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After careful analysis, our top recommended low sodium dog food is The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Recipe.
It’s low in sodium, rich in antioxidants and free from by-products or preservatives.
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If you are looking for a low sodium diet for your pet, then it is likely that they have been diagnosed with a cardiac (heart) condition. Your veterinarian may suggest this type of diet in some cases of very severe heart disease, where your dog’s ability to excrete sodium (salt) from its body is impaired. This is due to the secondary effects that cardiac disease has on other parts of the body, including the kidneys, which normally help keep electrolytes in balance. As well as any medications your veterinarian prescribes, a low sodium diet could be beneficial. If your dog has been diagnosed with a heart murmur, and you’re looking for a specific diet for this condition, follow the link.
Regular dog food has 0.5% sodium content (or 100mg of sodium per 100 calories) to maintain normal health. Restricted diets should aim for around 0.08-0.25% sodium content on a dry matter basis (or approximately 20-65mg of sodium per 100 calories), depending on the stage of your dog’s disease.
If your dog has been diagnosed with kidney failure as part of their condition then you may need to look at the diet’s phosphorus levels and choose one that is restricted to 0.2-0.52% of dry matter. Dogs with kidney issues can end up suffering from hyperphosphatemia (high phosphorus levels) because they lose the ability to excrete phosphorus normally.
Other ingredients such as Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) can help support heart health. These are usually derived from fatty fish oils such as salmon and sardines and are thought to help stabilize heart muscle cells, improving their performance. L-carnitine and taurine are types of amino acid that help with heart health, so diets containing these ingredients are also beneficial.
All of our dog food suggestions are carefully selected by professionals. We extensively research the products to check if they’ve been approved by governing bodies before making recommendations. You can read more about our stringent review standards here. And remember, always consult your veterinarian first, before changing your dog’s food.
The Honest Kitchen Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food is an excellent quality diet with low sodium levels, making it ideally suited to dogs with dietary restrictions requiring reduced salt. This food bases its formulation on whole chicken, a meat included in dehydrated form for maximum nutritional impact and high amino acid content to support strong and healthy muscles.
A grain-free diet, The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Dehydrated takes high fiber, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables as the foundation of its carbohydrates. This helps to support fluid digestive processes while boosting the immune system. Each ingredient included in The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Dehydrated is human grade, ensuring its excellent quality.
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Dehydrated contains no corn, wheat, soy, or added sugars. It is also free from by-products, preservatives, hormones, and antibiotics. With so many nutritional benefits to its credit, it is not difficult to see why this diet is considered to be among the best low sodium dog foods on the market today.
Earthborn Holistic Adult Vantage Natural Dry Dog Food hits all the high points dogs need from the best low sodium food to fuel their health and development. A diet that relies on two types of protein, turkey meal and Pacific whiting meal, Earthborn Holistic Adult Vantage is rich in amino acids to help provide vital support for coat and skin health as well as a dog’s daily energy requirements.
A grain-inclusive formulation, Earthborn Holistic Adult Vantage takes highly digestible whole grains such as pearled barley and oatmeal as its main carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables including apples, carrots, blueberries, and spinach have also been included to provide an excellent support for a healthy immune system.
This diet, rated among the best low sodium dog foods, has been enriched with L-carnitine and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to encourage a strong metabolism and the development of a strong muscular system.
For one of the best low sodium dog foods that packs a powerful punch when it comes to both nutrition and flavor, it’s hard to go wrong with Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream focuses on smoked salmon as its primary ingredient, a protein that is rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to provide dogs with the energy they need while supporting good coat and skin.
The diet is grain-free, taking its carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables with a high nutritional profile such as tomatoes, blueberries, and raspberries. These superfoods are known to assist with building strong immunity and also pack a walloping punch of dietary fiber to encourage good digestion.
Taste of the Wild is free from grains, corn, wheat, fillers, soy, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, making it a food that families can trust to support their dog’s health.
Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food hits all the high marks dogs need from their low sodium diet to thrive. A highly flavorful food, Wellness Complete Health Adult’s primary ingredient is whitefish, a meat that is of exceptional quality and packed with nutrients to support good health.
Both grains and fruits and vegetables are included in this formulation with the emphasis being on each ingredient’s ease of digestibility and high nutritional value.
