gypsy now on daily Sub Q fluids

Wow, Dawn, thanks for all of that information! I had no idea about Swiffer or Merrick. Holy Cow! I will have to speak to the vet again about possibly finding a new food. She had told us all meat foods have phosphorous and actually offered the BG varieties as a suggestion.

I have a brochure that I took (printed by Merrick) that guidelines described as "Per 2008 AAFCO Publication" and then shows where their BG Chicken canned food falls within those guidelines (its like the food pyramid maybe?)

The asterisk notes that the baseline numbers are per AAFCO 2008 Publication:

Calcium Maximum: 2.50%* (BG Chicken: 2.12%;);
Phosphorous Maximum: 1.60%* (then BG Chicken: 1.30%);
Ash Levels: BG Chicken 8.57% (no recommended guideline number for this category);

Then it goes on to say "...Why Should I Care About Sensible Protein Baselines?" And "...some competitive 'low carb' diets with high protein levels contain unacceptable levels* (the asterisk again, which references the number above which also included number comparisons to the "Brand A Flavor and Brand B Flavor For Dogs with higher numbers in the above categories) of Ash, Calcium and Phosphorous -- which are believed to be harmful to your dog's liver and kidneys. Before Grain utilizes low ash chicken to maintain a sensible 32% protein baseline and offer complete and balanced grain-free nutrition for dogs..."

Doesn't that make you confused? It does me!!

Our vet also suggested Nature's Instinct Rabbit canned food because she said it worked well for dogs with digestive issues. I tried it, but Holly wouldn't touch it :(

On another note, I emailed Merrick trying to find out the sodium level in the BG Chicken, but no reply. Maybe its off the charts??
 
I forgot to add...that of couse, those Merrick guideline numbers could also be referencing whats good for healthy dogs, not necessarily dogs that already have kidney disease?
 
Wow, Dawn, thanks for all of that information! I had no idea about Swiffer or Merrick. Holy Cow! I will have to speak to the vet again about possibly finding a new food. She had told us all meat foods have phosphorous and actually offered the BG varieties as a suggestion.

I have a brochure that I took (printed by Merrick) that guidelines described as "Per 2008 AAFCO Publication" and then shows where their BG Chicken canned food falls within those guidelines (its like the food pyramid maybe?)

The asterisk notes that the baseline numbers are per AAFCO 2008 Publication:

Calcium Maximum: 2.50%* (BG Chicken: 2.12%;);
Phosphorous Maximum: 1.60%* (then BG Chicken: 1.30%);
Ash Levels: BG Chicken 8.57% (no recommended guideline number for this category);

Then it goes on to say "...Why Should I Care About Sensible Protein Baselines?" And "...some competitive 'low carb' diets with high protein levels contain unacceptable levels* (the asterisk again, which references the number above which also included number comparisons to the "Brand A Flavor and Brand B Flavor For Dogs with higher numbers in the above categories) of Ash, Calcium and Phosphorous -- which are believed to be harmful to your dog's liver and kidneys. Before Grain utilizes low ash chicken to maintain a sensible 32% protein baseline and offer complete and balanced grain-free nutrition for dogs..."

Doesn't that make you confused? It does me!!

Our vet also suggested Nature's Instinct Rabbit canned food because she said it worked well for dogs with digestive issues. I tried it, but Holly wouldn't touch it :(

On another note, I emailed Merrick trying to find out the sodium level in the BG Chicken, but no reply. Maybe its off the charts??

It does get really confusing Janet. It has always been said to feed Kidney dogs low protein and phospherous than I read other articles there is no proof high protein is harmful. So who is to know what is right. I would say your vet knows best. She certainly has helped get those BUN and Creatinine's down. I think you will get a quicker response calling Merricks 800#. Also the people at k9kidney group may be able to answer alot of your nutritional questions. Call anytime if you need to talk.
 
gosh, I know -- so very confusing. There have been days when I've just wanted to sit down and cry because I don't know if I'm making the right choices. It can be so overwhelming because, more than likely, a person can find a conflicting side to each piece of information they think they've discovered. I may have to go back and revisit that K9Kidney Group on Yahoo, thanks for reminding me about it. And thank you, too, for the offer to talk - You know, i really appreciate that so very much, and the same goes to you in return: please call if you need an ear.
 
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