Weight loss in elderly cat with CKD

Published on: November 26, 2024 • By: LaBella · In Forum: Cats

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LaBella

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November 26, 2024 at 06:12pm

Seeking urgent food / weight loss advice for my senior cat with early stage of CKD. Long post ahead. Main points... what food can I feed my cat with early CKD to help her gain weight without harming her liver or kidneys? I am struggling with multiple vets who just say to “feed her the renal food”. There is never an alternative, and there is never education about why I can’t feed her other foods in addition to renal food. (I’ve had to do my own research). Vets appear hyper-focused on renal food without any alternative and my cat is losing significant weight because she just won’t eat it. My beautiful 19-year-old cat is in stage 1 renal failure. My main question for this post is food related… please read on to fully understand Bella’s situation and question (thank you!). Her last blood test stats are: SDMA Kidneys (Normal range: 0-14) – Bella is 15 CREA Creatine (Normal range: 71-212) – Bella is 213 ALT Liver (Normal range: 12-130) – Bella is high at 153 Her readings are low in the abnormal range at this point and her liver reading is elevated. She has been on a renal based diet since her last test (for a year now), and she does not eat all of her vet prescribed food. I have tried every vet prescribed option: Royal Canine – Early renal Royal Canine – Renal Hills – Renal Purina Pro – Renal She likes the taste of them all but will rarely eat a full sachet and will only eat “more” when I replace it (typical cat). She gets fed 2 pouches a day and has unlimited access to renal dry food, which she rarely eats too. Has access to running water and drinks plenty. She also has the additional tuna loin as a treat on occasion as she loves it. The issue is, she is all skin and bone because of the lack of food. She has an appetite; she’ll eat every piece of the tuna, so appetite is not the issue. But the vets are not helpful, they just say to keep “feeding her the renal food”. But Bella wants chicken and wants fish! I’ve tried blending her food to a paste, adding tuna and chicken to her renal food – if the renal food is with it, she will rarely eat it. I only understand the food requirements for cats with CKD because of my own research, NOT because the vets I see go into detail. I understand about high quality crude protein, low phosphorus, low sodium, vitamins etc. But my cat is not eating the food! And my vets are not helping! (I’ve seen multiple other vets, change vets, and it seems the same issue no matter where I go). However, I am not a veterinarian and really need a simple solution. I don’t want to make her kidney and liver worse by feeding her food from the supermarket, but on occasion (out of desperation to get her to eat a full meal to stop her from losing weight) I’ve given her Applaws Chicken and rice and the tuna loin and she eats them all and links the bowl! She has an appetite, she just dislikes the renal foods available. My main question is... - What food in addition to her renal food can I give her to gain some weight? And not harm her in the process. I want her to be happy, healthy and full! She’s so very skinny now :(

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LaBella

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November 26, 2024 at 06:22pm