Wellness Complete Health Adult, a low sodium food that is rated among the best of its kind, is free from wheat, corn, soy, meat by-products, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Biotin has been added to provide a vital help to skin and coat health. For dogs prone to heart conditions, taurine has also been included as an excellent cardiac support.
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a diet that focuses on a select ingredients list to prevent skin and stomach sensitivities while boosting overall nutritional quality. A diet that is rich in protein, Natural Balance L.I.D. contains both chicken and chicken meal to provide a healthy serving of vital amino acids to support a healthy body.
Carbohydrates are derived from fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber and antioxidants. Natural Balance L.I.D., one of the best low sodium dog foods, is free from corn, wheat, and soy, all common allergens for many dogs.
There are many different reasons why owners may opt to feed their best canine pal a diet that contains a reduced amount of sodium. Foods that are rich in salt can exacerbate a number of serious health problems including congestive heart failure and kidney and liver issues. Since congestive heart failure itself leads to fluid retention, diets that are high in salt can increase the negative effects of the disease for dogs.
As a general rule, diets that contain low to moderate amounts of sodium are a powerful help in preventing excess fluid accumulation. The reduction in sodium leads to water loss each time the dog urinates, providing a vital help to the dog’s critical internal organs.
It can be very challenging to determine the actual sodium content of a given dog food as AAFCO currently does not require this information to be printed on bags. In addition to this, at this time, established food regulations mandate a minimum amount of sodium a food must contain but no maximum, meaning sodium levels can vary dramatically from food to food.
Veterinary professionals have instituted a basic set of guidelines to assist dog owners with selecting a food with the appropriate level of sodium for their dog’s age and health condition. The recommended amounts include:
Though excess sodium is typically only a red flag for dogs with ongoing health conditions, it is possible for dogs to succumb to salt poisoning from a diet too rich in sodium. This most often occurs when a dog ingests a concentrated amount of salt in an abbreviated amount of time. Most frequently, salt toxicity is a result of a dog getting into human food that is heavily salted or eating from a salt shaker.
Salt toxicity can occur at as low levels as 4 grams of sodium per kilogram of a dog’s weight. The most commonly seen symptoms of salt toxicity include vomiting and seizures. Should salt toxicity be suspected in a dog, veterinary intervention is critical, and even if obtained in time, experts report that 50 percent of dogs that have eaten too high a concentration of salt will die, regardless of treatment.
Trying to determine the correct amount of the best low sodium food to a feed a dog can be challenging. To help with this task, it is always a good idea to use the suggested serving size listed on the side of the bag as a starting point. The dog’s breed, age, weight, and activity level will provide vital helps in ascertaining the proper meal size.
Portions can be adjusted to reflect the dog’s unique needs. Most typically, the dog’s weight and appetite are of great assistance, helping owners to understand if meal sizes should be increased or decreased for optimal health and eating satisfaction.
The best low sodium dog foods for adult dogs contain a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat. By comparison, low sodium puppy formulations should be comprised of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat with slightly higher percentages of each also considered to be ideal.
The best low sodium dog foods really don’t differ from any high quality diet suited for canine consumption other than that a more conservative approach to sodium content has been undertaken. The first ingredient in any low sodium diet should be a meat-based protein. Whole meats are always the preferred choice, but for a concentrated amount of high quality protein, meat meals are also an excellent selection.
By-products are not as easily digested by dogs and are often comprised of inferior quality pieces of the animal, making them an undesirable choice in an ideal food for dogs. Plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat, are also difficult for dogs to process and utilize effectively and have been reported to be common allergens among many dogs.
Carbohydrates play an important role in the best low sodium diets. These can be sourced from whole grains, fruits, or vegetables. The primary importance of each included carbohydrate is its ease of digestibility and antioxidant content to help support a healthy immune system.
Healthy fats are a critical part of any diet suited to dogs with sodium restrictions. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are a crucial help in ensuring coat and skin health as well as fueling the active dog’s energy levels to enjoy its busy lifestyle with its family. These are best sourced from animal fats such as chicken fat or oily fish.
Every diet can benefit from the addition of supplements to boost the dog’s ability to process its food effectively. Among the most helpful supplements to look for are prebiotics and probiotics to assist with digestion. Glucosamine and chondroitin can also encourage healthy joint function.
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in a low sodium dog food:
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