? How much Phosphorus is ok?

[Meridith and Zeke]

I have been seeing in different threads when talking about food some of them being too high in Phosphorus. What level should we keep that under, and does homemade food (like the recipe for it on catinfo.org) have that? What I am currently feeding is 307 - 336 mg. I am considering switching over to homemade so really looking into the nutrition part right now.

 

[JanetNJ]

I have been seeing in different threads when talking about food some of them being too high in Phosphorus. What level should we keep that under, and does homemade food (like the recipe for it on catinfo.org) have that? What I am currently feeding is 307 - 336 mg. I am considering switching over to homemade so really looking into the nutrition part right now.

Does your cat have kidney disease? If yes then it's too high. You would want it under 250. Otherwise it's not as much of a concern

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

Is it beneficial to keep an older kitty without kidney issues on a low-phos diet as a preventative measure?

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

Does your cat have kidney disease? If yes then it's too high. You would want it under 250. Otherwise it's not as much of a concern

No thankfully, but I am looking at it from a preventative approach.

 

[tiffmaxee]

So far the research doesn't seem to indicate a need for lower phosphorus foods for seniors without kidney disease. I wonder though if it can help. Until Max became diabetic his kidneys were doing fine and I was feeding regular lower phosphorus foods. Then I switched to low carb and things changed. Was it just he was getting older or the food? Who knows? I think probably a food that is made of good quality protein is best. I don't think we will ever have the answers since we really don't know for sure what's in the food we feed unless we make our own. Vets don't have enough training in nutrition to help and the way big companies are controlling so much of the food with money as their goal I think this will all be a mystery. I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

So far the research doesn't seem to indicate a need for lower phosphorus foods for seniors without kidney disease. I wonder though if it can help. Until Max became diabetic his kidneys were doing fine and I was feeding regular lower phosphorus foods. Then I switched to low carb and things changed. Was it just he was getting older or the food? Who knows? I think probably a food that is made of good quality protein is best. I don't think we will ever have the answers since we really don't know for sure what's in the food we feed unless we make our own. Vets don't have enough training in nutrition to help and the way big companies are controlling so much of the food with money as their goal I think this will all be a mystery. I'll get off my soapbox now.

That definitely adds a pro to the list for homemade food. Maybe switching to homemade will help my fat civie finally get back to a better weight too.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

My thoughts on feeding lower phosphorus food when Neko still had good kidneys, is that I wanted her to get used to and like eating low phosphorus fuds. I saw so many people who had to add binders early because all their cat would eat was the high phosphorus ones. We managed for a couple of years of kidney disease without having to add binder.

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

So neko got kidney problems even with feeding the low phosphorus food?

 

[tiffmaxee]

Lots of people here are feeding raw by getting their own protein and adding EZ Complete. I've been feeding Primal and now Small Batch frozen raw to my kittens. I've started gently cooking chicken and might start making my own at some point.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

So neko got kidney problems even with feeding the low phosphorus food?

Feeding low phosphorus doesn't prevent kidney disease, it helps them feel better when they have it. It's likely Neko's acromegaly caused the kidney disease.

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

Ah ok