The Importance of Egg Protein in Reduced Protein Diets Designed for Dogs With Renal Failure

The effects of two reduced‐protein diets and a canine maintenance diet on renal function, nutrition, serum and urine acid‐base and electrolyte values, and divalent ion metabolism were compared in Beagle dogs with induced chronic renal failure. Two reduced‐protein (18%) diets differed in their protein sources. One 18% protein diet was formulated using egg protein as the only protein source. The other 18% protein diet was formulated using a mixture of animal and vegetable proteins. The 42% protein diet contained a mixture of animal and vegetable protein sources. Results of this study indicate that the egg‐based and mixed protein‐based diets had similar effects on most clinical and laboratory evaluations in dogs with chronic renal failure. However, the egg protein diet appeared to promote hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Both reduced‐protein diets were beneficial in reducing azotemia, polyuria, hypermagnesemia, and fractional excretion of phosphorus compared with the 42% protein diet.