Question about food in CKD cat

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Max & Lori

Max & Lori

Member Since 2021
Has anyone else fed low phosphorus foods such as Weruva instead of the prescription kidney foods in a cat who’s in Stage 3 CKD? He’s also on a phosphorus binder. The vets keep recommending the kidney diet, but my cat is not the greatest fan of it. I have to mix it with other foods. Now he’s apparently not liking that either. He eats other foods well though.
 
Max & Lori said:
Has anyone else fed low phosphorus foods such as Weruva instead of the prescription kidney foods in a cat who’s in Stage 3 CKD? He’s also on a phosphorus binder. The vets keep recommending the kidney diet, but my cat is not the greatest fan of it. I have to mix it with other foods. Now he’s apparently not liking that either. He eats other foods well though.
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Hi Lori if you tap on this link and look at post #32 I listed some Weruva pates for another member
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-11-8-and-i-am-tired.283363/#post-3124085
@Max & Lori
 
Lori -

I would suggest doing a bit of reading on Tanya's site, which I suspect you may already be doing. If you're adding a phosphorus binder to Max's food, I suspect his diet is sufficiently low in phos that feeding a kidney diet isn't really necessary. I would see what Tanya's site and their message board has to say about it. My vet was OK with my using a phos binder only.

I'm also going to tag @Marje and Gracie since she's more knowledgeable about this than I am. Some other member have dealt with renal issues more than I have, as well.
 
Max & Lori said:
Has anyone else fed low phosphorus foods such as Weruva instead of the prescription kidney foods in a cat who’s in Stage 3 CKD? He’s also on a phosphorus binder. The vets keep recommending the kidney diet, but my cat is not the greatest fan of it. I have to mix it with other foods. Now he’s apparently not liking that either. He eats other foods well though.
Click to expand...
I’ve had several CKD cats and never fed the prescription food. One, because it’s not palatable for alot of cats, and two, it’s low protein and a cat that is leaking protein due to CKD doesn’t need less. There has been such a controversy over that for many years and some vets still don’t get it. The prescription people just keep “feeding” (so to speak) them the same old drivel. Read Dr. Lisa’s take on prescription diets. Also, typically, if you are feeding a prescription kidney diet, you shouldn’t have to add binders.

What I always did, using Tanya’s, was select high quality foods that were as close to 0.6%P on a dry matter basis that I could find. There are great food tables on Tanya’s to help you with this and they also show sodium (important in CKD cats) and carbs (for FD). I didn’t use phosphorus binders (I used aluminum hydroxide) until the P hit 6. You don’t want to use them any longer than you have to as they can potentially cause constipation and also aluminum toxicity.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Lori -

I would suggest doing a bit of reading on Tanya's site, which I suspect you may already be doing. If you're adding a phosphorus binder to Max's food, I suspect his diet is sufficiently low in phos that feeding a kidney diet isn't really necessary. I would see what Tanya's site and their message board has to say about it. My vet was OK with my using a phos binder only.

I'm also going to tag @Marje and Gracie since she's more knowledgeable about this than I am. Some other member have dealt with renal issues more than I have, as well.
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Thanks Sienne! Yes I have read a ton on Tanya’s. Very helpful website. I like to hear what other people’s experiences too.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
I’ve had several CKD cats and never fed the prescription food. One, because it’s not palatable for alot of cats, and two, it’s low protein and a cat that is leaking protein due to CKD doesn’t need less. There has been such a controversy over that for many years and some vets still don’t get it. The prescription people just keep “feeding” (so to speak) them the same old drivel. Read Dr. Lisa’s take on prescription diets. Also, typically, if you are feeding a prescription kidney diet, you shouldn’t have to add binders.

What I always did, using Tanya’s, was select high quality foods that were as close to 0.6%P on a dry matter basis that I could find. There are great food tables on Tanya’s to help you with this and they also show sodium (important in CKD cats) and carbs (for FD). I didn’t use phosphorus binders (I used aluminum hydroxide) until the P hit 6. You don’t want to use them any longer than you have to as they can potentially cause constipation and also aluminum toxicity.
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Thanks Marje. This is very helpful.You amaze me with all that you know! I am so thankful for you and I’m sure many others are too. I will look over those food tables. Maybe I shouldn’t be using the phosphorus binder yet. Max’s is not over 6 yet. I will just do the low phosphorus foods for now. He’s had Weruva only today. His BG dropped to 39 so I’ve got to take into consideration that if he’s not eating the renal anymore, the carb content is going to be less. Thanks again!:)
 
