Unlock the Secrets of the Ultimate Feline Renal Diet Food for a Healthier Cat!

Kidney failure, also known as renal insufficiency, is a chronic condition characterized by a decline in kidney function over time. It is commonly observed in older cats and involves a gradual deterioration of the kidneys. While kidney disease cannot be cured, its progression can be slowed down and the cat's quality of life enhanced through dietary management.

Recognizing Early Signs of Kidney Disease

Early warning signs of renal insufficiency in cats can be vague and may overlap with symptoms of other health issues. It's crucial to consult with a veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis. Some common signs include:

Increased thirst (polydipsia)
Increased urine production (polyuria)
Decreased appetite
Weight loss
Vomiting
Lethargy
Unkempt hair coat

Key Differences in Feline Renal Diets

Feline renal diets are specially formulated to reduce the workload on the kidneys and help manage the symptoms of kidney disease. These diets typically have the following characteristics:

Low or Reduced Sodium: Lower sodium content helps manage blood pressure and reduce stress on the kidneys.
Less Phosphorus: Phosphorus is a mineral that can accumulate in the blood when kidney function is impaired. Reducing phosphorus intake helps protect the kidneys. Cats with kidney disease cannot properly process phosphorus, so adding just enough rice dampens the high phosphorus content of the high-quality meats, which is crucial for lessening the kidney’s workload and protecting kidney function.
Sometimes Less Protein: While protein is essential, excessive protein intake can strain the kidneys. Some renal diets may have slightly reduced protein levels, but the protein is highly digestible.
Highly Digestible Protein: Easily digestible protein sources minimize the production of waste products that the kidneys need to filter.
Increased Non-Protein Calories: These calories help maintain energy levels and prevent muscle wasting, which can be a concern in cats with kidney disease.
More Potassium: Potassium is an important electrolyte that can be lost in urine as kidney function declines. Renal diets often supplement potassium to maintain adequate levels. Used as an electrolyte replenisher to ensure adequate potassium levels. Salt helps cells move nutrients and waste where it needs to go.
Extra B Vitamins: B vitamins are water-soluble and can be lost in urine. Supplementation helps ensure adequate levels for overall health. Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Vitamin B12, Pyridoxine, and Folic Acid are incredibly fragile B vitamins. They help a variety of enzymes do their jobs, so food more easily turns into energy in the body.
Omega Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and can help support kidney function. Omega 3 fatty acids promote a robust immune system and healthy heart, nourish the skin & coat, and support renal function.
More Fiber: Fiber can help bind waste products in the digestive tract, reducing the burden on the kidneys.
More Water in Canned Food: Adequate hydration is crucial for cats with kidney disease. Canned food has a higher moisture content than dry food, which helps support kidney function.

It's important to note that renal diets are different from urinary tract diets, which are formulated for cats with bladder stones or other lower urinary tract issues. Feline urinary diets are not appropriate for cats with kidney disease.

Tips for Successfully Transitioning Your Cat to a Renal Diet

Ensure Adequate Water Intake: Water is the most important part of the treatment. Encourage your cat to drink plenty of fresh water every day. Do not add water to replace that which has evaporated from your cat’s bowl.
Avoid Fasting: Never try to force your cat to eat a new diet by starving them. It is more important that your cat eat something than to eat very little of a prescribed new renal diet that it does not like.
Choose Wet Food: Wet (canned) food is generally better than dry food because it provides more water.
Make Gradual Changes: Gradually introduce the new diet by mixing it with your cat's current food.
Warm the Food: Most cats prefer food served at body temperature, as warming the food can enhance its flavor.
Flavor Enhancements: Enhance the palatability of the food by adding low sodium chicken broth or low sodium canned tuna fish. Make low sodium chicken broth. Boil or microwave a piece of chicken with water and save the broth. Do not skim off the fat. Thighs and legs work well to make broth. Cut up some small pieces of the chicken to include in the broth. This broth can be used to flavor any of the renal diets and make them more palatable. Flavor the foods with low sodium canned tuna fish. This product is made for human consumption and available in most grocery stores. Star Kist tuna is one of the low sodium brands.
Chicken Bone Broth: Hydrate your cat’s food with chicken bone broth (no sodium) as a nutritious and enticing way to add moisture and flavor.
Sardines: Place a sardine on top of your cat’s meal.
Kefir: Hydrate your cat’s food with kefir, which contains probiotics, beneficial enzymes, and vitamins B & K.

Renal Diet Products

Several companies manufacture renal diet products for cats. It may be necessary to try several different brands to find one that your cat enjoys. Your veterinarian can provide recommendations based on your cat's individual needs.

Examples of renal diet products include:

Eukanuba Multi-Stage Renal Diet: Available in canned and dry forms.
Hill’s g/d and k/d: Specifically formulated for pets with kidney disease. Feline g/d is for cats suffering from kidney insufficiency or older cats with special needs. Feline k/d is formulated as a nutritional aid for cats with diagnosed kidney disease. Both of these products come in canned and dry forms.
Purina Veterinary Diets: Includes Purina Early NF or Advanced NF brand Formula. This is recommended for renal failure, hypertension, liver disease and oxalate bladder stones. It is provided in canned and dry forms.

Homemade Diets

In some cases, your veterinarian may recommend a homemade diet. They can provide recipes and guidance to ensure that the diet is nutritionally balanced and appropriate for your cat's condition.

