She does not like Hills KD very much...

[myrnafaye]

Mittens is 12 and we are watching her kidneys.. BUN and Creatinine are normal, but once or twice, here SDMA was elevated one point. We just keep an eye on this. In the meantime, she is very petite - about 7.5 lbs - and is not a good drinker either. So no matter how good the KD might be for her, if she is not liking it, it is not doing her much good, especially as her stools tend to be small and hard.

Am looking for suggestions. The other companies that make kidkey formulas put carageenan in their food, and I try to avoid this. Am thinking of switching her over to ID. ...she will eat that! also FYI she is on a probiotic and pumpkin.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If Mittens' kidney values are in the normal range, and the SDMA is just one point elevated, do not bother with the KD food. Most of the prescription foods for cat with kidney disease may be lower in phosphorus, which tends to be one of the issues with kidney troubles, they also tend to be lower in protein. More recent studies have shown lower protein is of no benefit to older cats, much less ones with kidney disease - which yours apparently does not have yet anyway. And tbh, most cats do not like the kidney prescription foods for the most part - so no surprise about Mittens' feelings about it!! .

Your best bet is canned food for the added moisture. You can look at the food chart on Tanya's website for foods that are lower in phosphorus, without necessarily sacrificing protein. Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease- Canned Food Data USA (felinecrf.org).

If Mittens doesn't like canned food, you can try adding some water to dry food for the added liquid benefit it will provide. The moisture is the key to helping 'delay' or minimize kidney issues - and, to address hard stools. Tuna 'juice' in water to entice her to drink more and water fountains are other options. There are some enticers to add to water if you look them up on the internet.

 

[myrnafaye]

Hi, FeebysOwner. Mittens likes canned food. We have a Maiu fountain - I have 2 other cats - and she is the only one who never uses it. Cats! I will look to see what can entice her. I did have some kind of product to pour over the food that came in pouches - it did nothing.

Just out of curiousity, what SHOULD an older cat with KIdney issues have? Lower phosphorus only?

I have another cat Yuki, with cystic kidneys - my vet wants him on KD.

 

[FeebysOwner]

From what little I do know, polycystic cats are treated much in the same way as cats with other kidney diseases, so it would stand to reason the vet would suggest KD for Yuki as well. The biggest factor is hydration in either case.

I can't say that phosphorus is the only element to be concerned about, but it seems to be the 'leading' issue with cats with CKD. Other toxins can build up as a cat's kidney function declines, but so far it doesn't sound like Mittens needs much other than monitoring via Chemistry blood panels to see what elements change over time for her.

The web site I provided a link to above for the cat foods, is an excellent, albeit detailed, source of data to read - it is seriously in depth, and nearly mind boggling with so much information, but it would be a good resource to better understanding CKD in general. There is a specific area on the web site that discusses polycystic kidney disease. That might be a good place to start. Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Causes of CKD (felinecrf.org).

The overall web site URL is Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat (felinecrf.org). It is a tough, thorough, and long, long read, requiring multiple re-reads, but tbh, it is worth it and can always be recalled when you need to 're-digest' things. The more you get familiar with it, the easier it is to go back and refresh yourself with information.

 

[myrnafaye]

Yuki's cysts were diagnosed when he was..maybe a year. He has ultrasounds every 6 months and has remained stable. He is a very healthy drinker. So that is good. And he eats his KD - mostly. I looked over Tanya's guide - the food section - and most of the foods that would be best for Mittens seem to either be out of stock, or they have ingredients that I wonder about - such as the carageenan that is in Royal Canin and Purina. I dont want to trade one problem for another.And yes, the Tanya article is quite overwhelming, albeit helpful. Then there is the issue as follows: Yuki is on KD, BInx is in ID (for no solid reason other than when I adopted him a year ago, he had some transiert GI upset...the feline speciality clinic put him on ID and he has remained on ID. I think I need to arrange for a consult with my vet. Three different cat foods is...a lot to unpack.

 

[FeebysOwner]

At this juncture, to help with all the foods for your cats - feed Mittens the ID if she will eat it. At least that way, you have two cats on one food. Worth a try. Mittens seems to be 'in a good way' otherwise.