Helping Harry with Canine Nutrition

Meet Harry! He is a gorgeous black Labrador who is 14 years of age.  Unfortunately Harry was recently diagnosed with liver disease and because his blood levels were high his Vet recommended at special diet specifically formulated for Liver Disease.  The only problem was, Harry didn’t like his new food!

Whilst shopping at March Farm Shop, Harry’s lovely Human, Debora, noticed they were now stocking our treats and our doggie menu in their café too.  Not only that, Debora picked up one of our business cards and contacted Carole to see if she could help with Harry’s diet.

The liver has many roles in the body and some common signs of liver disease include lack of appetite, weight loss, dehydration, drinking a lot and weeing a lot too.  Thankfully, Harry hadn’t lost weight as his mum had tried very hard to get him to eat his food but he really wasn’t enjoying it.  

So we set to work to come up with a homemade diet that would be suitable for Harry’s liver but which would also get his appetite back.  Here is what we aimed for:

The diet for liver disease should contain good quality protein that is highly digestible.  This will avoid the liver having to work too hard. Harry needs about 60g per day so we decided to split this between three small meals over the day/evening.  We combined good quality meat such as chicken, pork, beef or lamb with a source of carbohydrate like rice or mashed potato to ensure Harry meets his energy requirements.

Mum also asked the Vet for a multivitamin supplement to ensure Harry has everything he needs. As dogs sometimes wee more often with Liver issues, they can lose their water soluble B and C vitamins so a supplement can put the B vitamins back but we don’t need to put the vitamin C back as dogs can make their own unlike us humans. (isn’t that an interesting fact!?)

So far so good… Harry is waiting for his blood results and has been really enjoying his food.  In fact, his mum is now a top Doggie Chef. 👩‍🍳 Well done Debora!

If you would like to discuss your dog’s nutritional needs or any dietary issues, don’t hesitate to book a nutrition consultation with Carole.

Carole combines her knowledge and expertise with a true love of dogs which is why she does what she does and why Dogs Delight is here. As in Harry’s case even if she doesn’t lead you to our products, Carole will offer the best solution for your canine companion.