Medicus Veterinary Diets

Medicus Veterinary Diets offer freeze-dried, whole food therapeutic diets for cats with specific health conditions, including kidney disease. These diets are formulated with high-quality, digestible animal proteins and are free from common fillers like corn and wheat.

Key Features of Medicus Diets

Freeze-Dried and Pasteurised: The gentle freeze-drying process preserves nutrients and ensures the food is safe for immunocompromised pets.
Whole Food Ingredients: Medicus diets use responsibly sourced, whole food ingredients, avoiding rendered animal byproducts and artificial additives. We use only high-quality, digestible animal proteins-wholesome cuts of meats from healthy USDA-Inspected animals being used for human consumption.
Organic Produce: The produce used in Medicus diets is grown organically, without pesticides or herbicides. The produce used in our formulas is grown organically, meaning no pesticides or herbicides, like glyphosate, are used in the growing process. Consumption of pesticides can increase the rate of oxidative damage to cells and inflammation.
Antioxidant-Rich: Medicus formulas are rich in antioxidants from sources like blueberries, spinach, and krill.
No Artificial Additives: These diets are free from artificial dyes, fillers, and preservatives. Artificial dyes are used in pet foods to add color to brown kibble in an attempt to give them a more desirable and aesthetically pleasing color.
Limited Ingredient Decks: Our ingredient decks are small because we only use extensively researched foods that address your pet’s unique nutritional needs.

Understanding the Ingredients

Complete Protein: The egg itself is a complete protein, meaning it has all 9 amino acids the body needs from food and is low in phosphorus.
Cranberry: Cranberry acidifies urine to create an unfavorable environment for bacteria growth like E.coli, the most common culprits of UTIs.
Chitosan: Comes from the outer skeleton of shellfish like lobster, crab, and shrimp. It binds to phosphorus, which gets eliminated. It’s a natural way to manage phosphorus levels.
Chelated Mineral: A chelated mineral bound to an amino acid that protects against oxidative stress.
Mixed Tocopherols: Part of the vitamin E family (akin to vegetable oil) & often used as a natural preservative to maintain freshness.
Rendering: Rendering converts animal carcasses into ingredients for animal feed. They are ground, heavily cooked, pressed to remove fats, ground again, and then dried. Included in this process are bones, organs, blood, feathers, and slaughter floor waste.
Byproducts: Byproducts are the result of whole foods being broken down into smaller parts, like peas being broken down into pea protein, pea flour, pea fiber, and pea starch.
Cellulose: Cellulose is used as a filler for many kibbles. Dogs do not have the enzyme necessary to metabolize and break down cellulose, so it is difficult for them to digest and utilize the nutrients.
Brewers Rice: Many kibble diets contain brewers rice, which is a low-quality carbohydrate source. It is the leftovers of white rice after it has been processed and offers very few nutrients.
Wheat and Corn: Corn is commonly used as a filler for commercial kibble companies, as it is inexpensive and easily accessible. Corn is used as a plant-based protein and isn’t as digestible or bioavailable for carnivores. Wheat is commonly used as a filler for commercial kibble companies, as it is inexpensive and easily accessible. Wheat is used as a plant-based protein and isn’t as digestible or bioavailable for carnivores.

Medicus Diet Forms

Medicus Therapeutic Diets consist of both Complete & Balanced Diets and those for Supplemental Feeding only.

Medicus diets are available in both nugget and paté forms.

Nuggets: Rehydrate by adding +/- ¾ cup of warm water for every cup of food.
Paté: Rehydration Directions: Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water (120 degrees F) for every 1 cup of Medicus pate powder. Mix and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Storage Recommendations

Store freeze-dried food like you would any of your dry goods. Keep them in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight for peak freshness.

It is important to note that because these foods are freeze-dried, moisture can affect the shelf life. To prevent that, reseal the product properly after every use by pushing out all residual air. If you live in a hot, humid environment, the product may be exposed to more moisture and shorten shelf life, so follow the above and store it in the fridge.

We recommend keeping the food in its original packaging since that bag was picked specifically to keep oxygen out. Our recipes are only packaged in individual, resealable bags to ensure the freshest food.

If there is remaining food left in your pet’s bowl, you can transfer it to an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

All Medicus Diets for dogs are packaged in 32 oz. bags and all Medicus Diets for cats are packaged in 16 oz. bags. This is to maintain peak freshness to preserve the quality and nutrients of the whole food ingredients. We also use mixed tocopherols, which is a natural preservative, in every diet to keep it shelf-stable and also provide additional antioxidants.

Read also: The Hoxsey Diet

Additional Tips for Feeding

Moisture: It is extremely recommended that you add some kind of moisture to your pet’s meal, whether that be from warm water, bone broth, or kefir. Moisture aids overall digestion and helps move any harmful substances out of the body.
Palatability Enticers: We recommend looking at our palatability enticers for each diet on their respective page, as they are catered to each aspect of health that the diet is centered around.
Transitioning: Following our transitioning guide can also help pets gradually adapt to their new food before fully feeding Medicus.

Prescription Requirement

Always consult your veterinarian before introducing a new diet to your cat, especially if they have kidney disease.

According to FDA guidelines for therapeutic pet food, you need a prescription for Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. Non therapeutic diets, supplements and treats do not require approval for purchase.

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