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ON THIS PAGE:
Could I Have Prevented
It?
Which Steps to Take
HOME
Site Overview
Just Diagnosed? What You Need to Know
First
WHAT IS
CKD?
What Happens in
CKD
Causes of CKD
How Bad is It?
Is There Any
Hope?
Acute Kidney
Injury
KEY ISSUES:
PROLONGING LIFE
Phosphorus Control
Hypertension
(High
Blood Pressure)
Proteinuria
Anaemia
Potassium Imbalances
Pyelonephritis
(Kidney Infections) and Urinary Tract Infections
Metabolic Acidosis
Kidney Stones
KEY ISSUES: HELPING YOUR
CAT FEEL BETTER
Nausea, Vomiting,
Appetite Loss and Excess Stomach Acid
Maintaining Hydration
The B Vitamins (Including
Methylcobalamin)
Constipation
CAT FOOD DATA
Ways of Assessing Food Content, Including
What is Dry
Matter Analysis
How to Use the Food Data Tables
USA
Canned Food Data
USA
Dry Food Data
USA
Cat Food Brands:
Helpfulness Ratings
USA
Cat Food Brands:
Contact Details
SUPPORT
Coping with CKD
Tanya's Support Group
Success Stories
SYMPTOMS
Important: Crashing
Alphabetical List of Symptoms and Treatments
Fluid
and Urinary Imbalances (Dehydration, Overhydration and Urinary
Issues)
Waste Product Regulation Imbalances (Vomiting, Appetite Loss, Excess
Stomach Acid, Gastro-intestinal Problems, Mouth Ulcers Etc.)
Phosphorus and Calcium Imbalances
Miscellaneous Symptoms
(Pain, Hiding Etc.)
DIAGNOSIS:
WHAT DO ALL THE TEST RESULTS MEAN?
Early Detection
Blood Chemistry: Kidney Function, Potassium, Other Tests
(ALT, Amylase, (Cholesterol, Etc.)
Calcium, Phosphorus, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) and Secondary
Hyperparathyroidism
Complete Blood Count (CBC):
Red and White Blood Cells: Anaemia and Infection
Urinalysis (Urine Tests)
Other Tests: Ultrasound, Biopsy, X-rays etc.
Renomegaly (Enlarged Kidneys)
Which
Tests to Have and Frequency of Testing
Factors that Affect Test Results
Normal Ranges
International and US Measuring Systems
TREATMENTS
Which Treatments are Essential
Fluid and Urinary Issues (Fluid Retention, Infections, Incontinence,
Proteinuria)
Waste Product Regulation
(Mouth Ulcers, GI Bleeding,
Antioxidants,
Adsorbents, Azodyl, Astro's CRF Oil)
Phosphorus, Calcium and
Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (Calcitriol)
Phosphorus Binders
Steroids,
Stem Cell Transplants and Kidney Transplants
Antibiotics and Painkillers
Holistic Treatments (Including Slippery Elm Bark)
ESAs (Aranesp, Epogen etc.) for Severe Anaemia
General Health Issues in a CKD Cat: Fleas, Arthritis, Dementia,
Vaccinations
Tips on
Medicating Your Cat
Obtaining Supplies Cheaply in the UK, USA and Canada
Working with Your Vet
and Recordkeeping
DIET & NUTRITION
Nutritional Requirements of CKD Cats
The B Vitamins (Including
Methylcobalamin)
What to Feed (and What to Avoid)
Persuading Your Cat to Eat
2007 Food Recall USA
FLUID THERAPY
Oral Fluids
Intravenous Fluids
Subcutaneous Fluids
Tips on Giving
Subcutaneous Fluids
How
to Give Subcutaneous Fluids with a Giving Set
How
to Give Subcutaneous Fluids with a Syringe
Subcutaneous Fluids - Winning Your Vet's Support
Dialysis
RELATED DISEASES
Heart Problems
Hyperthyroidism
Diabetes
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
Pancreatitis
Dental Problems
Anaesthesia
OBTAINING SUPPLIES CHEAPLY
UK
USA
Online
USA
Local (Fluids)
Canada
SAYING GOODBYE
The
Final Hours
Other People's Losses
Coping with Your Loss
MISCELLANEOUS
Prevention
Feline CKD Research, Including
Participation Opportunities
CKD Research
in Other Species
Share This Site: A
Notice for Your Vet's Bulletin Board or Your Local Pet Shop
Canine Kidney
Disease
Other Illnesses (Cancer, Liver) and
Behavioural Problems
Diese Webseite auf Deutsch
SITEOWNER (HELEN)
My
Three CKD Cats: Tanya, Thomas and Ollie
Contact Me
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Home >
Miscellaneous >
Prevention
Overview
Could I Have
Prevented It?
