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| B-Naturals Newsletter - April 2017
Will Your Dog's Diet Affect Blood Work Values? By Lew Olson, PhD Natural Health | |
Good News Reminders & April Specials
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REVISED EDITION
Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs, Revised: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals!
Lew Olson's revised edition is filled with an abundance of new topics and information. Whether you are new to home feeding or a seasoned raw feeder, have a senior dog or a new puppy, a pregnant mom or a toy breed, this book presents all the information you need to make the best nutritional decisions for your dog.
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| Will Your Dog's Diet Affect Blood Work Values?
A question that frequently comes up is whether blood values can or cannot determine the nutritional needs of dogs. For the most part, the answer is 'No'. Blood work results are described as a 'snapshot' of your dog's blood values at the time the blood work is done and shows if infections, disease or other abnormalities may be present. It also indicates how the body is metabolizing certain values. For instance, if a blood work test shows high calcium, it does not mean that too much calcium is in the diet. Certain diseases or ailments can cause the body to metabolize calcium so that more is circulating in the blood and does not apply to what is in the bones (where calcium is stored).
Lab Tests Online
High phosphorus levels does not mean the dog is getting too much phosphorus, but rather the body is having problems filtering it so it is staying in the blood. This may indicate renal problems, but it is important to look at the blood values for more clues. The same holds true for other blood work results.
What blood work can do is help with diagnosis and discovery of certain conditions such as liver problems, renal issues, adrenal disorders such as Cushing's Disease or Addison's Disease, dehydration, infection, hypothyroidism, and diabetes, to mention a few. Some of these may require diet changes depending on the severity of the problem.
What blood work values do not tell you, and cannot tell you, is what nutrients or supplements your dog may be lacking. , or if the diet you are feeding is insufficient. Usually, a dog will show physical symptoms of the nutrient loss (such as calcium) before it shows up in a routine blood analysis. I will briefly explain each of the conditions and values that may require diet change, with links to explore more in depth. Liver
Generally, some blood levels that show the liver may be affected include:
ALP (Alkaline phosphatase) ALB (Albumin) GGT (Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) AST (also called aspartate aminotransferase or SGOT) TBILI (Total Bilirubin) ALT (alanine aminotransferase or SGPT)
As mentioned before, blood work values are a 'snapshot' in time, and repeat tests are needed to make sure the results are consistent. Moreover, while blood work reflects the 'normal' for the test, some dogs (and people) may be normal at slightly high or low levels in many of these. For further details on liver blood work explanation, see the following links:
http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-liver-test-results-explained.html
If there is a liver issue, diet changes can be made that are beneficial for supporting the liver. See the recipe link below:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/liver/
Renal Disease
BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) CREAT (Creatinine) PHOS (Phosphorus)
There are other blood levels that can be used to determine possible renal disease, but generally, these are the first three blood levels to become elevated. Renal disease can be caused by many factors, including genetics (malformed kidneys), tick borne disease, leptospirosis, chronic urinary tract infections, NSAIDs and other drugs or poison insults. It is important to get a good diagnosis from your veterinarian and to understand if the problem is acute (treatable) or chronic. Simple diet adjustments can be helpful for dogs with renal problems, especially when the BUN is over 80 and creatinine is over 2 or 3. Two simple diet adjustments that can be very beneficial are providing moist foods and foods lower in phosphorus. Moist foods will help keep the dog's body from pulling other body fluids to the digestive tract to help digest the food. Additionally, dogs with impaired kidneys have trouble processing phosphorus, so feeding foods with reduced or lower levels of phosphorus helps reduce the strain on the kidneys. For more diet information for dogs with kidney disease, see the link below:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/kidney-diet/
For dogs with struvite or oxalate crystals and stones, the following link provides helpful information:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/november-2009-struvite-and-calcium-oxalate-urinary-stones-and-crystals/
Please note, the biggest cause of struvite crystals and stones in dogs is a urinary tract infection. This condition does not require a diet change, but rather a sterile urine culture to find the correct antibiotic to stop the infection.
Pancreatitis
AMY (amylase) LIP (Lipase)
These are both enzymes and when the levels become elevated, it can indicate pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is another problem that can be caused by many things and these need a veterinarian's diagnosis. These can include medications (steroids), hypothyroidism and Cushing's disease, to mention a few. Low fat diets can help a dog through the healing and recovery of Pancreatitis. The following link gives some examples:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/pancreatitis/
It is a good idea to do a yearly blood chemistry test on your dog, and to keep each year's records on file in the event any issues arise. Blood work panels are a great diagnostic tool. They help indicate health problems that might occur, and are an excellent way to monitor your dog's health. This is especially important for senior dogs. However, blood work does not give you information on diet, nutritional needs or deficiencies, or diet changes and/or adjustments that may be needed, except when needed in the event of specific illness.
For further information on canine blood chemistry values:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/diagtest.html http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/caninebloodwork.htm http://www.dog-health-handbook.com/canine-blood-tests.html
Interpretation of Canine Blood Test Results:
http://www.infovets.com/demo/demo/canine/D080.HTM
HAPPY SPRING! We hope you are getting out and enjoying the warmer weather! |
| Save 10% | WE DIDN'T GET THE NEWSLETTER OUT IN TIME FOR APRIL'S FIRST FREE FREIGHT FRIDAY SO TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU HERE'S A COUPON FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDER! USE CODE APRIL10 ON FRIDAY APRIL 28TH AND SATURDAY APRIL 29TH FOR 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE CART | | Offer Expires: GOOD THROUGH APRIL 29TH |
FREE SHIPPING Free Freight Friday is April 21st!!! Take advantage of the extra savings!!
|
Now Available!!
Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs, Revised: The Definitive Guide to Homemade meals!
Lew Olson's revised edition is filled with an abundance of new topics and information. Whether you are new to home feeding or a seasoned raw feeder, have a senior dog or a new puppy, a pregnant mom or a toy breed, this book presents all the information you need to make the best nutritional decisions for your dog.
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DotBravo Co. You have permission to copy and distribute this newsletter to others provided it is not distributed for profit, proper credit has been given to the author, and the article has been copied and distributed in its entirety. You may not post this article on any personal or professional website; however, with permission from the author, you can provide a link to the newsletter, which will bring your readers to the B-Naturals.com website. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: You have been put on this email distribution list because you have previously contacted Lew Olson or B-Naturals for either consultative advice or product information. If you feel you are on this list in error or you would like to be removed from this distribution list, please send an email to B-Naturals Newsletter OR USE THE SAFE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK DIRECTLY BELOW! Copyright Lew Olson 2017 |
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