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Max & Lori said:
Thanks Marje. This is very helpful.You amaze me with all that you know! I am so thankful for you and I’m sure many others are too. I will look over those food tables. Maybe I shouldn’t be using the phosphorus binder yet. Max’s is not over 6 yet. I will just do the low phosphorus foods for now. He’s had Weruva only today. His BG dropped to 39 so I’ve got to take into consideration that if he’s not eating the renal anymore, the carb content is going to be less. Thanks again!:)
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You’re welcome, Lori. I looked at his labs and his P level was at 6.9 in Aug, 2021. Subsequently, his levels have been great and that could be due to the food + binder. I would have to say that P control is one of the major things which leads to longevity with CKD as does controlling the anemia. If you’ve been feeding the prescription kidney diet, it’s been keeping his P level down. If you take him off the prescription diet and the binder, you absolutely need to have his P rechecked to be sure it doesn’t shoot up. We don’t know what it will be without those controlling aspects so be sure that whatever food you go to, you can keep his P level where it is as it’s perfect right now.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
You’re welcome, Lori. I looked at his labs and his P level was at 6.9 in Aug, 2021. Subsequently, his levels have been great and that could be due to the food + binder. I would have to say that P control is one of the major things which leads to longevity with CKD as does controlling the anemia. If you’ve been feeding the prescription kidney diet, it’s been keeping his P level down. If you take him off the prescription diet and the binder, you absolutely need to have his P rechecked to be sure it doesn’t shoot up. We don’t know what it will be without those controlling aspects so be sure that whatever food you go to, you can keep his P level where it is as it’s perfect right now.
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I see what you mean. He hasn’t been on the binder but a little over a month. He was eating Weruva and a raw diet with EZ complete before November when he was dx with stage 3. Then we switched to renal because the vet insisted that’s what he should eat. Same at NCSU. I think all vets push the prescription food. We still don’t know what happened because in July he was only in early stage CKD so in four months he progressed to stage 3. I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting that just like I wasn’t expecting the abnormal abdominal ultrasound the other day. Seems like I try so hard to to the right thing, then get hit with something else. I’m thankful though that Max is still feeling pretty good for the most part. His appetite has not been as good but I’m thinking it’s the renal food. He ate well today. Just a lot of balls to juggle with Max but I’m trying to do my best to keep him in good quality of life for as long as possible.
 
Max & Lori said:
I see what you mean. He hasn’t been on the binder but a little over a month. He was eating Weruva and a raw diet with EZ complete before November when he was dx with stage 3. Then we switched to renal because the vet insisted that’s what he should eat. Same at NCSU. I think all vets push the prescription food. We still don’t know what happened because in July he was only in early stage CKD so in four months he progressed to stage 3. I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting that just like I wasn’t expecting the abnormal abdominal ultrasound the other day. Seems like I try so hard to to the right thing, then get hit with something else. I’m thankful though that Max is still feeling pretty good for the most part. His appetite has not been as good but I’m thinking it’s the renal food. He ate well today. Just a lot of balls to juggle with Max but I’m trying to do my best to keep him in good quality of life for as long as possible.
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It’s not so uncommon for the kidneys to progress from Stage II to Stage III in a short time. I do think now is when you should start reading about B vitamins for anemia because he’s not below 30% yet which is when you absolutely want to start the B vitamins by.

The EZ complete when combined with raw meats is lower in P than many commercial foods but likely not as low as you need it to be. I don’t know about the Weruva but you can check it in the food tables.

You are doing fantastic with him. The goal is QOL. I had a kitty that was where Max is now and he stayed there with CKD for almost five years and passed from something else at 18.

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Marje and Gracie said:
I had a kitty that was where Max is now and he stayed there with CKD for almost five years and passed from something else at 18.

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
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That gives me at least something positive to go on.:bighug:
@Suzanne & Darcy told me about B complex a couple months ago, so I have been giving that. I don’t know if there’s other B vitamins I should give, such as B-12? He hadn’t been tested for that in a while now.
 
Max & Lori said:
That gives me at least something positive to go on.:bighug:
@Suzanne & Darcy told me about B complex a couple months ago, so I have been giving that. I don’t know if there’s other B vitamins I should give, such as B-12? He hadn’t been tested for that in a while now.
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He needs to have methycobalamin (B12) and a multibillion such as Jarrows BRight. One or other alone won’t do it for anemia,
 
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