A low sodium dog food could be recommended by your veterinarian in order to decrease high blood pressure or reduce body fluid. This would usually only make sense if your dog has certain types of kidney, liver or heart disease.
If your dog does have a problem in these areas (or may), click here to jump down the page. Otherwise, keep reading…
Older dogs are more likely to be at risk for kidney, liver and heart diseases, but as long as your dog is healthy they should not require a low sodium diet – even if they are old.
Sodium is usually a good thing. It prevents cells from dehydrating or swelling and maintains healthy muscle cell and nerve function.
And don’t forget about the “taste” factor – your dog probably likes salt in their food as much as you do!
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends that dry dog foods contain a MINIMUM of 0.3% sodium to maintain your dog’s health. If it looks like your organic dog food has salty ingredients such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or actual salt, there is no need to worry. As long as your dog is healthy, their bodies will simply excrete any excess sodium that they don’t need.
Assuming your dog is healthy, see our 10 best dog food options page for all-natural dog food recommendations.
For Dogs Requiring a Low-Sodium Diet…
If your dog is unhealthy and DOES require a low sodium dog food diet, you should be very picky in the supermarket. Read the dog food labels and product descriptions to make sure that the food is specifically formulated with lower sodium.
Different low sodium products have different levels of sodium – some are formulated for moderate salt reduction (0.2% to 0.25% on a dry matter basis) and others for greater salt reduction (more than 0.25%). You should also avoid any “people food” with high salt content such as meat and cheese.
Supplement your dog’s food with PetAlive’s GlucoBalance. It contains bilberry, goat’s rue, fenugreek and astragalus membranaceus (all herbs) along with chromium picolinate (a mineral) which have been shown promote good pancreatic and liver health. The supplement is used…
- To support normal blood sugar levels in healthy pets
- To support the function of the pancreas in producing adequate insulin
- To maintain healthy distribution of insulin in the bloodstream
- To support a healthy immune system
- To support healthy circulation and cardiovascular health
- To support healthy digestive functioning
- To maintain healthy energy levels and feelings of vitality
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