A longitudinal study on the acceptance and effects of a therapeutic renal food in pet dogs with IRIS-Stage 1 chronic kidney disease.

Currently, nutritional management is recommended when serum creatinine (Cr) exceeds 1.4 mg/dl in dogs with IRIS-Stage 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD) to slow progressive loss of kidney function, reduce clinical and biochemical consequences of CKD, and maintain adequate nutrition. It is unknown if dietary interventions benefit non-azotemic dogs at earlier stages. A prospective 12-month feeding trial was performed in client-owned dogs with IRIS-Stage 1 CKD (n = 36; 20 had persistently dilute urine with urine specific gravity (USG) <1.020 without identifiable non-renal cause; six had persistent proteinuria of renal origin with urine protein creatinine (UPC) ratio >0.5; 10 had both). Ease of transition to therapeutic renal food and effects on renal biomarkers and quality of life attributes were assessed. Dogs were transitioned over 1 week from grocery-branded foods to renal food. At 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12-months a questionnaire to assess owner's perception of their pet's acceptance of renal food and quality of life was completed. Renal biomarkers, including serum Cr, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and USG and UPC ratio were measured. Of 36 dogs initially enrolled, 35 (97%) dogs were transitioned to therapeutic renal food. Dogs moderately or extremely liked the food 88% of the time, ate most or all of the food 84% of the time, and were moderately or extremely enthusiastic while eating 76% of the time. All renal biomarkers (Cr, BUN, and SDMA) were decreased (p ≤ .05) from baseline at 3-months, and remained decreased from baseline at 12-months in dogs completing the study (n = 20). Proteinuria was reduced in 12 of 16 dogs (p = .045) with proteinuria. Owners reported improvement in overall health and quality of life attributes, and hair and coat quality (all p < .01). In summary, dogs with IRIS-Stage 1 CKD readily transition to renal food. Decreasing serum biomarker concentrations and reduction in proteinuria suggest stabilized kidney function.