I must say, we humans do have an amazing capacity to beat ourselves up.
People worry about everything they did or didn't do. Many focus in
particular on the foods they have been feeding, convinced that they made
wrong choices.
Let me spell this out loud and clear: it is highly unlikely that
anything you did or didn't do caused your cat to develop CKD. In truth,
CKD is rarely avoidable, particularly in older cats — as the
What
Happens in CKD page mentions, around 10% of cats over the age of ten
will develop CKD, with as many as 30% of cats over the age of 15 having
the disease. Causes of CKD
discusses the various causes in more detail.
On the one hand, this is
reassuring. On the other hand, it means, of course, that this page is
necessarily short, because it is not usually possible to prevent CKD.
We all know of people who eat healthily and exercise, only to drop dead at
the age of 40. We all also know of people who eat whatever they like,
smoke like chimneys, drink like a fish, and live to 98. It is the same
with cats (well, maybe nott the drinking and smoking). Many factors
determine a cat's fate, including luck. Some are dealt a better genetic
hand than others. Pedigree cats tend to have shorter lives because of
inbreeding; but if, like me, you like a particular breed, you may have to
accept that as one of the risks you take.
Which Steps to Take
Having said all that, there are a few things you can
do. These are
the steps I would take to reduce the risks of CKD developing; though
remember, there are no guarantees. Still, none of
these steps is particularly onerous, and you will note
the food suggestions are also not too gruesome — there is simply no evidence
that diet plays that big a role in the development of CKD.
Ideally you want to implement all these steps when your
cat is young. It is usually easier for cats to accept new routines when
they are young, and it increases your chances of success. Still,
implementing many of these even at a more advanced age can still be
beneficial, for example cleaning your older cat's teeth regularly.
Regular Examinations
Even if you
don't have your cat vaccinated every year, you should still have your cat
thoroughly checked over by your vet at regular intervals. See below for
frequency of visits and which checks and tests to run. Doing this will not necessarily
prevent CKD (though it may do so if, for example, you are able to nip a
urinary tract infection in the bud before it rises into the kidneys and
causes permanent damage), but it can help you detect it earlier
so you can be proactive with treatments. It also enables you to establish
a relationship with your vet.
Inbetween vet
visits, be sure to monitor
your cat at home for weight loss, food and water intake and changes in bladder or
bowel habits or in coat condition. I recommend weighing your cat regularly
(see scales) in
order to spot any weight loss early, which may indicate CKD or other
health problems such as
hyperthyroidism.
Obviously if
your cat seems ill between check ups, or you notice changes such as weight
loss or reduced appetite, you should take your cat to the vet.
Younger Cats
All of my cats visit the vet for a check up at least once a year, no
matter how old they are. The check up includes
a physical examination and a dental check as a minimum. If the vet or I
have any additional concerns, urinalysis and blood tests may also be run.
If my cats are to undergo surgery for any reason, blood tests are run
first.
Older Cats
Aging in cats: common physical and functional
changes (2016)
Bellows J, Center S, Daristotle L, Estrada AH, Fickinger EA, Horwitz DF,
Lascelles BDX, Lepine A, Perea S, Scherk M & Shoveller AK Journal of
Feline Medicine and Surgery 18 pp533–550 catgorises cats as
follows:
Although occasionally younger cats get CKD, it tends to be a disease of
the older cat. I therefore make it a rule that any of my cats who are
aged between eight and ten have the following tests once a year:
Once cats reach the age of ten, I would recommend checks every
six months.
Value of repeated health screening in 259 apparently healthy cats
followed for two years (2024) Mortier F, Daminet S, Marynissen S, Smets
P & Paepe D Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 38(4)
pp2089–2098 looked at cats aged 7-10 or over 10, whose caregivers
thought they were healthy. The cats were examined every six months
during the two years of the study, and over this period 28% of the 7-10
year olds and 54% of the older cats developed diseases, including Stage
2 or worse CKD (13.4%), hyperthyroidism (8.5%), triaditis, including
pancreatitis (7.5%), and cancer (7%).
