Best feline renal food?

sleepymy

My (nearly 17yr old) cat was diagnosed with CRF just over a year ago. He's been fine on Royal Canin renal food up until lately but now seems to be getting very fussy with it. He seems to want a different flavour with every meal which just isn't an option. He also has an inflammatory stomach condition so I have to be doubly careful what I feed him.

I'm considering changing his brand of renal food and was wondering what other people's experiences were with different brands and general feeding of renal kittys?

Fire_Fox

There is chap over on the Purrsinourhearts forums who has experience of cats with renal failure and is also studying towards an animal science degree, might be worth running a search.

KVet

Hils K/D is good and im positive Eukanuba + Purina do a kidney diet as well. It is good to persevere with a diet as studies have shown that changing to a kidney diet anprolong their lives twice as long as cats not on a special renal diet. Plus diet alone can carry them on for ages before drugs like ACEi are needed.

sleepymy

KVet wrote: »

Hils K/D is good and im positive Eukanuba + Purina do a kidney diet as well. It is good to persevere with a diet as studies have shown that changing to a kidney diet anprolong their lives twice as long as cats not on a special renal diet. Plus diet alone can carry them on for ages before drugs like ACEi are needed.

He's on 2.5mg of fortekor as well. Tbh I sometimes wonder if it's true CRF or caused by a combination of being a poor drinker and previously being on cimetidine for the stomach condition. His renal levels had improved after changing him to zantac. He had a bad crash last spring, they thought it was a stroke but I think his legs gave way and he hit his head on the way down. He's had a murmur since then so the fortekor doubles up for him.

KVet

sleepymy wrote: »

He's on 2.5mg of fortekor as well. Tbh I sometimes wonder if it's true CRF or caused by a combination of being a poor drinker and previously being on cimetidine for the stomach condition. His renal levels had improved after changing him to zantac. He had a bad crash last spring, they thought it was a stroke but I think his legs gave way and he hit his head on the way down. He's had a murmur since then so the fortekor doubles up for him.

Hmm I don't think the cimetidine would have caused it really. Z|antac is pretty safe and is good to give renal kitties as they may suffer upset tums/ulceration of the GI from the uraemia.

sleepymy

Yeah, I know I can't be sure about it. I just wonder sometimes as cimetidine can raise the creatine levels and his problems didn't start until after he started on it. He's always had a dodgy tummy, which got a lot worse after a course of oral antibiotics. Poor old thing, it's a constant balancing act trying to keep everything under control. He won't drink independently at all these days so I even have to control his fluid intake. The zantac does really agree with him thankfully & he has a good quality of life in between his flare ups.

Bunnygirl

We found out 2 years ago now my cat wont eat the kidney food. The only one she does eat is one from zoo plus Kattovit Low Protein. But at the moment she has a paste that we add to her food twice a day she then can eat any food she wants. She is 19 now and doing really well she just loves to eat.

sleepymy

Thanks bunnygirl, can I ask what the paste is?

KVet

I'm guessing she means Renalzin - phosphate binder. Not needed by all kidney cats and doesnt mean that she can eat anything. It can only be used if your cat has raised phosphate levels

Bunnygirl

Yes it is renalzin I wasjust going by what my vet told me. At the end of the day my cat would not eat the renal food at all. My vet said we need to get her to eat so thats why she was put on renalzin. We mix it with felix senior food (has reduced phosphorus) she has never been better in herself. If your cat will eat renal food keep feeding it him as that seems to work for you.

http://www.renalzin.co.uk/

sleepymy

Thanks guys, I'm doing everything I can to keep him on the renal food. He seems to be recovering his appetite a bit for it so hopefully he'll get back to normal feeds soon.