Home-Prepared Hepatic Encephalopathy Diet Recipe for Dogs

This hepatic diet is designed to feed an average 5 kg (11 pound) dog using a lower protein approach with elevated soluble fibers to help with protein intolerance and encephalopathic behaviors in dogs with severe end stage cirrhosis or non-operable shunts. This diet is not intended for copper-associated hepatopathy.  We recommend that if there is advanced biliary disease or known primary or secondary copper hepatopathy that any home-prepared diet be examined by your veterinarian and potentially a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.  This diet is designed to provide approximately 330 kcals for a dog of average activity.  Active dogs may require slightly more, while inactive dogs may require less (up to 40% more or less depending on activity).  Monitor your dog and consult with your veterinarian if there is weight gain or loss – we recommend regular weigh-ins with your vet after starting a home prepared diet.  This diet can be fed to dogs over 16 weeks of age that are considered small or medium sized – while further evaluation may be needed to feed an appropriate diet to large and giant breed puppies. You can multiply the portions below for every ~10 pounds of body weight for larger dogs.

 

Daily Diet to consist of:

1 large egg – hardboiled, fried, or poached

1 ounce of 2% milkfat cottage cheese

¼ cup (56 grams) of black beans, green peas or garbanzo beans

¼ cup (56 grams) of chopped apple, pear or sliced banana

     ¹/3 cup of cooked pearled barley or cooked brown rice (180 grams)            

½ teaspoon of fish oil or krill oil (or two 1000 mg capsules)

ADDED SUPPLEMENTS:

¼ scoop of iViBlend

¾ teaspoon of KAL Bone Meal or similar

 

This daily portion is usually mixed together with the supplements and fed over two or more meals each day depending on the severity of the encephalopathy.   The supplements can be gradually added in over a 10 day period if your dog is already eating a home prepared diet.   Healthful supplements of this nature can alter the taste and acceptability of diets for more picky eaters, and a gradual introduction often prevents food refusal.

The low protein diet provides approximately 20% of metabolizable energy from protein, 25% from fat and 55% from carbohydrate.  The egg, legume and dairy approach leads to lower purine levels and less accumulation of nitrogenous wastes, and improved colon fermentation to provide better ammonia excretion.  If fish or krill oils are not tolerated then you may try flaxseed oil in its place, if desired.

These diets are only to be used under the advice of a veterinarian. Please consult a vet or vet nutritionist on whether this is appropriate for your dog before feeding. Even though this recipe has been designed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, your dog's unique calorie requirements, medical history, and diet history can all affect whether it is the best option for your dog.

 

Happy Feeding!