Does feeding choice affect blood values?

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

bloodwork and diet have little to do with each other. Your dog's body works hard to maintain constant levels of enzymes and nutrients in the blood.

I disagree. When calories from carbohydrates are replaced with calories from protein, the body will produce more nitrogenous wastes. Some dogs will still fall in the normal ranges, and other dogs will not. They determine normal by taking blood samples from healthy laboratory dogs, and the dogs that are considered "normal" are usually fed a kibble diet, which has much lower protein than many raw food diets, and also many of the newer kibble diets as well. Therefore, its not uncommon to find MILDLY elevated BUN and Creatinine in dogs fed high levels of protein.

I wonder why that's never happened with any of my dogs? They've always been on very high protein levels, whether kibble or raw or cooked or all three. Bloodworks always come back with a smiley face - well in the normal range. [] I wonder why it would be true for some dogs but obviously not all dogs on high protein diets - or else there'd be more of a ruckus about it for sure.

Ben's bloodworks always look tremendously good even when he "crashes" - except for symptoms of dehydration. It's really been frustrating to my vet until we started just upping his thyroid meds as a matter of course when it happens. Not that that's what is wrong with Spar (what a great name by the way), just another example of when a dog can be Really Sick and not show anything on the labwork.

I've got a friend who is very, very ill right now and they can't figure out why. Septicemia and pneumonia and anemia, but those were just secondary infections. They were thinking really awful things, cancer and whatnot, but everything is coming back negative. It's so frustrating for them.

Good luck to your friend.

I wonder why that's never happened with any of my dogs? They've always been on very high protein levels, whether kibble or raw or cooked or all three. Bloodworks always come back with a smiley face - well in the normal range.

 
  I wonder if it's because of how active your dogs are; could that affect the blood chemistry?

I wonder if it's because of how active your dogs are; could that affect the blood chemistry?

I was kind of wondering the same thing. In which case, that would be something that working BC people really ought to know. My pup's breeder is a biochemist, I'll have to ask him.

Emma and Spar (short for Sparticus-- and I love it, too[] His brothers are Jeremiah, Ali, and Reno) are incredibly active for pets, but not anything like Becca's dogs.

In good news, Spar is doing much better. He and his mom spent an hour at the health food store, energy testing things. He's on some good anti inflamatories,  colloidal silver, and colostrum, now. He's holding down chicken and rice, and pooping normally. Looks like he's going to be ok.

That's great news Jennie; glad he's doing better. []