Our vet has recommended this for Jack, our dog with poor liver function, probably due to epilepsy meds.  Does anyone have any experience/opinions of this food?  It's very expensive. £30 for a small bag!!   Unfortunately this isn't covered by insurance, even though it's for a medical condition!

Hi

Our cavalier eats this he was ill so prescribed diet was ID, but better now, he still eats it with nature diet wont eat any other kibble which is worrying...

So far its been ok but its a bland diet so lacks lots of core ingrediants.....

Its expensive i agree!!

There is also a wet option which may be nicer for your dog...

Ask other vets what they think best thing.

x

Hi Paula,

while I'm no fan of dry completes as a general rule and lesser so of some of the expensive cardboard/sawdust mixes doing the rounds, TBH with your dogs medical conditions I'd not advise playing around with diet here.  Prescription diets IMO are often given out too quickly and regularly in comparison to their genuine need, however certain medical conditions require the *strictest dietary management* imaginable.  In case of problems with liver or kidney function for eg, I suspect few of the general dog owning population would be suitably confident or capable of providing the level of nutrition required while getting the balance right with the quantity of various ingredients, minerals, enzymes etc.

In this instance it would probably be best to buy the largest bag available and hopefully this should work out cheaper than multiple smaller ones.

I hope your dog continues to do well and that his epilepsy meds are keeping this awful disease under control.

best wishes,
Teri

Thanks Teri, Jack will eat it (he's always hungry, bless him - he's recently had an overgrowth of bacteria in his gut making him lose lots of weight - couldn't absorb much!).  I feed the rest of my lot on raw, so I feel pretty sorry for Jack having to eat this stuff.

Its difficult, part of me (and the OH) feels that we should let him have some yummy food for what is likely to be the rest of his short life (he's only 4) but the other part of me wants to keep him going as long as possible. He has, as I've already said, a number of health problems. He has brain damage due to going into status epilepticus, we and the vet think it's also affected his sight.  He's a lovely natured dog, thick as two short planks even before the brain damage and wouldn't harm a fly (did manage to kill a rabbit once though :o )

Who said having dogs was easy??!!

Any more advice gratefully received

Hi again Paula,

as you're already clued up on feeding raw/home diets you're proably better equipped to formulate something which is safe and suitable to keep Jack in fine fettle :)   I'd speak to the vet and try to determine what changes may be needed to the diet you currently work with for your other dogs - i.e. any foods which should be avoided or kept to bare minimum level and also if any additional supplements specific to liver malfunction should be given.  I know there was once a school of thought that protein should be restricted but AFAIK this is no longer the widely held view it once was and the quality of protein given is of greater importance than quantity (except for extreme cases, like shunt).

I'm sorry Jack has so many multiple problems but no doubt he's a source of joy and comfort to you even through all the added worry.  Bless him - he sounds a darling :)