CRF Cat can't keep weight on

I have a CRFcat that has been struggling to keep weight on. He is on Hill's KD diet and Royal Canin dry food for kidneys. The soft food that he is on, I think, is making his stools very soft and was I wondering if anyone would know if the pumpkin would be good for him on that account and not hurt him because of the CRF issues.

Bxmt54 said:

I have a CRFcat that has been struggling to keep weight on. He is on Hill's KD diet and Royal Canin dry food for kidneys. The soft food that he is on, I think, is making his stools very soft and was I wondering if anyone would know if the pumpkin would be good for him on that account and not hurt him because of the CRF issues.

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hi and welcome to TCS!

i have experience with Chronic Kidney Disease. may i ask -- how old is your boy? how long has he had CKD? do you know what stage of CKD?

i would suggest discussing with your vet anything you'd like to try, before trying it. it's very important that you and your vet work together in caring for your boy and treating his CKD. also, your vet should have all the info so s/he's able to take everything into consideration as treatment continues. having had a cat who had CKD, i consulted with my vet about everything. you might call your vet and ask about trying pumpkin.

plain (100% pure, no other ingredients added) canned pumpkin actually can help to either soften too dry stools or to firm up too soft /runny stools. i would say that in my experience, it depends on the particular cat whether the pumpkin softens or firms up their stools. i've found that the best approach is to start out giving kitty just a very small amount, and see how that goes -- if kitty likes the taste of it (many or most cats do), and if the stools seem to soften or firm up at all. a vet of mine years ago always recommended to start anything like this kind of thing out in small amounts, partly because there could be the possibility of a negative reaction of some sort or another.

years ago, the same vet of mine recommended plain/unflavored metamucil to help firm up too soft/runny stools. it's the fiber in the metamucil that firmed up the stools. this was very effective for my two cats. i just mixed the doses into their wet/canned food. again, you'd want to discuss this with your vet before trying it. and you'll need to know the appropriate dose for your cats weight and taking into account his condition.