The Best Herbals for Kidney Disease in Cats

Kidney Disease

• Diseased kidneys inhibit the ability of the organ to filter waste from the bloodstream. Kidneys can be diseased due to being overworked, genetic defects, or damaged from a cat ingesting toxins.

Symptoms

• Cats may exhibit excessive urination, have extreme thirst, dehydration, vomiting, and changes in eating or drinking patterns. Some cats will urinate or defecate outside of their litter box.

Raw Diet

• Veterinarian Russell Swift believes that kidney disease can be treated through diet, by changing a cat to a raw, natural diet. He contends that by removing processed foods (which contain additives and preservatives), a raw diet will provide the necessary nutrients to help balance the kidneys and improve the functionality of the organ.

Low Protein Diets

• Some veterinarians prescribe low protein / low salt / low phosphorous diets. Because processing proteins is taxing to the kidneys, reducing the protein is believed to lower the stress on the kidneys.

Herbal Treatment

• One herbal therapy that can be used with kidney disease in cats is Slippery Elm Bark. This powdered herb helps to reduce inflammation in the stomach and digestive tract, which are often associated with kidney disease. Essence of flower can also be used to help treat symptoms associated with kidney disease. Before starting an herbal therapy, check with your veterinarian to ensure correct dosage and potential side effects.