This diet is intended for growing puppies with portosystemic shunts or other vascular anomalies (for example, hepatic microvascular dysplasia), needing a reduced protein diet. It may be especially suited to puppies with clinical signs of hepatic encephalopathy and/or concurrent urate urolithiasis/stones.

It contains predominantly dairy/egg-derived protein, with a smaller amount of added lower purine animal-derived protein, for improved palatability. Dairy/egg-derived proteins are preferred as they are free from heme and other non-protein nitrogenous compounds; these compounds may worsen hepatic encephalopathy is some animals.

We recommend avoiding mushrooms (especially shiitake mushrooms), as these are purine-rich ingredients.

For vegetables, try pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrot, zucchini, squash, spinach, chard, turnips, kale, parsnips, watercress, Asian greens, tomato, capsicum or cabbage. 

​Both fresh and frozen vegetables are fine. We recommend steaming or microwaving for vegetables. Locally sourced, regeneratively farmed vegetables are a great choice, if possible, as they are both more delicious and more nutritious.

For fruit, try colourful antioxidant-rich choices like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwifruit, apple, mango, papaya, pineapple, pear, or melon.

This makes just over 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and fed immediately, or stored in the fridge (max 3 days) or freezer (max 3 months) until needed.

You can include the meat raw or cooked, depending on preference. For raw human-grade meat, be sure to freeze the meat for 10 days prior to use. For pork (in areas with Trichinella), freezing for 3 weeks prior to use is sensible. Please discuss raw-feeding with your dog's veterinarian; raw feeding is not suitable for all dogs or households and may be an especially poor choice for puppies with more severe liver disease.

For a low protein diet, select fattier proteins. The following are the lowest protein combinations (just meet the AAFCO minimum requirement for growth):

• Cooked whole egg + turkey mince (6% fat) + sweet potato
  23% protein on a caloric basis
• Cooked whole egg + skinless and boneless chicken thigh + wholemeal pasta
  25% protein on a caloric basis
• Cooked whole egg + pork mince (5% fat) + white rice
  23% protein on a caloric basis

Please include all other ingredients as per the list and instructions above - do not leave anything out.

Unfortunately not, as many of these proteins are high in purines, which may increase the risk of urate bladder stones in some dogs. Please contact us for more information. A nutrition consult and personalised recipes may be helpful.

We recommend avoiding any meat-derived treats, especially those containing offal, as these are rich in purines and high in protein. Also avoid seafood/fish as well. Fresh fruits and vegetables or freeze-dried/dried fruits, plain rice crackers or rice cakes, plain oven-baked or dehydrated sweet potato or pumpkin crisps, or full-fat natural yoghurt can be given in small amounts. Please see our blog post here for some treat recipes and other ideas. Whimzees are meat-free lower protein chews that may be well-tolerated by some puppies.