Aging in cats: common physical and functional
changes (2016)
Bellows J, Center S, Daristotle L, Estrada AH, Fickinger EA, Horwitz DF,
Lascelles BDX, Lepine A, Perea S, Scherk M & Shoveller AK Journal of
Feline Medicine and Surgery 18 pp533–550 discusses the bodily
changes that may be seen in aging cats.
2021 AAHA/AAFP feline lifestages guidelines (2021) Quimby J, Gowland
S, Carney HC, DePorter T, Plummer P & Westropp J Journal of Feline
Medicine and Surgery 23(3) pp211-233 discusses how best to
care for cats in various life stages.
Insurance
If you wish to insure your cat, it pays to start young
because you will have few or no exclusions if your cat is young and
healthy. Choose your insurer carefully: you want one which provides
cover for life, rather than one which pays up the first year a problem
arises but then excludes that problem thereafter, or one that pulls or reduces the cover massively once the cat
reaches a certain age (which may be as young as eight).
If you don't insure your cat, it can be worth
self-insuring if you can. This basically means you put money aside to pay
for future vet bills. Some people believe this is better value than
insurance.
Blood Pressure
ISFM Consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of hypertension
in cats
(2017) Taylor SS, Sparkes AH,
Briscoe K, Carter J, Cervantes Sala S, Jepson RE, Reynolds BS & Scansen BA
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 19 pp288–303
recommend monitoring blood pressure from a relatively young age:
-
Consider doing this at least once every twelve months in healthy 3-6 year
olds, in order to know their baseline measurements.
-
Check blood pressure at least once yearly in healthy 7-10 year olds.
-
Check blood pressure every 6-12 months in healthy geriatric cats (aged
over 11).
-
Check at least every 3-6 months in cats with risk factors or signs of high
blood pressure.
Body Condition
It is important
to monitor your cat's weight. Weight loss in older cats is not good news. Effect
of diet and body composition on lifespan in aging cats (2010) Cupp CJ and Kerr
WW Presentation to the 2010 Nestle Purina Companion
Animal Nutrition Summit found that "aging cats that lose excess body weight and body condition (fat or
lean) have a significantly greater risk for earlier mortality." Therefore
I would not put your older cat on a diet. If your cat is getting thin, try
to get weight on. Low protein foods are not a good idea for healthy cats
(see below).
Determining protein requirements: nitrogen balance versus lean body mass (2013)
Laflamme DP Nestlé Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit Tackling
Myths About Pet Nutrition pp42-45 states "Previous research suggests
that unexplained weight loss, especially in geriatric cats, can be the
first sign of an impending terminal condition."
Effect of nutritional interventions on longevity in
senior cats (2007) Cupp CJ, Jean-Philippe C, Kerr WW, Patil AR &
Perez-Camargo G The International Journal of Applied Research in
Veterinary Medicine 5(3) says "there is evidence that extreme
leanness in old cats may actually be detrimental. Emaciated cats had a
significantly higher risk of death compared with cats in optimal body
condition. Perez-Camargo et al demonstrated that body weight, lean body
mass, and fat mass decline in cats over the age of 12 years, particularly
in the last 1 to 2 years of life."
Skinny old cats: why some senior cats lose weight. What's going on?
(2014) Williams D
DVM360
Magazine
states that the last study mentioned above found that "a control
diet (nutritionally complete and balanced adult cat food) supplemented
with antioxidants (vitamin E and β-carotene), a blend of n-3 and n-6 fatty
acids, and a prebiotic (dried chicory root) was associated with reduced
decline in body weight and increased longevity (by more than 1 year)
compared with feeding either the control diet alone or the control diet
supplemented with antioxidants alone. These striking observations
illustrate the potential benefit to be gained from dietary and other
interventions to address the gastrointestinal changes that appear to be so
common in aging cats."
The World Small Animal Veterinary Assocciation
has a Body Condition diagram
showing how to gauge your cat's physical condition.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association
also has a muscle condition score chart.
See
Nutritional Requirements for more
information on weight and muscle in cats.
Avoid Toxins
Since cats are unique physiologically, there is a whole
host of items which they should avoid.
Antifreeze and
lilies
can kill a cat. I never
allow lilies in my home for this reason, they go straight in the bin
should anybody happen to bring me any.
Most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are a problem for cats,
who can only metabolise them very slowly. In some cases, kidney damage may
result. If your otherwise healthy cat needs to use meloxicam (Metacam) for
some reason, the dosage used is crucial. Please see
Treatments for more information.
