High Calorie Supplements or foods for Sick cat?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by kse, May 15, 2012.

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  1. kse

    kse Well-Known Member

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    Feb 10, 2011
    My cat, Kitty, has been very sick with many conditions over the last 2 months-- heart failure, stage 2 kidney disease, and severe acute Ptitis. She has been in ICU twice. She has lost 2 pounds over the period, and is down to 6.8 pounds. I have been giving her an appetite stimulant, as she has eaten very little. She is just starting to eat on her on again without the stimulant-- and she is eating much better. But, she is very weak from the weight loss. Can anyone recommend any supplements or high calorie foods that I can give her to help put weight on or give her more energy. She is 16.5 years old, so age is working against her also! She seems better, but just very weak.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Julia & Bandit (GA)

    Julia & Bandit (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    There are several high calorie Wellness and EVO foods (I used Wellness Kitten to keep weight on my Gabby when she was losing weight because of stomach cancer). However, I believe cats with pancreatitis usually need to avoid high fat foods, and high cal, low carb foods are usually high in fat.

    I would actually recommend Hills canned A/D or PetGuard Chicken and Beef. Both are high calorie, and lower in fat than the Wellness and EVO foods. They are both around 13-14% carbs, so if diabetes is also in the mix I would suggest some different low carb, low phosphorus foods and suggest you try and increase the amount of food she's eating per day using various tricks. If diabetes isn't an issue then don't worry about it.

    The PetGuard Chicken and Beef is also very low phosphorus, so it is good to feed with the kidney disease, and it's cheaper than the Hills, so I would try and find that if you can: http://www.petguard.com/cat-products/canned-food/new-chicken-and-beef-dinner. I used to special order it by the case from the local organic co-op grocery that carried other PetGuard flavors but not that one. You may need to hunt around a little and ask a few places if they would be willing to order it for you. Local organic food stores or pet food stores are your best bet in finding it or finding a place that will order it in for you. You can always order from petfooddirect, too: http://www.petfooddirect.com/Search/Petguard/Category/Cat, but it will be cheaper for you if you can get a store to do it. The Hills A/D is not as low in phosphorus as the PetGuard chicken and beef and has lower quality ingredients (and is pricier), but it's still in an acceptable phosphorus range for a CKD kitty so it's a good second choice.

    Let me know if you're also dealing with diabetes, and I'll make some different food suggestions.

    Edit: I just took a closer look and see that she's on Prozinc. So I would actually suggest the Merrick's Cowboy Cookout, Grammy's Pot Pie, and Surf and Turf instead, because they are all low fat, low carb, low phosphorus. They aren't as high in calories as the others, but you can try to compensate for this by encouraging her to eat more. Spreading out meals frequently throughout the day is a good way of doing this (6-8 times a day, or as frequently as you can. They don't have to be exactly evenly spaced apart). The high protein in these foods should also help with her weak muscles.

    You could also feed the higher carb foods temporarily and try to compensate with insulin, and then switch to the lower carb foods once she's put some weight back on. It really depends on how badly you think she needs to put weight back on.
     
  3. kse

    kse Well-Known Member

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    Feb 10, 2011
    Thanks, Julia! Yes, Diabetes is in the mix! I think she has about everything diagnosable.
     
  4. carolynandlatte

    carolynandlatte Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Hi there! I had a cat who had arf/ckd, pancreatitis, ibd/lymphoma, and diabetes. Eating was a pretty big issue (or not eating, I should say). Of course we want to feed the most perfect food in order to not aggravate any of the dis-ease processes. Unfortunately, I do not think that perfect food is out there, when dealing with multiple issues. The main concern is getting them to eat, period!

    Some of the foods that worked for us included (higher fat/higher calorie/grain free):
    Wellness Chicken
    Wellness Turkey
    Wellness Core
    Evo (wet and dry)
    Instinct (wet and dry)
    Lots of extra treats
    Baby food (meat only/gerbers) both as 'treats' and sometimes meals, if refusing everything else.
    Rotissere Chicken (no skin)

    If there is concern about phosphorus due to the kidney issues, you can add a phosphorus binder in any food.

    You could also look into clinicare. It's a liquid supplement, most often used in feeding tubes. At times I had been tempted to get a can or two (VERY EXPENSIVE), and mix it in with the wet food instead of water. I never did, however. Your vet might have some, or at least access to ordering some. Here is some information on it:
    http://www.abbottanimalhealth.com/veterinary-professionals/products/nutritionals/clinicare-rf.html
    *Not sure of the carb content, but there is a link with nutritional value in the above page. I think you can figure it out since they list the "as fed" values.*

    I am glad to hear your cat is starting to eat more on her own. Have you been giving anything for upset tummy? Like pepcid or ondansetron?

    I hope she continues to show improvement!
     
  5. Julia & Bandit (GA)

    Julia & Bandit (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I edited my response above to include some additional advice because of the diabetes....it's a tough decision. Higher carbs might mess with her diabetes, but it will allow her to gain weight more quickly. The lower carb foods might be more slow working if she's not eating as much as you want her to, but it won't negatively affect the diabetes. As Carolyn mentioned, you could also try the higher fat, higher cal Wellness foods suggested, and see if it causes her pancreatitis to flare, and if it doesn't, stick with those foods. And I second that getting her to eat, regardless of what you want her to eat, is the most important thing. You can try and pick a good food for her, but if she refuses it you'll have to try something else.
     
  6. nwnews

    nwnews Member

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    Dec 11, 2011
    Kitty and my cat Sitka sound like they can form the "amazing cat club" - Sitka's got inflammatory bowel disease, stage 2 ckd, hypothyroid, seizures, and diabetes. I'm amazed that they are both still breathing LOL. Anyway, I have a constant battle to keep Sitka's weight up and whats been working lately is Royal Canin Recovery. It does have 8% carbs (not great but not terrible either) but its low in phosphorus so suitable for both conditions. Its also apparently pretty tasty cause Sitka eats it without too much coaxing (unfortunately my civvies think its pretty swell too so have to watch Sitka eat so they don't horn in). Hoping Kitty feels better soon. Jan
     
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