Homemade Diet for CKD Cat - Need Help with Protein and Phosphorus Reduction

[Puss in Boots]

Hey fellow cat enthusiasts,

I just joined the forum and hope you're all doing well. I find myself in a bit of a predicament regarding my beloved 4-year-old female cat who has recently been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. I've been feeding her Royal Canin renal wet food for the past few weeks. However, this food is becoming quite the challenge to locate in local shops around my area, not to mention the strain it's putting on my wallet. On top of that, my kitty has developed quite a discerning palate, making this situation even trickier.

Given the circumstances, I've been thinking of the idea of preparing homemade meals for my cat. And I know it requires careful attention to detail, particularly in terms of protein and phosphorus content reduction.

Here's where I could really use your insights and experiences. Have any of you ventured into preparing homemade meals for your CKD cats? If so, could you kindly share your journey and any tips you might have?

One of my main concerns is finding ways to cook meat and fish in a manner that reduces their protein and phosphorus levels. I'm curious if any of you have come across cooking techniques or recipes that could help achieve this while still keeping the food appealing to our feline friends. Balancing their nutritional needs without compromising on taste is proving to be quite the puzzle.

I'm genuinely appreciative of this community's wealth of knowledge and shared experiences. Our pets mean the world to us, and your advice could make a world of difference in my kitty's health and happiness. Looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - have you looked into Weruva? Their various brands and varieties are low in iodine and phosphorus, with good quantities of protein - you're able to double check everything on their website because they are completely transparent.

Also, there is a variety called Weruva WX, it doesn't require a prescription and other than the phosphorus which is below AAFCO requirements, all the other nutrients meet AAFCO guidelines (AAFCO required them to put a statement that it isn't a complete food, otherwise it would never have made it onto the shelves.)

A side note, if you get a suggestion along the way regarding Purina Hydracare, that is best used for cats with FLUTD and may be too acidifying for kidney kitties.

Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake - TheCatSite

This website felinecrf .org, while it is cram packed with information, has a page for an owner who has just received the diagnosis.
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - What You Need to Know First

The author doesn't recommend home-made food, but does provide indepth information about commercial and prescription foods that are low in phos, et al.
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Diet and Nutrition Overview

I'm going to assume you are in the United States, but this website also includes data from overseas. Scroll down a bit on the page to find the charts;
http://felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm

 

[Puss in Boots]

Hello Furrballsmom,

thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response. I truly appreciate your recommendation regarding Weruva and the insights about their various options. Your suggestion about Weruva WX sounds promising.

The felinecrf.org website, have been incredibly helpful in shedding light on CKD management. Unfortunately, I'm based in South Asia, and the availability of certain brands and therapeutic diets is quite limited here due to import restrictions these days (and that's another reason why I'm actively searching for a home-made alternative). Nevertheless, I'm not giving up in my quest to find the best possible nourishment for my beloved kitty. Your input has been invaluable, and I'm determined to continue seeking out healthier options that are accessible in my region.

Once again, thank you so much for your support and guidance. It means a lot to me and my feline friend

 

[Furballsmom]

I understand.

Two things you might look into is to boil sliced meat, which from what I'm reading reduces phosphorus, and also there are phosphorus binders depending on whether you can obtain them. There are some natural phos binders but I don't know if those work for felines.

Also, the approach has changed regarding protein. It is now suggested to maintain protein intake, --at least until stage 3, I think it is.

The Effect of Various Boiling Conditions on Reduction of Phosphorus and Protein in Meat

Low-Phosphorus Cat Foods for Kidney Disease - Nom Nom.

Quoted from Feeding Cats With Chronic Kidney Disease: Customizing the Nutritional Management Plan

Among nutritional recommendations, the most controversial may be that for protein. Historically, veterinarians were taught to reduce dietary protein upon diagnosing CKD, but that long-held assumption is changing. Without evidence that dietary protein reduction slows progression, the goal should be to feed a level of protein that meets the cat’s needs while minimizing phosphorus. Dietary management alone will not prevent or reverse sarcopenia or cachexia, but calorie and/or protein deficiencies will certainly worsen it.5 Weight loss in cats with CKD is associated with a lower survival rate, which supports the importance of assuring adequate calories and protein intake in addition to phosphorus restriction.

 

[Puss in Boots]

Thank you so much for your continued support and the wealth of information you've shared. I've already looked into boiling methods to reduce phosphorus in meats, and the resource you mentioned is indeed comprehensive and informative. Through some further searching, I managed to find a few more similar papers that I believe will also be quite helpful. Your suggestion regarding phosphorus binders is excellent, and I plan to discuss this option with my veterinarian to determine its suitability for my cat's situation.

Once again, your willingness to share your knowledge and experiences is deeply appreciated. Your guidance serves as a guiding light on this journey to provide the best possible care for my feline companion.