A surprising number of foods are not safe for cats. Grapes
and raisins may damage the kidneys. Garlic and onion can cause anaemia.
Fish can be a problem if you feed nothing else, even if you are feeding a
commercial fish-based food.
Fungicides and their effects on animals
(2010) Oruc HH states that
"there are reports of
commercial cat food causing severe neurologic disturbances in cats fed an
exclusive tuna diet for 7-11 months."
Infections and Inflammation
Treat infections promptly, particularly
urinary tract
infections, which may rise into the kidneys and cause permanent damage.
Dental Problems
Take particular care of your cat's oral health. Most
cats develop dental problems by a young age, 3 or 4.
Littleton West Animal Hospital
states that "Dental disease doesn’t affect just the mouth. It can
lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney
disease." See
Dental Problems
for more information on this.
See
Dental Problems
for more information on this.
Learn how to use a
feline toothbrush and clean your
cat's teeth regularly.
If a dental procedure nevertheless becomes
necessary, have it performed promptly and ensure
appropriate precautions are taken.
Vaccinations
I am in two minds about vaccinations. If you have ever had
a cat develop cat flu (feline herpes virus), as I have, you know it is
worth avoiding, and vaccinations can help with this. On the other hand,
there is some indication that there may be a link between vaccination and
CKD.
If you are in the USA, the protocol is that the
standard vaccinations now only need to be given every three years, which
provides adequate protection but may reduce the risks. The frequency for
rabies varies, depending upon the vaccine used.
For what it is worth, I do vaccinate my own cats if
they are healthy.
Please read the
Causes of CKD
and
Treatments pages for more information.
Dietary
Issues
Diet is a
tricky area, because feline nutritional needs are complex. Although some people
have strong opinions about which are the best foods for cats,
unfortunately, there is no firm evidence in many areas.
There
is no perfect food out there, so just do the best you can. Please also
read the Nutritional Requirements and
Which Foods to Feed
pages, and above all, make sure your cat eats.
What to Feed
Antioxidants and Essential Fatty Acids
Effect of nutritional interventions on longevity in
senior cats (2007) Cupp CJ, Jean-Philippe C, Kerr WW, Patil AR &
Perez-Camargo G The International Journal of Applied Research in
Veterinary Medicine 5(3) found that healthy older cats fed a diet containing
antioxidants including additional
essential fatty acids lived significantly
longer.
Effect of diet and body composition on lifespan in aging cats (2010) Cupp CJ and Kerr
WW Presentation to the 2010 Nestle Purina Companion
Animal Nutrition Summit discusses this study. It found that a diet
which included
antioxidants,
essential fatty acids
and a
prebiotic appeared to extend the lives of the cats in the study, who
were aged between 7-17 (go to page 44). Cats fed a diet with these added
supplements lived 1.3 years longer than cats fed a complete adult cat
food.
Wet (Canned) Food
Many people are evangelical about this. Some
of them go so far as to claim that feeding dry food only may actually
cause CKD, although there is no evidence of this.
I certainly am not opposed to feeding wet
food, but unfortunately it is not always as ideal or simple as it first appears
— see
Which
Foods to Feed for more information.
A possible compromise is to do as I do and feed a mixture of wet and dry
food.
Reduced
Phosphorus Intake
Phosphorus is a problem for CKD cats
because their kidneys cannot excrete it efficiently, so it builds up in
their bodies. Healthy cats should be able to excrete phosphorus, so in
principle there is no reason to feed a reduced phosphorus diet to healthy
cats. If you do, it is
possible that phosphorus levels might reduce too far (below 3mg/dl in US values in bloodwork), which can cause weakness and lethargy.
Personally, I would not be at all
concerned about the phosphorus levels in a food for a younger cat —
kittens in particular, who are still growing, need phosphorus in order to
build healthy bones.
Having said that, since CKD cannot be detected until at
least 66% of kidney function is already gone, it may be worth considering feeding lower
phosphorus foods to an older cat (over ten years of age). Discuss this
with your vet.
