Kidney Diseases
Cats are affected by a variety of kidney diseases that can be treated in the early stages by cat medication or diet change. Some of the most common diseases include chronic renal failure, urinary tract infections and urinary stones.
Characteristics of Kidney Disease Prescription Diet
Cats on a kidney disease prescription diet have different nutritional needs than normal cats. Kidney disease limits the function of your cat's kidneys, so a proper diet increases the bio-availability of your cat's food, reducing the amount of waste products created as a result of poor digestion.
Kidney disease makes proteins difficult to break down, and causes waste products like urea to enter the bloodstream. A kidney disease diet contains less protein than a normal cat food formula does, which prevents uremia. Additionally, lowering the amount of protein decreases the amount of protein metabolism residue.
The disease also affects the balance of electrolytes in your sick cat's system. By lowering sodium and phosphorus, your cat's prescription diet can help to correct the balance of electrolytes.
Brands of Feline Kidney Disease Food
There are a number of prescription diets on the market that your vet may recommend for your sick cat. Because low protein foods are less palatable than normal food, in addition to the fact that most cats are finicky eaters that don't like having their diet changed, it may be difficult to find an option that will make both you and your cat happy. Most foods come with a canned and a dry option, which should help in the search for a better meal.
Some of the most popular varieties of feline kidney disease prescription food are Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Multi-Stage Renal Formula, Hi-Tor Canned Neo-Diet Feline Canned Kidney Diet, Hill's Prescription Diet Feline k/d and Iams Veterinary Formulas Renal Multi-Stage Renal Diet.
There are also options from Medi-Cal, with its Feline Reduced Protein formula, Purina, with the Kidney Function Bran formula, and from Royal, with the Royal Canine Veterinary Diet.
Getting Your Cat to Eat
One of the biggest obstacles with feline medication in the form of diet is that reducing protein reduces flavor. Cats that are already feeling poorly will lack the appetite that would otherwise drive them to eat.
Some of the best ways to encourage your cat to eat include warming the food in the microwave to make it more aromatic for your cat, and to mix different foods together. This also aids in the transition from normal cat food to prescription cat food, as a gradual change will help your cat adjust. Using liquid from a can of sardines with the food can also make your cat more likely to eat.