 

[Furballsmom]

Thank you. I believe your cat has one of the best human caretakers she could possibly have found

We're very glad you are here. Let us know how things go for the both of you.

 

[lisahe]

Puss in Boots , I'm sorry to hear your cat's diagnosis but glad to hear your willingness to help her out with food. What Furballsmom writes about protein -- to keep feeding it! -- fits with what learned some years ago when we had a kidney cat.

Fortunately, keeping phosphorus down isn't always difficult. If you make food, one relatively easy way to do that is by using eggshell calcium in the food rather than bone. I say "easy" but I use a premixed supplement (to make nutritionally complete food out of plain meat) that is made in the US. Perhaps there's something similar available where you live? If not, someone else might be able to help you with a recipe that would more or less duplicate that, though.

Did your vet say how advanced your cat's kidney disease is? She's fairly young for kidney disease, it seems, so I'm hoping the disease isn't advanced and reducing her phosphorus intake will help!

 

[Puss in Boots]

Hi lisahe,

I really appreciate your response and the thoughtful words you've shared. It's heartwarming to see such a supportive community here.

The idea of using eggshell calcium instead of bone to manage phosphorus caught my attention. It's worth noting that options here in Sri Lanka are quite limited compared to those in the USA or Europe. However, aluminum hydroxide pills seem to be a relatively available phosphorus binder. I would appreciate your insights and opinions on this matter.

As for my cat's kidney disease, you're right about her age being a concern. The exact cause of my cat's CKD still remains uncertain. The creatinine levels have been a bit of a roller coaster, with a high of 5.03 mg/dL on July 29th (initially 4.63 mg/dL on July 24th, the very first blood test) and a recent drop to 2.9 mg/dL as of August 8th. But monitoring phosphorus isn't as commonly practiced here.

 

[lisahe]

Hi lisahe,

I really appreciate your response and the thoughtful words you've shared. It's heartwarming to see such a supportive community here.

The idea of using eggshell calcium instead of bone to manage phosphorus caught my attention. It's worth noting that options here in Sri Lanka are quite limited compared to those in the USA or Europe. However, aluminum hydroxide pills seem to be a relatively available phosphorus binder. I would appreciate your insights and opinions on this matter.

As for my cat's kidney disease, you're right about her age being a concern. The exact cause of my cat's CKD still remains uncertain. The creatinine levels have been a bit of a roller coaster, with a high of 5.03 mg/dL on July 29th (initially 4.63 mg/dL on July 24th, the very first blood test) and a recent drop to 2.9 mg/dL as of August 8th. But monitoring phosphorus isn't as commonly practiced here.

For better or worse, I don't have any experience using phosphorus binders so can't offer any thoughts on that.

Those creatinine numbers are definitely a roller coaster. I wonder if anything there -- especially that high from July 29 -- is an anomaly. Sometimes cats with raw or especially meaty (high-protein) diets test high for creatinine but test fine for kidney disease using other data. (This has happened with our cats, when they had pre-op blood tests, though unfortunately I don't know what the second test is that the vet ran!) Other things, like dehydration, can affect cats' numbers. It sounds like your cat is being tested a lot: maybe something odd happened and the numbers will continue to come down? I hope so!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If the creatinine was the only kidney value that was raised, I'm wondering if perhaps she had a kidney infection rather that kidney disease? One of my cats had raised creatinine due to a Urinary Tract Infection and once that resolve his creatinine went back down to normal. Additionally I've had three cats who DID have CKD, and none of them ever ate a kidney diet, nor did they ever need phosphorus binders. Those are only needed when the phosphorus levels in their blood get too high, so it does need to be monitored if you use them. With my last kidney cat, I was feeding her raw, and our Vet simply advised to switch to using egg shell powder instead of bone. Everything else stayed the same.

You might be able to use a premix, something like this Feline Instincts CRF My Natural Kidney Support Diet Premix. (this have a comment on their website about shipping to Hong Kong so MAY ship to Sri Lanka) Or this one EZComplete Premix Information has a distributor in Singapore and one in Hong Kong and it says on their website that their product is ok to use for early stage kidney cats.

 

[Puss in Boots]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply mrsgreenjeens,

I really appreciate your suggestions regarding the premix options. I'll definitely look into these, and the hint about potential shipping options to Sri Lanka is quite exciting.

As I have mentioned in a previous reply, monitoring phosphorus isn't a common practice here (idk why). However, I'm going to request a phosphorus test in the upcoming blood work, along with BUN if possible. This will provide a clearer picture of Shellie's condition. For now, following are her creatinine values over the past few weeks.

July 24th	4.63 mg/dl
July 29th	5.03 mg/dl
Aug 03rd	3.30 mg/dl
Aug 08th	2.90 mg/dl
Aug 13th	2.80 mg/dl