The effect of moderate dietary protein and phosphate
restriction on calcium-phosphate homeostasis in healthy older cats
(2016) Geddes RF, Biourge V, Chang Y, Syme HM & Elliott J
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 30(5) pp1690–1702
looked at the effects of reduced protein and phosphorus intake in healthy
older cats (over the age of nine). The cats were fed 76 g/Mcal protein and
1.6 g/Mcal phosphorus while the cats in the control group were fed 86
g/Mcal protein and 2.6 g/Mcal phosphorus, in both cases monitored for 18
months. The study concludes "Feeding a moderately protein- and
phosphate-restricted diet has effects on calcium-phosphate homeostasis in
healthy older cats and is well tolerated. This might have an impact on
renal function and could be useful in early chronic kidney disease."
Observation about phosphorus and protein supply in
cats and dogs prior to the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease
(2018) Böswald LF, Kienzle E & Dobenecker B Journal of Animal
Physiology and Animal Nutrition 102(Suppl 1) pp31-36 found that
many cat foods far exceed the minimum level of phosphorus recommended by
AAFCO and concludes "The results of this retrospective study, despite its
limitations, hint at a link between a high, long-term P intake and renal
disease in cats. Further investigations and preferably the definition of a
safe upper limit for P are warranted."
The type of phosphorus
contained in a food also matters.
Effect of a high phosphorus diet on indicators of
renal health in cats (2018) Dobenecker B, Webel A, Reese S &
Kienzle E Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 20(4)
pp339-343 fed thirteen healthy cats a diet containing around five times
the maintenance requirement for phosphorus for 29 days. The study found
that "Renal phosphorus excretion was significantly increased in the HP
group (115 mg/kg body weight/d vs 16 mg/kg body weight/d in the CON
group)." The study concludes "The intake
of a diet with an excessive content of highly available phosphorus may
have adverse effects on parameters of kidney function in healthy cats."
This diet contained inorganic phosphorus.
See
The
Importance of Phosphorus Control for more information about organic
and inorganic phosphorus.
Evaluating phosphorus, calcium and magnesium content
in commercial cat foods (2020) Summers SC, Stockman J, Larsen
JA, Zhang L & Rodriguez AS Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
34(1) pp 266-273 states "High P containing foods might be involved
in the etiology of CKD in cats considering that CKD cats have
significantly higher P and protein intakes before diagnosis compared to
age-matched control cats without CKD."
Therapeutic kidney diets tend to have a phosphorus level
of around 0.5-0.7% on a dry matter analysis basis. AAFCO regulations
require that any commercial food in the USA
which is labelled as a complete adult maintenance diet will have a minimum
phosphorus level of 0.5% on a dry matter analysis basis. I would aim to
feed a food with a phosphorus level of 0.5-1.0% on a dry matter analysis
basis; but remember, the most important thing is that a cat eats. You can
check the phosphorus levels in various foods
here.
Lenziaren
A new phosphorus binder for cats called Lenziaren (also known as SBR759)
was introduced in Japan and Taiwan since 2013 and presumably Novartis, the
manufacturer, will be releasing it in other markets in due course.
Unlike other phosphorus binders, according to
Scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of
Lenziaren (iron, aqua carbonate hydroxyl oxo starch sucrose complex) as a
feed additive for cats (2013) Panel on Additives and Products
or Substances used in Animal Feed European Food Safety Authority
Journal 11(5) p3204-5, Lenziaren is "intended to be used in
food for adult cats to reduce phosphate absorption in the gastrointestinal
tract in order to prevent chronic kidney disease." However, although
Efficacy and acceptability of the new oral phosphate
binder Lenziaren in healthy cats fed a renal diet
(2015) King JN, Delport PC, Luus HG, Erasmus HL, Barnes PM
& Speranza C Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 38(3)
pp278–289 found that Lenziaren seemed to be well tolerated when added to
food, it also found that when healthy cats were given higher doses of
Lenziaren, their phosphorus levels actually increased. The manufacturer is
currently investigating this.
Scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of
Lenziaren (iron, aqua carbonate hydroxyl oxo starch sucrose complex) as a
feed additive for cats (2013) Panel on Additives and Products
or Substances used in Animal Feed European Food Safety Authority
Journal 11(5) p3204-5 states "the FEEDAP Panel has some
reservations regarding the value of its long-term use in healthy cats. The
Panel concludes that there is a need for a post-market monitoring plan."
Personally, I think I would rather feed a lower phosphorus food first.
Free Feeding
Diet and lifestyle variables as risk factors for
chronic renal failure in pet cats (2002) Hughes KL, Slater MR,
Geller S, Burkholder WJ, Fitzgerald C Preventive Veterinary Medicine
55(1) pp1-15 compared cats in three groups:
-
free feeding with fibre;
-
free feeding with Factor-2 (a composite variable composed of fiber,
magnesium, protein, sodium and ash);
-
and fibre alone.
