Diet for chronic kidney disease and diabetes?

Is anyone dealing with diabetes, or diabetes in remission, and chronic kidney disease (CKD)? If so what food do you feed your cat? Also what stage of CKD is your cat?

My cat was on a high protein, grain free diet due to *previously* having diabetes. He was just diagnosed a few weeks ago with advanced/end stage CKD, but is happy and mostly asymptomatic so far except for weight loss and mouth pain. I am concerned about the diabetes returning due to the low protein prescription kidney food he just started. He needs high protein to keep the diabetes in remission (I assume) but low protein for his failing kidneys (although I've found there is some debate on this). I would love to hear what others in this situation feed their cats. Thanks!

 

Hi, Morganna, and welcome to you and your kitty.

Depending on the CKD stage it may be necessary to focus more on your kitty's kidney needs and to adjust any necessary diabetes treatment around the CKD requirements. My understanding is that the low protein foods may be more appropriate for kitties in later stages. My little one was diagnosed early stage II while she was in remission. She has since fallen out of remission but I haven't changed her food from what she was eating prior to Dx (don't have much choice since she has chronic pancreatitis and there's only one food she can eat consistently). I do add aluminium hydroxide binder to her food because it's high in phosphorus. I also give her omega 3 and B-vitamin supplements. She's on anti-nausea meds for the pancreatitis already but I do give her famotidine when required if she needs a little extra help with GI discomfort.

There's a very good support group on Yahoo:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Feline-CRF-Support/info

All things feline CRF (plus a link to another support group) can be found at Tanya's Site (felinecrf.org - do a web search for Tanya's Site and keep trying the link if it doesn't work first go; sometimes it's tricky to access the site - but it's a goldmine of information when you get there!)


Mogs
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I would just go with low phosphorus food or use a phosphorous binder if blood values indicate that phosphorous is too high

 

My Neko has CKD, stage 3. We just started fluids. She's on low carb/low phosphorus raw food. The premix I use to make some of her food has calcium carbonate it in, which is also a phosphorus binder. The raw helps keep her weight up, as it's a high quality protein. One of our members here made a list of low carb food under 1% phosphorus, for foods available in North America.

 

Thank you all very much! I'm considering my options, trying to decide how best to feed my kitty. He's stage 4, just diagnosed. Has been doing very well until just recently. He was pretty asymptomatic when he was diagnosed a month ago, just a little weight loss and had been eating slowly. The last couple of days however he has seemed like he's not feeling as well, he's getting harder to feed. We give him sub cu fluids every other day and I try to feed him as much of the prescription food as he'll eat, plus some of his old wet food mixed in as a treat to entice him. I'll look into that list above and see what low carb/low phosphorus food I can find for him to mix with the prescription stuff. I'm also going to a different vet to get a second opinion as far as diet.

 

I don't know if you have seen this site, but it has tons of info on CKD .....including diet and the newest research.

http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm

 

@Morganna

Be sure to let us know how things go with the vets. If you join the Yahoo group they might be able to give you helpful advice on diet.


Mogs
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This is a great list for diabetic/ckd cats