diabetic/kidney disease diet

Hi all- i am brand new here...mom to Abby 16 years old- just diagnosed with feline diabetes and kidney disease- stage 2. My question regards diet- diabetes needs high protein and kidney disease needs low protein. The vet wants me to give her Science Diet k/d. The ingredient list does NOT sound healthy to me. Pork liver and corn flour-yuk! I know that Science Diet gives the vets incentives to sell their product and i am not under the illusion that Veterinary Science is about ONLY helping our animals and I know its about making money as well. ANyway, no more ranting about that. is there a healthy alternative to these "prescribed" diets that is available in a really good pet store? i read online that the issue with high protein diets in kidney disease is more about the phospherous (SP?) than the protein. ANy advice about any nonpresciption healthy canned cat food would be welcome! Thanks!

 

Hi Abbysmom

welcome to the FDMB. I'm sorry about the two dx's.
I'm no too familiar with kidney issues, but will pass along to you Dr Lisa's Feline Nutrition link...if you scroll down the main page, she does mention kidney disease and diet. Dr Lisa's Feline Nutrition

I know there are quite a few members with experience in this, and hopefully they will stop by.

 

My Stormy Blue is a diet controlled diabetic with CRD, (we have never discussed what "stage" he is in). He receives a diet of canned Evo Cat & Kitten, canned Evo 95% chicken % Turkey, and occasionally the 95% beef, or 95% venison. All of the above are low in phosphorous content AND carb content. His kidney values have actually marginally improved over the last 12 months on this diet. His vets have no issue with what I am feeding him seeing as how it is working so well. He has also been off if insulin now for 13 months. He also receives 50ml of LR subQ once daily.

~M

 

Hi. I am running off to work, but I have a lot of great CRF links in my signature. I also talk about balancing both diseases. I successfully did that with Spader who lived for four years with CRF and FD and passed away at 21.

I'll check back later.

 

Hi! I'm not an expert, but I've done a lot of research on this subject because of my own cats, one with kidney disease and one with diabetes. There are a few foods both of mine can eat.

There's a lot of debate about the low protein/low phosphorus issue for cats with kidney disease. I made the decision not to put my Gabby (She has Stage 1 kidney disease) on a low protein diet despite my vet's recommendation, because it's also been shown to cause muscle wasting in older cats. And Gabby HATED the food. I can tell you that after 6 months on a low phosphorus diet, the vet found no further loss in her kidney function. Low protein diets are usually recommended for late stage CRF cats. With Abby's diabetes, I would probably not put her on the high carb/low protein kidney diet, but instead try to limit her phosphorus.

The best food I could recommend for you would be Wellness Turkey. It's low in carbs and in phosphorus, and it's what I freeze and put in my autofeeders when I can't be around to make sure both cats eat their designated low phos, low carb diets. It also has high quality protein (no byproducts), which is easier on Gabby's kidneys. Petguard Chicken and Beef has no by products and low phosphorus, but is slightly higher in carbs than you should have for a diabetic cat (14%). But, it's just really important that the cat eats, so 14% isn't awful if she won't eat anything else.

There are also a few flavors of Friskies that are low carb/low phosphorus, but they contain byproducts. These are Special Diet Turkey and Giblets, Special Diet Beef & Chicken, Special Diet Salmon, and Special Diet Beef & Liver. I feed Gabby half the Friskies flavors, and half Petguard. She's not diabetic, but since the friskies are about 3-4% carbs, it averages out the Petguard, so she's still getting less than 10% carbs, and at least half of her food has no byproducts.

Again, these are just my recommendations, based on what worked for my cats. Good luck in finding a low phosphorus food that Abby likes!

 

Lots of useful links given already.
When Tom was diagnosed we removed all fish from diet and switched to low phosporus chicken and turkey.
We also started adding water to the food so it is soupy now.

Vet and I have had discussion on reducing protein but from all my conversations here, I opted against that right now. Low protein usually means high carb too. My vet is supportive, she has noted that Tom is doing good, and we are monitoring.

Oh and Tom had a dental. Bad teeth are hard on kidneys.