ThorneVet’s Kidney Support Formula is designed to promote optimal kidney function in dogs and cats. This
synergistic blend of eight potent ingredients promotes healthy blood flow to the kidneys — which optimizes the
kidney’s ability to filter blood through the kidneys, protects against oxidative stress on kidney tissue, and aids in
the removal of toxins to optimize the kidney’s filtration burden.
Key Kidney Support Features
| Prepared Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang) and Astragalus Root (Huang Qi): Both of these traditional
Chinese herbs promote good kidney function by enhancing blood flow to the kidneys and by reducing oxidative
stress on kidney tissue.
| Nettle Seed: Nettle seed is well-known for its trophorestorative activity – which means it promotes both the
repair and the regeneration of kidney cells – thus helping to maintain optimal kidney function.
| Reishi Mushroom and Cordyceps Mushroom: These two organic, hot water-extracted mushrooms protect and
nourish the kidneys, thus supporting optimal kidney function.
| Coenzyme Q10 and Astaxanthin: These two powerful antioxidants protect the kidneys from damage from
oxidative stress.
| Chitosan: Reduces oxidative stress, protects against fibrous tissue build up in kidney tissue, and binds excess phosphorous – all of which reduces the burden on kidney function.
Kidney disease can be a common condition in companion animals, especially as they age. In companion animals –
just like in humans – the kidney’s basic function is to filter waste from the blood, while also maintaining a healthy
fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. And – just like in humans – dogs and cats have two kidneys. However,
various adverse conditions can predispose a pet to kidney disease, even at a young age. When the kidney’s filtration
efficiency declines, toxins can accumulate, and a pet will begin to exhibit symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight
loss, vomiting, lethargy, and depression. Unlike the liver, the kidney has only a limited regenerative capability, which
can result in an acute or chronic injury to the kidney eventually becoming potentially irreversible.
Maintaining good hydration, feeding a species-appropriate diet, and supplementing with botanical extracts and
targeted nutrients that promote optimal blood flow to the kidneys, reduce inflammation in the kidneys, and protect
against oxidative damage can preserve healthy kidney function. Comprehensive kidney support can improve both
the quality of life and the health and wellness of the pet who is experiencing kidney insufficiency or kidney disease.
Astragalus root (Huang Qi) has what is known as an immuno-modulatory effect – it helps mitigate the impact of
autoimmune diseases, like glomerulonephritis, on kidney function.1 Studies show that astragalus root can protect
against damage to the kidneys, most likely because of astragalus’s antioxidative effects and astragalus’s ability to
inhibit the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme – two beneficial effects that can reduce hypertension and
proteinuria.
The cordyceps mushroom has a long history of use in cultures that rely on traditional medicine for improving energy,
increasing stamina, and supporting organ function, including the kidneys. In support of what traditional medicine has
known for centuries, recent clinical studies suggest that cordyceps mushroom extract can enhance kidney health
by promoting healthy immune function, maintaining a normal inflammatory response, and supporting optimal blood
flow to the kidneys.
The seeds of the nettle plant have long been identified as being an effective trophorestorative herb for the
kidneys – because of nettle seed’s ability to promote both the repair and the regeneration of kidney cells. The
existence of nettle seed’s trophorestorative activity on the kidneys was championed a generation ago by Dr. David
Winston, an internationally known ethnobotanist and a founder of the American Herbalists Guild. Nettle seed’s
trophorestorative activity has been corroborated by case studies confirming its beneficial effect on lowering the level
of creatinine in the kidneys.
Rehmannia root has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for mitigating adverse kidney-related issues.
The version of rehmannia root in ThorneVet’s Kidney Support Formula is the traditionally prepared rehmannia root
called Shu Di Huang. The traditional way of preparing rehmannia root results in a more effective kidney tonic, and
is in the form that has been used for several thousand years in traditional medicine formats for supporting kidney
function. Studies indicate that rehmannia root can improve already healthy kidney function and, in the case of
existing kidney injury, rehmannia root can slow the progression of adverse kidney conditions by helping to maintain
normal inflammatory response pathways in the kidneys and by enhancing blood flow to the kidneys.
Reishi is a medicinal mushroom that is well-known for having many health-promoting benefits: it is immuno-
protective, it is an adaptogenic, and it is an antioxidant. Studies have demonstrated that reishi mushroom has the
ability to protect kidney tissue from oxidative damage and to ameliorate imbalanced inflammatory responses in the
kidneys, thus supporting overall kidney health
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a potent antioxidant that can mitigate oxidative stress in various organs, including the
kidneys. Studies suggest that CoQ10 supplementation can improve already healthy kidney function, as well as slow
the progression of existing adverse kidney health conditions.
Astaxanthin, another powerful antioxidant, has been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the kidneys. Animal
studies suggest that astaxanthin protects against injury to the kidneys by neutralizing free radicals and by reducing
inflammation.8 Astaxanthin has more natural antioxidant capacity than beta carotene, lycopene, and lutein. Due to
astaxanthin’s unique chemical structure, it acts as a scavenger of free radicals in the internal membrane layer of the
cell, while simultaneously inhibiting oxidation on the outside surface of the cell membrane – effectively protecting
both the inside and the outside of the cell membrane. Kidney Support Formula uses a superior form of astaxanthin
– from AstaReal. AstaReal’s astaxanthin is derived from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, a fresh-water
unicellular microalgae (like Chlorella and Spirulina); therefore, it is plant-based and vegetarian friendly. AstaReal’s
astaxanthin has been studied in more than 70 published clinical trials. An excellent description of AstaReal’s
astaxanthin and its many health benefits can be found at astareal.com/en/astaxanthin
Chitosan is a natural copolymer of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine – it is derived from the chitin that is
obtained from the exoskeletons of marine crustaceans. In addition to reducing oxidative stress in the kidneys,
chitosan has been shown to help the kidneys heal after kidney injury, illness, or disease, which, when left untreated,
can otherwise lead to kidney fibrosis – the formation and build-up of fibrous tissue (similar to scar tissue) in the
kidneys that can significantly decrease kidney function. Chitosan can also bind excess phosphorus in the kidneys
– too much phosphorous can pull calcium from the bones, thus causing bone weakness and potentially dangerous
calcium deposits. Chitosan supplementation is beneficial for pets with existing kidney disease, because an elevated
level of phosphorus will worsen kidney damage.
Each container contains 90 soft chews
