Cat food to help Kidneys?

[Rian]

I have a 13 year old cat who has had trouble with kidney stones in the past. I have had him on Purina One's Urinary Tract Health for years now. As of recently, he's been loosing weight and I brought him to the vet. His tests showed that one of his kidney's were functioning at the higher end of normal. The vet suggested that there might be a better food out there for him that will be easier on his kidneys. Unfortunately, my vet is away and won't be back for a couple days... but I was curious to see if anyone here has any suggestions while I wait.

Thanks.

[mamabear]

i would have to say that Hills makes a prescription diet and the vet can help you get it. I would go by what your vet says since he knows the medical history and has recently seen him. You will have to gradually introduce the new stuff anyway if you choose to switch. So waiting is your best bet. But why not just call the vets office and ask the receptionist and ask what he put down in the file. That might help you to know but you will still have to make sure it's ok with him no matter what anyone else says to you here.

Good luck and how wonderful to still have kitty this long.

[Traci]

Your vet "suggested" a better food, but didn't prescribe one? If not, and if he didn't adress this seriously, see a new vet, immediately. What tests were run? What did he say to explain the weight loss, was a full blood profile done? Was a urinalysis done? Was a thyroid function test done? Did he check oral health thoroughly?

Was surgery ever indicated for the kidney stones? When exactly was the last diagnosis of kidney stones and how were they identified, and how were they treated? Was an ultrasound ever done? Did kitty ever have FLUTD and/or urinary tract infections and/or crystals?

There a number of veterinary prescribed diets available for renal disease, they are low in protein/phosphorus/sodium. Depending on what tests were done, and other diagnostics, would depend on the diet prescribed. Again, if your vet didn't address this thoroughly, see a new, feline-only vet who will, immediately.

[Rian]

I was waiting for the test results from the urine test to come back to speak to my vet, which I did today. (thankfully it can back normal!) My cat has had two surgeries done in the past for his kidney stones. (One when he was about two, and the other when he was about 6) I think he did have crystals the last time he had a problem but hasn't had any problems since then. (about 7 years)
The reason why I brought him to the vet was because I noticed he was loosing a little weight and because of his age. He went from 10.5 pounds to 8.5 in a little over a year. He however has been more active as of late which I'm sure was a part of his weight loss. (He came up this January to May with me to school.... I have an apartment with my friend who has a kitty and they started playing together)

The vet gave me samples of foods to try to see which one my kitty likes best. She gave me Hill's Prescription Diet k/d, Purina Kidney Diets NF, and Eukanuba Multi-Stage Renal.... his kidney function is still normal, but we want to keep it that way. Does anyone have any opinions on these 3, like which one is best?


Thanks\!

[Joie]

My kitty recently showed slightly elevated levels for kidneys so my vet has put him on the Hills k/d diet. So far my boy loves the k/d dry food and he is getting use to the wet food. My vet is also going to get back to me about some recipes I can make at home that are low protein so if they work I will be sure to let you know.

[Traci]

Rian, according to your posts, your vet isn't addressing the weight loss, this is concerning! Regardless of renal function, it is weight loss that is concerning, and your vet should have addressed that more specifically. Get a thyroid function test done immediately, and find out exactly what blood testing was done, was it a full profile or only a few enzymes? If the latter, you need a full blood profile done, as well as a CBC. Again, can't stress this enough, thyroid function needs tested!! Some of the conditions you MUST rule out when weight loss occurs: hyper or hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver disease, IBD, diabetes, (was blood and urine glucose checked??), heart disease, neoplasia.

As for the diets, my personal recommendation would be the Hill's K/D, with the Purina NF a close second. The important thing is choosing the diet that is palatable to the cat, and that is appropriate for his needs.

[Traci]

My vet is also going to get back to me about some recipes I can make at home that are low protein so if they work I will be sure to let you know.

Joie, the K/D surpasses any home-prepared equivalent diet. The equivalent diets your vet is referring to, are not intended to be fed long term, they are only to be used in extreme cases where it is extremely difficult to get the cat to eat due to anorexia or secondary health issue. These diets are not formulated to meet necessary requirements for long term feeding and you should NEVER assume they are, there is no way they can be modified to meet those requirements for long term.

Stick with the K/D only, your kitty will do much better on it, because it is optimally balanced for renal patients. If for any reason kitty will not eat it sufficiently, it's your vet's responsibility to choose a different veterinary diet for the same purpose. Regular followup checkups, and bloodwork on a regular basis will determine the diet's effectiveness, regular bloodwork is necessary for renal patients. (this is done frequently each year)

[Joie]

Thanks for the advice Traci! As I mentioned in another thread, my cat has only just switched to the k/d diet. The vet recommened hill's k/d however my kitty has never been fond of dense canned food. I knew I would run into trouble getting him to eat this canned food. He loves the biscuits so that is great! So the majority of his diet is the hill's k/d dry and canned food. To supplement this (to make sure he is eating enough for his weight) he can have home cooked low protein food. I live in Australia and it seems we do not have as many prescription diet alternatives for our kitties. So for my kitty it has to be hill's k/d and low protein foods.

[Joie]

Rian, my kitty is on hill's k/d and is also allowed to have low protein cooked food. The vet recommended plain cooked chicken or steamed fish or hard boiled eggs or mashed potato with rice. This advice was given to me as I was having trouble getting my little one to eat the k/d canned food. These cooked options were recommended to supplement the k/d diet. This option may or may not be appropriate for your kitty so check with your vet!

[Traci]

Joie, the problem with fish, it should never be fed in excess or long term, it causes pansteatitis, is deficient in vitamins, etc.

Eggs are a major source of protein, and renal patients require low-protein in their diet. Granted, in the home-prepared equivalent diets, it IS the egg that provides the protein, but the veterinary prescribed diet is formulated properly for low-protein, as fed on a consistent basis. There is virtually no way to "formulate" a proper protein-level using eggs in a home-prepared diet.

"Supplementing", as it refers to a home-prepared equivalent diet, should only be used in the context where the cat is severely anorexic and is at risk for severe dehydration issues, or acidosis, etc, or in end-stage disease. In an otherwise healthy cat, it is not a good substitute, particularly fed long term, or in conjunction with an already formulated low-protein veterinary diet, since you would then be adding additional protein to the diet.

Again, if your kitty isn't eating enough, in this case, to maintain optimal weight, then it is incumbent upon your vet to choose another veterinary diet that is palatable and formulated properly to meet kitty's needs. Remember that renal patients will commonly lose weight and may not gain that weight back optimally, but your vet needs to regularly monitor weight and adjust the diet only when necessary.