Kitten Food for kidney patients

[AnnShoebridge]

Hi,

I'm brand new to the forum and apologise if there is already an answer to my question. If there is then I don't know where to find it

Our 11 year old cat is suffering from renal insufficiency. As a consequence he's on Fortekor. However, he has recently gone off almost every single type of cat food we try to give him. He even refuses fresh chicken, which previously he absolutely loved. I'm thinking of giving him kitten food since a friend told me that it's good for cats suffering with kidney problems.

Has anyone ever heard of this before? If so, is it a good thing to offer him?

I'm desperate to give my cat something he will eat

[babycakes]

Welcome to Catsey X Sorry I don't have any experience of this but I am sure other members will have some good advice for you

[Fran]

Warm welcome! I'm sorry to hear about your cat's kidney problems. I am not experienced in this area although there a couple of members here who are and who hopefully will be along soon to help you. My gut instinct is that kitten food which contains higher protein than adult food may not necessarily be the best idea here but as I say I am no expert.

Hope you'll stick around and tell us a little bit more about your kitty.

[yola]

Welcome - sorry your join us at such a worrying time. I don't have experience of renal issues but several key members have had cats with kidney insufficiencies and have researched the illness at length. I'm sure they'll be along with advice.

[dandysmom]

Hi and welcome! I also am not familiar with this but several of our members here are very knowledgable and will be able to help you........

[dinahsmum]

Hello Ann - welcome to Catsey

Elaine is our kidney supremo. Here is an article/post she did a while back, in memory of her lovely Winston, who lived to 21.
http://www.catsey.com/showthread.php...ghlight=kidney

I had a Siamese girl who was on Fortekor for the last year and a bit of her life. It kept her kidney issues completely under control and I lost her to an unrelated disease at 17+.
I was lucky that she enjoyed the prescription food, both wet and dry. As treats my vet suggested things like chicken and fish skin and fatty meat - basically not prime protein.
Personally i don't think kitten food is a good idea. That is high protein to support kitten growth.
Sometimes kidney patients suffer from indigestion (not sure if it's the disease or the medication). It's not nice having an acid stomach and this puts them off their food. Slippery Elm is a simple and harmless food supplement to coat the stomach and make them feel better.

Hope Elaine (or Kazz, who had Oscar and coped with his crf for years, without medication) will be here with more advice soon.

[Elaine]

Welcome to Catsey and i am so sorry to hear about your cat having CRF.
First things first though, kitten food is a big NO NO as it contains a high content of protein and phosphorus which may put more strain on the already damaged kidneys. That said, it is important to get your cat eating again and the sooner the better.
Excess tummy acid is a big problem for CRF cats and is the main one to cause inapetance. there are several things that can help with this.
Raising food bowls so the cat doesnt have to lower its head too much.
Slippery Elma bark is an excellent all rounder, it helps with excess tummy acid, ulcers or painful mouth, constipation and diahorrea. You can buy it in any health food shop, sprinkle it on the food or make a syrup which makes it easier to syringe into the mouth.
There is loads of info I can help you with if you wish.
But lets get this cat eating again, have you tried warming up the food a little? I used to get Winston eating again by giving him some smelly fish such as sardines, not good as a replacement food for CRF cats but if it gets them eating then on occasion its worth it. I used to heat the food by adding a little boiled water to it thus also giving him a little extra fluids.
Sometimes it helped if I sat with him and encouraged him to eat, talking to him and stroking him.
CRF is an emotional roller coaster the trick is to learn as much as you can and fast but there is alot of support out there to help you through it.
Do you have a copy of his last blood results?
http://www.felinecrf.org/
This is a bible to many owners of CRF cats and helped me enormously. There is alot to take in so if you need any help at all please dont be afraid to ask.
http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm
Hope some of this helps and I wish you both lots of love and best wishes.

[Kazz]

Hello

First step is to say Hello. Whats you cats name? he sounds lovely.
I agree totaly with Elaine - I'd be silly not to, warming the food a little, stimulates the taste buds it works - if you look at bread - it looks okay but you can walk away; look at just out of the oven warm bread you have to have a piece - why because your senses "smell" work in conjuncition with your others and tell your you are hungry.
Works for cats too. Slightly warmed is great.
He needs to eat though, because as you know his body cannot tolerate periods of not eating as well as it could.
Sardines warmed smell nice, gets them eating again as does I have found lamb - grilled/roasted whatever smells. Do you feed his chicken still warm?

Also I always added a little extra water to all food to keep fluid levels up and would recomend this to everyone even kittens as I think it would help prevent the onset of kidney disease. But I have no proof justa gut feeling.

Raising the food bowl also helps more than you first think.

But even though the kitten food should be a NO NO I have always been an advocate of the idea eating something is better than eating nothing as you know - eating is the key.None eating in my opinion is worse than eating the "wrong" things. So if he wil eat kitten food try that.

He is your cat and Elaine has said learn what you can but most of all REMEMBER no one knows his as well as you do and use your common sense. to his best interest.
Try some packet foods with gravy - my old lady Cleo was 24 when she was PTS from old age but she had CRF too and adored Whiskas Oh So Fishy/Meaty worked for us just added warm water to stimulate her taste buds.

The key is learn what you can but take what you consider to be best - lots of vets recommend the special food and it works for lots of cats, but I have always been onf the belief every cat is different so sometimes you have to think outside the box, and step outside it.

Keys.
Raise food slightly. I food an argos catalogue x 2 under the dish the right height
Warm food slighly. Adding much needed fluid to it about a tablespoon or two see what you think?
Any food eaten in my opnion is good food.
Time, I also found sitting with Oz in particular helped him eat. He may have ignored what was on his dish but always wanted what I was eating
The slippery Elm Bark - worked for many people incliuding Elaine and can't hurt.

I wish you all the best and sitting here reminds me of the constant worry and tummy churning concern that is iving with a cat with Renal problems. I do hope he is eating by the time you read this. Take care and we do need t know his name.

Karen

[AnnShoebridge]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will most definitely NOT be buying kitten food for Tigs (there you are Karen ).

I am, however, a little confused. Some of you mention CRF. I've been told that Tigs has 'slight' renal insufficiency. Is this just the early stages of CRF? Or is all renal insufficiency CRF?

Tigs is our fourth cat, although the other three have, over the years, passed away. He's very much the love of my life.

I will try some of the suggestions and let you know how we get on. He did eat some of his meat this morning.

Ann

[Elaine]

Excellent post Karen, thankyou. xxx

If you have been told Tigs has slight renal insufinciency, that would indicate to me that his kidney values are slightly elevated. CRF (chronic renal failure) and renal insuficiency are all in all the same thing.
What this means is that there is ongoing damage and eventual loss of sufficient nefrons(Definition: small tube in kidney: a fine tubule in the kidneys of vertebrates that filters and excretes waste materials from the blood and produces urine)
for the developement of CRF. Clinical signs of CRF are not usually apparent until three quarters of the total number of nefrons have been destroyed, so the process may continue over many months or years, by the time signs do apear, the condition is well advanced.
Can I ask when Tigs was blood tested? Was it a routine blood test given his age or did you feel that all was not well with Tigs?