How to get Fred to drink more: tuna water, beef water? phos?

[Martica and Fred]

Since I'm no longer giving CRF subQ fluids, I need to figure out how to get hi to drink more. I am watering down his Wellness so it's soup/stew-like. I also bought a water fountain thingy.

What about giving him flavored water--but I'm wondering about the phosphorus.

I bought some tuna--cans in both oil and water. Also have some Beef Au Jus. I
would like to try to get Fred to drink more by mixing some of this in some
water....

do I need to worry about any exrtra phosphorus or sodium from the tuna, and is
oil or water better? (I'd prefer some oil since I'd get some calories in him,
too). The tuna cans say soidum 10%, clearly that includes the tuna, too, and I'm
just not sure if the water is something to worry about or if that percentage of
sodiium is even too much.

Apparently though one potential side effect of one of his 4 heart drugs, or maybe more than one, and maybe it's the Lasix, is hypo-natremia, so not sure if I need to worry so much about sodium in that case.

Someone suggested looking on the USDA nutrition database to determine phosphorous in tuna, only thing is, that doesn't really tell me about the water or oil, which is what I'd be using. (Oil preferably to sneak a few extra calories in him.)

Also, he is now on epichitan or whatever it's called, phos binder. So even if the tuna juice has more phosphorus, I wonder if it's ok now that he is on that.

Also for the beef or other juices from other cans any concerns about phos?

thanks
Martica

 

[Steve & Jock]

If he's eating enough, and you've watered down his Wellness, then he's likely drinking enough too. For normal cats, the 80% moisture in canned food is enough water even without the supplements.

If he really needs even more water than that, and he's not thirsty, then either subq fluids or mouth syringe can do it, but I'd check with a vet that he really does need more.

 

[Martica and Fred]

hi
thanks he does need more, he has CRF and I've taken him off fluids since he now also has congestive heart failure. I just found a syringe and that seems to be ok but will be hard to get 100extra ml in him--I'll have to be syringing twice an hour all waking hours.