Diet resources for dealing with canine chronic kidney disease

Dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) should be fed a special diet low in phosphates, sodium, and some proteins. This site provides info on which common foods and treats are least harmful, and which should really be avoided.

CKD Food List

Below is all the information I've gathered on the dietary fitness of common household foods for dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). All sources have been cited. If you have any reason to believe anything below is incorrect, please get in touch.

Reading The Tables

These tables are to help visualize the approximate nutritional value of each food compared to an equivalent amount of CKD-prescription kibble.

For example:

The first row in the image above shows the nutritional value of Renal Formula Kibble, setting a baseline to compare other foods against. Since kibble is the baseline, each category (phosphorus, protein, etc) shows a green bar going to 100%.

The second row represents an approximate equal amount (1 cup) of chicken breast.

The 'phosphorus' green bar here is nearly full. This indicates that 1 cup of kibble has nearly as much phosphorus as 1 cup of kibble.

The 'protein' bar is overflowing. It shoots past the green 100%, past the yellow 200%, and even past the red 300%. This indicates that 1 cup of chicken breast has over 3x the amount of protein as 1 cup of kibble.

All items are raw unless otherwise specified. The "1 cup" generally refers to chopped ingredients, but refer to the weight in grams to be sure of portion size.

Warning

Note that the information below is not intended to represent comprehensive nutritional value. The tables below are are designed as a fast resource to see values that are particularly risky for kidney health (e.g., phosphorus, protein, sodium). In cases where the foods have other risks, particularly kidney risks (e.g., chocolate, raisins), that are unrelated to these values, I have tried to capture that information in the "Other Notes" column.

And it bears repeating, I am not a veterinarian or animal nutritionist. This website is a good-faith effort by one person trying to take care of my own dog, and sharing what I've learned.

🥦 🌿 Vegetables 🥬 🥕

Most raw vegetables are quite healthy for dogs who will eat them, though some should be avoided. Avoid anything canned, which can be high in salt and other preservatives. Note that vegetables have many (good) nutrients not captured in the graphics below.

Name	Portion Volume	Portion Weight	Nutrition (Relative to same amnt Renal Kibble)	Source(s)
Renal Formula Kibble	1 cup	92g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories 100% 200% 300%	1
Broccoli	1 cup	91g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Carrot	1 cup	128g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Onion	1 cup	160g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Corn (Cooked)	1 cup	149g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Cabbage	1 cup	89g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Red Cabbage	1 cup	89g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Celery	1 cup	101g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Beets	1 cup	136g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Red Bell Pepper	1 cup	149g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Cucumber	1 cup	104g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Green Beans (Canned)	1 cup	240g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Sweet Potato (Baked)	1 cup	200g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Potato (Baked)	1 cup	200g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pumpkin (Raw)	1 cup cubed	116g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pumpkin (Cooked)	1 cup, mashed	245g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pumpkin (Canned)	1 cup	245g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pumpkin Pure (Canned)	1 cup	240g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Squash (Acorn)	1 cup cubed	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Squash (Acorn, Baked)	1 cup cubed	205g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Zuccini	1 cup	124g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Fennel	1 cup	87g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Cauliflour	1 cup	107g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Lettuce (Ramaine)	1 cup	47g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Spinach	1 cup	30g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Arugula	1 cup	20g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Mushroom (Button)	1 cup	70g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Mushroom (Cremini)	1 cup	87g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Mushroom (Portabello)	1 cup	86g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Brussel Sprout	1 cup	88g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Bok Choy	1 cup	70g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Eggplant	1 cup	82g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Asparagus (Raw)	1 cup	134g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Asparagus (Cooked)	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Garlic	1 cup	136g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Swiss Chard	1 cup	36g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Kale	1 cup	16g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Radicchio	1 cup	40g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Kohlrabi	1 cup	135g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Leeks	1 cup	89g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Parsnips	1 cup	133g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Peas	1 cup	130g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Radishes	1 cup	116g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Tomato	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Turnip	1 cup	130g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1

🍓 🍎 Fruit 🍌 🍒

Most fruits are very high in sugar and should be fed sparingly, regardless of kidney health. Whenever giving your dog any fruit, always remove the seeds.

Name	Portion Volume	Portion Weight	Nutrition (Relative to same amnt Renal Kibble)	Source(s)
Renal Formula Kibble	1 cup	92g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories 100% 200% 300%	1
Apple	1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Orange	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Apricot	1 cup	155g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Avocado	1 cup, pureed	230g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Banana	1 cup sliced	150g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Blackberry	1 cup	144g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Blueberry	1 cup	148g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Cherry	1 cup (pitted)	154g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Coconut (Fresh)	1 cup, shredded	93g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Coconut (Dried)	1 cup, shredded	100g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Cucumber	1 cup	104g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Durian	1 cup	243g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Fig	1 cup	150g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Gooseberry	1 cup	150g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Grapes	1 cup	92g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Raisins	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Guava	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Jackfruit	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Plum	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Kiwifruit	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Kumquat	1 cup	185g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Lemon	1 cup	212g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Lime	1 cup	212g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Mango	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Watermelon	1 cup	154g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Mulberry	1 cup	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Papaya	1 cup	145g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Peach (Yellow)	1 cup	154g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Pear	1 cup	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Persimmon	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Pineapple	1 cup	165g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Quince	1 cup	180g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Raspberry	1 cup	123g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Soursop	1 cup	225g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Strawberry	1 cup	166g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Tamarind	1 cup	120g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1

🥩 🍖 Meat 🍗 🥓

Most meats are very high in protein and phosphorus.

Name	Portion Volume	Portion Weight	Nutrition (Relative to same amnt Renal Kibble)	Source(s)
Renal Formula Kibble	1 cup	92g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories 100% 200% 300%	1
Chicken Breast	1 cup	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Chicken Thigh	1 cup	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Ground Beef	1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Ground Turkey	1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pork Tenderloin	1 cup	150g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Ground Bison	~1 cup	134g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Tuna (in water)	~1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Canned Salmon	~1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Bacon	~1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Ground Lamb	~1 cup	125g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1

🥜 🥖 Pantry/Other 🧀 🥛

Name	Portion Volume	Portion Weight	Nutrition (Relative to same amnt Renal Kibble)	Source(s)
Renal Formula Kibble	1 cup	92g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories 100% 200% 300%	1
Flour		g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories
Whole Milk	1 cup	244g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
Dry Roasted Peanuts	1 cup	146g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Unsalted Peanut Butter	1 cup	258g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
White Bread	1 cup (about 1 slice)	35g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Wheat Bread	1 cup (about 1 slice)	29g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Whole Wheat Bread	1 cup (about 1 slice)	32g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Pasta (Cooked)	1 cup	140g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Macadamia Nuts	1 cup	134g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1, 2
White Rice (Cooked)	1 cup	158g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1
Brown Rice (Cooked)	1 cup	195g	phosphorus protein salt fat calories	1

About

This site is not created, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any veterinarian. This is a good faith effort by a single person to share all the information and tips I've come across while trying to treat Walle, my dog with CKD. Hopefully this is useful information, but always consult your vet before changing your own dog's diet or providing medical treatment.