Seeking urgent food / weight loss advice for my senior cat with early stage of CKD. Long post ahead. Main points... what food can I feed my cat with early CKD to help her gain weight without harming her liver or kidneys. I am struggling with multiple vets who just say to “feed her the renal food”. There is never an alternative, and there is never education about why I can’t feed her other foods in addition to renal food. (I’ve had to do my own research). Vets appear hyper-focused on renal food without any alternative and my cat is losing significant weight because she just won’t eat it. My beautiful 19-year-old cat is in stage 1 renal failure. My main question for this post is food related… please read on to fully understand Bella’s situation and question (thank you!). Her last blood test stats are: SDMA Kidneys (Normal range: 0-14) – Bella is 15 CREA Creatine (Normal range: 71-212) – Bella is 213 ALT Liver (Normal range: 12-130) – Bella is high at 153 Her readings are low in the abnormal range at this point and her liver reading is elevated. She has been on a renal based diet since her last test (for a year now), and she does not eat all of her vet prescribed food. I have tried every vet prescribed option: Royal Canine – Early renal Royal Canine – Renal Hills – Renal Purina Pro – Renal She likes the taste of them all but will rarely eat a full sachet and will only eat “more” when I replace it (typical cat). She gets fed 2 pouches a day and has unlimited access to renal dry food, which she rarely eats too. Has access to running water and drinks plenty. She also has the additional tuna loin as a treat on occasion as she loves it. The issue is, she is all skin and bone because of the lack of food. She has an appetite; she’ll eat every piece of the tuna, so appetite is not the issue. But the vets are not helpful, they just say to keep “feeding her the renal food”. But Bella wants chicken and wants fish! I’ve tried blending her food to a paste, adding tuna and chicken to her renal food – if the renal food is with it, she will rarely eat it. I only understand the food requirements for cats with CKD because of my own research, NOT because the vets I see go into detail. I understand about high quality crude protein, low phosphorus, low sodium, vitamins etc. But my cat is not eating the food! And my vets are not helping! (I’ve seen multiple other vets, change vets, and it seems the same issue no matter where I go). However, I am not a veterinarian and really need a simple solution. I don’t want to make her kidney and liver worse by feeding her food from the supermarket, but on occasion (out of desperation to get her to eat a full meal to stop her from losing weight) I’ve given her Applaws Chicken and rice and the tuna loin and she eats them all and links the bowl! She has an appetite, she just dislikes the renal foods available. My main question is... What food in addition to her renal food can I give her to gain some weight? And not harm her in the process? I want her to be happy, healthy and full! She’s so very skinny now :(

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LaBella

Participant

November 26, 2024 at 06:31pm

I have no idea why my text is all scrambled... hopefully this works. Seeking urgent food / weight loss advice for my senior cat with early stage of CKD. Long post ahead. Main points... what food can I feed my cat with early CKD to help her gain weight without harming her liver or kidneys. I am struggling with multiple vets who just say to “feed her the renal food”. There is never an alternative, and there is never education about why I can’t feed her other foods in addition to renal food. (I’ve had to do my own research). Vets appear hyper-focused on renal food without any alternative and my cat is losing significant weight because she just won’t eat it. My beautiful 19-year-old cat is in stage 1 renal failure. My main question for this post is food related… please read on to fully understand Bella’s situation and question (thank you!). Her last blood test stats are: SDMA Kidneys (Normal range: 0-14) – Bella is 15 CREA Creatine (Normal range: 71-212) – Bella is 213 ALT Liver (Normal range: 12-130) – Bella is high at 153 Her readings are low in the abnormal range at this point and her liver reading is elevated. She has been on a renal based diet since her last test (for a year now), and she does not eat all of her vet prescribed food. I have tried every vet prescribed option: Royal Canine – Early renal Royal Canine – Renal Hills – Renal Purina Pro – Renal She likes the taste of them all but will rarely eat a full sachet and will only eat “more” when I replace it (typical cat). She gets fed 2 pouches a day and has unlimited access to renal dry food, which she rarely eats too. Has access to running water and drinks plenty. She also has the additional tuna loin as a treat on occasion as she loves it. The issue is, she is all skin and bone because of the lack of food. She has an appetite; she’ll eat every piece of the tuna, so appetite is not the issue. But the vets are not helpful, they just say to keep “feeding her the renal food”. But Bella wants chicken and wants fish! I’ve tried blending her food to a paste, adding tuna and chicken to her renal food – if the renal food is with it, she will rarely eat it. I only understand the food requirements for cats with CKD because of my own research, NOT because the vets I see go into detail. I understand about high quality crude protein, low phosphorus, low sodium, vitamins etc. But my cat is not eating the food! And my vets are not helping! (I’ve seen multiple other vets, change vets, and it seems the same issue no matter where I go). However, I am not a veterinarian and really need a simple solution. I don’t want to make her kidney and liver worse by feeding her food from the supermarket, but on occasion (out of desperation to get her to eat a full meal to stop her from losing weight) I’ve given her Applaws Chicken and rice and the tuna loin and she eats them all and links the bowl! She has an appetite, she just dislikes the renal foods available. My main question is... What food in addition to her renal food can I give her to gain some weight? And not harm her in the process? I want her to be happy, healthy and full! She’s so very skinny now :(

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