I wonder if anyone can help me with this as I know honey is sometimes used by breeders.

I am trying to add calories to the diet of my dog in renal failure. It would seem that honey is a safe option for dogs with kidney problems. However, I am totally confused by the type of honey to use!! Raw honey? Manuka Honey? Standard Tesco Honey?

Can anyone tell me what is the best for the dogs? x

Any bog standard honey will be fine.  I know there are differences but i think its more where they're produced or what flowers the bees use.

People reccommend using a local honey but that only really applies to help hayfever.  Its a bit like homeopathy.

i use supermarket ownbrand and the dogs love it.

I've fed it to old one when she was poorly and it did the trick.  Save your money, cheap is fine.

Hope it helps.

My mum swears by Active Manuka Honey and gives it to all her dogs each morning. That was due one often being sick first thing and it helped that, so she now gives them all a little each morning.

Don't spose it would matter which one if it's just for the calories, but AMH is very good for them in general... so two birds one stone. :o)

Manuka is a potent honey.There are different strengths which govern the price. Is very good for keeping wounds clean and is used by the NHS in dressings. Have always used some honey in the water after stomach upset. Your mum doing good job for you. The only query I would make is whether is ok for their teeth to have it every day. Having said this I just remembered you feed raw so prob ok. 

I always use bog standard cheap honey,usually going to Lidil especially for it :)

Thanks everyone :)

I bought some Manuka honey today as, after some research, it looks as though it is beneficial for stomach ulcers etc. Thought this might be good for my boy in renal failure seeing as ulcers can be a common progression in renal failure. Almost collapsed at the price of it though lol

Gave it to him tonight on a little piece of white bread...slight disaster as it got stuck to the roof of his mouth which resulted in me having to perform a rescue procedure lol

I never knew honey had so many health benefits!! And yes, seems to be useful for dogs after tummy upsets too :)

>  The only query I would make is whether is ok for their teeth to have it every day. Having said this I just remembered you feed raw so prob ok.

Manuka honey actually helps prevent tooth decay as its anti bacterial.
It helped one of my dogs who had stomach ulcers but it is a really expensive way of adding calories to a dog's diet..
Hope it works for your dog,colliecrew.

Thanks Helen..interesting to know about the teeth too :)

I know, it's awfully expensive but it's a nightmare trying to find safe things to add to a dogs diet who is in renal failure. I am really struggling to keep the weight on him :(

I actually spoke to someone from Burns pet nutrition and they told me to add vegetable oil but my vet almost had kittens when I told her this. She said it was the worst thing to add to any dogs diet! Something about soluble fats?

Anyway, he's worth every penny and he seemed to enjoy his honey sarnie!!

> Is very good for keeping wounds clean and is used by the NHS in dressings.

My friends horse had an unhealable ulcer on its leg.  the vet tried everything.  My friend called her father who said to slather honey on and bandage over night.  When they looked the next day it had significantly reduced.  Before the week was out it had gone completely.  Apparrently doctors used to do this with leg ulcers in the oldendays.  As long as they didn't put it on their toast after lol.

I didn't know about Manuka honey helping stomoch ulcers, might try it myself.

Mine love it just off my finger and i've had the 'stuck to the roof of the mouth' before.  It does look funny.

It was used on my mother's leg after injury (she's 94). I didn't know about use for stomach ulcers, wish I had, when several years ago in intense pain with injured hand, I swallowed 2 soluble aspirin thinking they were paracetamol. Manuka would have been great to take then to ease the stomach pain. Brilliant stuff with no side effects!