Feline Renal Diet

Renal disease can occur in cats of any age. However, chronic kidney disease most frequently affects older cats. According to a study led by E.A. Plantinga, a member of the veterinary medicine faculty at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, more than 30 percent of cats 15 years of age or older suffer from this illness.

Renal diets can be used as a sole method of treatment for pets in early stage renal disease. They may also be used in conjunction with medical treatments in cases of more advanced illness.

  1. Dietary Factors

    • Feline renal diets should contain reduced levels of protein, phosphorus and sodium. The ideal amounts of these nutrients will vary depending of the severity of disease. Animals in the later stages of kidney disease will require more severely restricted foods than those in the earlier stages.

      Potassium blood levels should be monitored and the potassium level of the diet increased as necessary.

      Fish oils containing the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid have also been found to be helpful in studies performed by Plantinga and Sheri J. Ross at the University of Minnesota.

      Commercially available feline renal diets, in both canned and dry forms, are specialized to meet the needs of pets in specific stages of renal disease, and many offer different formulations for cats diagnosed in the early, intermediate or advanced stages of kidney disease.

      Home-cooked diets are also an option and can provide more flexibility in meeting individual nutritional needs. Consult with a veterinary nutrition expert to formulate a diet which will meet the specific needs of your pet.

      Raw-food diets are another option, although their use is controversial because of their possibility of causing enteric bacterial infections, which may also threaten family members living with the pet.

    Feeding

    • Cats with kidney disease often have depressed appetites, so it may be difficult to entice them to eat enough food to maintain their nutritional requirements. Measure the amount of food your cat eats on a daily basis. On average, a cat should consume 20 to 30 calories per pound of body weight per day.

      If food intake is not sufficient to meet caloric requirements, explore other methods of feeding for your cat. A different form of diet may be more palatable for the cat. While some cats like canned foods, others prefer dry or even raw diets. Home cooking is another option. In some cases, surgically placing a feeding tube into the cat's stomach may be necessary.

    Results

    • Studies presented by Ross, Plantinga and Denise A Elliott (a veterinarian specializing in veterinary nutrition employed by Royal Canin USA) have all demonstrated that properly selected renal diets slow the progress of kidney disease and prolong the lives of cats suffering from renal failure. These diets also significantly improve the quality of life for affected cats, making them a worthwhile treatment option.