It's been another year around the sun for Bibim Paws' very own Marley. He turns 20 this year and is still here to share some great news.

Currently he is still eating a rotation of the Bibim Paws organic fresh food recipes along with some organic rice/cauliflower mixed in several times throughout the week (60/40 ratio). Some holistic vets argue that protein levels do not matter when it comes to kidney disease but traditional vets advise on feeding only low protein for kidney disease.

For Marley, we try to feed him high quality, organic meat for about 80% of his meals during half the week and then lower protein ratios the rest of the week to try and find a good balance for him. Since protein is essential to maintaining healthy muscles especially in older dogs (prevent muscle wasting), we chose to keep some meals high protein.

Now for the good news! Marley’s blood work this year showed the same average creatinine levels (1.6-1.8) as last year which means his kidneys are still functioning as they should! This was a huge relief because pet parents dealing with kidney disease have to routinely check levels to make sure their pets aren’t progressing into higher stages of kidney disease.

What is Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)?

PKD is a genetic disorder that is passed down from the parents of affected pets. The signs and symptoms can be detected in young pets but are usually found in middle aged pets as the cysts in the kidneys begin to grow larger as the pet ages. Sadly kidney disease is not curable and the only way to maintain it is by eating prescription diets in hopes that we can only slow down this disease.

Check out this article to learn more details about PKD:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/polycystic-kidney-disease-in-dogs#

We hope Marley’s story gives pet parents who are also struggling with kidney disease a fighting chance. Traditional vets try their best with prescription diets and fluids but this isn’t the best prognosis as the disease can progress quickly with a very short life expectancy. But by reaching out to experienced holistic vets for alternative medicine along with a high quality fresh diet, a treatment plan with hope of a long and healthy life may be possible.