The researchers
concluded that free feeding was associated with increased odds of
developing CKD. However, they did not simply free feed the cats; they also
gave them additives. It is therefore not known whether free feeding alone
would give similar results.
I myself have always free fed, and will continue to do so. In the wild,
cats naturally feed multiple times a day. See
Which
Foods to Feed for more information on this topic.
High Quality Foods
This is another
hot potato. Many people appear to be obsessed with feeding high quality
foods, particularly high quality protein. What is high quality protein for
a CKD cat does not mean what you probably think it means (see
Which Foods to Feed).
What is high
quality food for a healthy cat is debatable. Many people buy "premium",
"high grade" foods, but what does that mean exactly? Why do so many of
this type of food contain fruits and vegetables which cats do not need?
Many people hate corn in foods, yet corn gluten meal is actually a protein
that is almost as bioavailable to cats as chicken.
Please read the
Nutritional Requirements
page for more information on a cat's physiological needs and
Which Foods to Feed
for more information on commercial foods. Although these pages are geared
towards a CKD cat, they do contain some information on feline nutritional
needs generally.
What Not to Feed
Reduced Protein
I hear from people who have
recently lost a cat and who want to try to ensure their surviving cats do
not develop CKD. They have heard that a reduced protein intake may help CKD cats, so
they sometimes are considering feeding therapeutic kidney diets to their
other cats in the hope
that feeding such foods may also prevent CKD.
I do not recommend this,
because not only it is not going to help, but may even may cause problems. Healthy cats have a requirement
for relatively high amounts of protein (see
Nutritional Requirements).
In fact, it is commonly recommended that even cats who already have CKD
should not have protein restricted in the early stages of CKD.
I would therefore not recommend feeding a low protein diet to a non-CKD
cat, because it may eventually lead to malnutrition.
Nutritional management of renal disease
(2008) Presentation to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association World
Congress Sturgess K states "From studies performed in
dogs and cats, it can be concluded that there is no evidence in
these species to suggest feeding high protein diets to normal animals is
harmful."
Excess Vitamin D
Cats cannot manufacture Vitamin D so
must obtain it from their food. However, many commercial foods seem to
contain levels in excess of current maximum US allowances (10,000 iu/kg for
adult cats).
Update on the etiology of tooth resorption in
domestic cats (2005) Reiter AM, Lewis JR & Okuda A
Veterinary Clinics Small Animal Practice 35 pp913-942 states
"results of experimental studies on cats
fed diets high in vitamin D3 (15,000–33,840 IU/kg of dry matter) were
contradictory, ranging from no evidence of detrimental effects on feline
health to a high prevalence of renal dysfunction and mortality."
Vitamin D intoxication caused by ingestion of
commercial cat food in three kittens (2013) Wehner A, Katzenberger J, Groth A, Dorsch R, Koelle P,
Hartmann K, Weber K Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery 15(8)
reported on three kittens in Germany who became ill after eating a
commercial food containing too much Vitamin D. One recovered, one was
put to sleep, the third has ongoing kidney damage. The food in question was Almo Nature
Kitten with Chicken food. It had a declared amount of Vitamin D3 of 6488
IU/kg (dry matter) but analysis showed that the food actually contained
202,155 IU/kg (dry matter).
It might be wise to feed a food that does not exceed the vitamin D
guidelines.
Acidified Diets
Many commercial
diets over the last ten years have been reformulated to promote "urinary
tract health", or words to that effect. Essentially, these diets are
acidified, so as to reduce the risk of cats developing
feline lower
urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Cats with FLUTD tend to have urine that is too alkaline, and are therefore
at risk of developing struvite crystals, which develop in an alkaline
environment. Feeding an acidified diet reduces this risk.
Unfortunately, feeding these diets to cats who are not at risk of FLUTD may lead to urine that is too acidic.
It is speculated that acidified diets may be a factor in the increase in
renal
calculi (kidney stones)
i.e. calcium oxalate stones, which develop in an overly acidic
environment, and
which in turn are a risk factor for
developing CKD. These stones, unlike struvite,
cannot be dissolved by diet - they can only be removed by surgery.
Acidified diets
may also contribute to low potassium levels.
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This page last updated: 14 June 2025
Links on this page last checked: 14 June 2025
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