Purchasing CKD/renal/kidney support diet by the can?

[KJIA]

My 17 year old kitty has recently begun showing signs of chronic kidney disease, and our veterinarian has suggested we try switching to a prescription diet that supports kidney function. The vet kindly provided us a few cans of Hills Science Diet k/d to try, and said if my cat enjoyed it they could order us more. If she did not like it, there are other brands we can try but they don't keep single cans of those at the clinic. So far, my cat is skeptical of the new food. I did try the Weruva Wx Phosphorus Focused non-prescription food, which she LOVES. If I mix it half and half with the prescription food, she begrudgingly eats it. I'm not sure if my veterinarian has heard of the Weruva Wx food, so I plan on asking at our appointment next week if that would be appropriate instead of the Hills Prescription food.

I've tried looking online for other prescription brands kidney support food, and many places it seems there is a minimum purchase for prescription foods. I'm happy to try a couple different brands to see what my cat would prefer, but I would hate to order a whole case if she completely dislikes it. Does anyone know of places that I can purchase only a few cans of prescription food instead of an entire case? It'd be nice to try a few different brands, flavors, and textures to see what my cat prefers, and then order a case from there.

Thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know if boutique pet food stores are able to get prescription foods in smaller quantities, so I think your only option might be to ask your vet if they'd consider purchasing some and breaking the case to offer to their customers.

I did try the Weruva Wx Phosphorus Focused non-prescription food, which she LOVES.

When you talk with your vet be sure and tell her that the AAFCO required Weruva to put the statement on the cans regarding it not being a complete food because the phosphorus is so low, but all the other ingredients in the food meet their standards.

Is Low phosphorus food bad for Kittens? In this thread, the discussion swings more towards the adult cat and I linked to take you to where that begins.

Kidney diet

This site is helpful, it's referred to in the threads I linked above as Tanyas Site, but this is a summary page to start with.
felinecrf.org Just Diagnosed What You Need To Know First

 

[KJIA]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm actually okay paying for 2-3 cases as a one time expense to find my cats preference, but I don't want the food to go to waste. I had thought I could donate to a shelter but I'm not sure they would want prescription food. You mentioning the other customers gave me a thought - I'll ask if the vet is willing to break up a case for other customers, and if not, maybe I can donate it there. I'm sure there will be future customers in the same boat that they would be able to provide a few cans here and there.

Thank you for the links as well! I have read about the Weruva/AAFCO issue and will definitely make sure to let my vet know. I also have been to Tanya's website. So much valuable information, but I'm just trying to process it slowly so as not to get too overwhelmed. My cat is my first pet that I have ever had, so I am grieving a bit that she's starting to show her age. Just taking it one small step at a time, and reminding myself to enjoy our moments together right now.