Royal Canin Renal Wet vs. Hills Science Plan K/D (In the UK)

[epona]

My elderly CKD cat has been on Royal Canin Renal wet food pouches (a mix of the chicken and beef flavours) for a couple of years, but recently they seem to have changed their food - it used to be chunks in gravy, but it's now more chunks in jelly (despite saying gravy on the box) and my cat just isn't very enthusiastic about cat food involving jelly. In fact none of the cats I have had have ever liked "in jelly" type foods! Also the last few boxes of pouches we've had have smelled a bit different so I think they've changed the ingredients or something, and he's just not as keen on it.

He's already a bit underweight and this is a bit worrying so I wanted to know whether anyone has any opinions on Hills Science Plan K/D as an alternative renal wet food?

We are in the UK so please don't suggest something that's only available in the US He also has had a few issues with bacterial UTIs recently, linked to his advancing CKD. He doesn't (and shouldn't due to CKD and UTI susceptibility) eat dry food, so I'm only interested in hearing about low protein renal wet food that I can buy in pouches in the UK.

Thank you for any recommendations

 

[verna davies]

There doesn't seem to be much of a choice in the UK other than Royal Canin or Hills but I have found these.

You could also try making a gravy to add to the jelly variety.

 

[epona]

There doesn't seem to be much of a choice in the UK other than Royal Canin or Hills but I have found these.
View attachment 480910View attachment 480911

You could also try making a gravy to add to the jelly variety.
View attachment 480912

Thank you!

I would honestly not trust Purina (part of the Nestlé group, who aggressively marketed formula instead of breastfeeding to communities in parts of Africa with no readily available clean water supply back in the day) to provide good nutrition for my cat.

I can definitely make some chicken broth, I'd just be worried about the protein content, and wouldn't use something purchased because of likely onion/garlic/salt content. But I can poach chicken for myself without flavourings or seasoning and save the water it's been poached in.

 

[verna davies]

Maybe he will eat the broth mixed into the food with jelly, worth a try. As for the Specific food made by Dechra, that food was recommended to my vet by the Bristol Veterinarian College. My cat has digestive issues and he contacted them on my behalf. I then contacted Dechra and had a long discussion with one of their inhouse vets who was extremely helpful in informing me which would be the best of their food for my cat.

 

[epona]

So it seems to be that he eats better if offered a variety of things (I can understand that) and he's more likely to eat well if he doesn't have the exact same thing as the last meal (I understand that too!). Difficult when they have to be on a particular diet, but not impossible - he's been eating better since we started alternating the RC Renal wet chunks in gravy in beef and chicken flavours with Hills K/D (which I have to chop up a bit for him because he likes the taste but doesn't like the bigger chunks).

Also just introduced RC Renal Loaf into the mix, which he seems to like. I think keeping him on a mix of different renal wet foods seems to be doing the trick. I might try adding the Purina one in there too, but will ask the vet for advice about whether it is suitable for his condition before doing so.

He's elderly and very skinny, really far more underweight than I would like and I've kind of given up hope about trying to get him to gain weight at this point, but he seems very happy so I want to keep him going with as much nutrition as I can get into him for as long as he stays happy and comfortable.

 

[verna davies]

Sounds like you are doing well in getting him to eat the variety of food. He may put on a little weight if he's eating more than normal, maybe try to give him an extra meal each day or a little more each meal.

 

[epona]

Sounds like you are doing well in getting him to eat the variety of food. He may put on a little weight if he's eating more than normal, maybe try to give him an extra meal each day or a little more each meal.

Thank you! He's my last remaining cat of the 3 and he means the world to me, in of himself as a truly most gentle and loving creature, but also when he goes it will mark the end of an era and probably be doubly upsetting and stressful for me due to what it represents. I don't know if that makes any sense.

I'm wary about giving him more each meal, because he has chronic pancreatitis and that sometimes means it can flare up and cause him to vomit - but if he eats everything offered in one sitting, I wait half an hour to make sure that is staying down and then give him a little top up.

I always make sure he is offered more food in a 24 hour period than he is likely to want to eat (although if he does and puts on some weight, that would be fantastic!), and if he asks for food I will feed him right away.