Home made diets and Renal Disease in Dogs by Meg Smart DVM. PhD

The kidney is "a clearing house", conserving vital minerals, degrading and excreting harmful metabolic by-products, controlling water balance, acid-base balance, blood pressure, and producing hormones such as Vitamin D (bone metabolism), erythropoietin (red blood cell production), and renin. If clinical signs, the blood work and a urinalysis indicates your dog is showing signs of kidney failure, your veterinarian may recommend a dietary change depending on the severity of the kidney disease. Because the kidney is “a clearing house” a change in diet or increasing the number of times per day your dog is fed decreases the work load on the kidney associated with the digestion and metabolism of nutrients found in the food. Protein quantity and quality can be a major factor in controlling the blood urea nitrogen (BUN).