Thoughts on Dr. Pierson?

[toulousesmomma]

So I have been using the catinfo.org website for many years now, ever since my cat developed urinary issues at the age of four. He is now 14 and has early kidney dysfunction. Hes been on a wet food diet since the urinary issues started. I used to think Dr. Pierson was really reputable and trusted her website but after reading some bad reviews about her I’m not sure anymore.

She also had interviews with Dr. Becker who I have heard is a total quack…

The stuff Dr. Pierson says makes sense to me logically? Cats are obligate carnivores, they need lots of water, they shouldnt have a ton of carbs, ect. but people are saying theres no evidence to back this up. But theres also no evidence to back up the hills science diet is healthy either? It will keep your cat alive but are they thriving on a diet full of corn and wheat?

I just want to do whats best for my cat and given that hes in early kidney dysfunction i know most vets will say low protein. But there was a study that showed cats will die of a protein deficiency long before they die of kidney failure so. I really dont know!!! I trusted this vet but how can we know whats real and whats bogus!

 

[NekoM]

I’m so sorry your going through this, I’ve lost two cats to kidney disease and there’s lots of confusion and conflicting advice, quite possibly because kidney disease tends to be unpredictable as it develops. I’m hesitant to give you any subjective advice but in terms of diet there’s some things that are scientifically backed up. Think of the diet as the way to achieve a goal, and the goal is to maintain a healthy body weight with Lean muscle mass, the challenge though is the protein that’s needed to do that breaks down into something called urea in the bloodstream, healthy kidneys remove the toxin easily, damaged kidneys can’t and decline quicker because they’re under stress. Protein is tricky because you only need enough to maintain that healthy body weight. Good quality meat is really the best source of protein, but bare in mind some protein like chicken can also be an allergen to cats. Carbs supplement protein, but on a sliding scale, skinny kitties need more and healthier kitties need less, but you have to stay on top of the balance to achieve your goal. I hope this helps a little and isn’t too confusing.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I can't respond about Dr. Pierson, but I highly recommend this site for all the information you can want on kidney disease.
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat (felinecrf.org)

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
I utilized Dr Pierson's site for a while but then moved on from it.

I will have to say I'm not sure about there being no research to support cats being obligate carnivores, needing plenty of moisture especially when they're eating mainly or only kibble, and that carbohydrates can be more of a problem than nutritionally supportive such as the empty carb load that's in kibble.

Felinecrf, as mentioned above, is a viable source of information including what to feed, how much, and when. For example protein is now recognized as a necessary component of older cats' diets until kidney disease has progressed past a certain point and the kidneys are less able to process it, as commented about above.

The site author details what levels of phosphorus and protein etc an owner should aim for, and also provides nutritional analysis numbers for a variety of brands. However, as mentioned, the level of protein and of course phos needs to be monitored by your vet.

Although the date of last update of the page is 11/2022, I didn't see Weruva WX listed which is a new variety that is extremely low phosphorus. I didn't look for it but Evangers also has a low phosphorus variety.

https://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm

 

[hopps]

Dr Pierson got me into being more cognizant of food choices but I have definitely moved on. Dr. Becker? Absolute quack. I used to follow her many years ago but now it's just too cringe. On another note: a broken clock is right twice a day. Sorry about your cat, hopefully he feels better.

 

[mysterylover]

Just a comment. I did see the Weruva WX on Tanya's site recently. It was up in with the prescription foods, so I nearly missed it!

My cats are 12 years old now, so despite not being diagnosed with kidney issues yet, I feel like it is time to be aware of how much phosphorus my kitties are ingesting at least and maybe reduce that. Of course, at the end of the day, a kitty who does not eat, will certainly not live long - it is a balance, and you can drive yourself nuts

I don't know if Dr. Pierson is the best or the worst. I agree that she does seem to know that cats are obligate carnivores, but I am now finding as my cats are older that they need more fiber or they struggle with constipation (and adding more water to food with no fiber does not help), and more fiber nearly always equals more carbs in a wet food. Foods with high protein and basically no carbs, even just boiled chicken, lead to constipation now.

I tell my cats all the time that "being the kitty mommy is not easy."

 

[Furballsmom]

That's great, thanks for the update! It doesn't require a prescription so that's a problem. Maybe I can find a way to contact the site owner about that.

 

[Furballsmom]

Update regarding Weruva WX on felinecrf.org 's website, - I see how the site owner did that, -- it's not that the food brands and varieties that are listed in this section require a prescription, it's that they are considered as a therapeutic food specifically made to help with a health issue which of course in this case is the kidneys.

 

[lisahe]

Just a comment. I did see the Weruva WX on Tanya's site recently. It was up in with the prescription foods, so I nearly missed it!

My cats are 12 years old now, so despite not being diagnosed with kidney issues yet, I feel like it is time to be aware of how much phosphorus my kitties are ingesting at least and maybe reduce that. Of course, at the end of the day, a kitty who does not eat, will certainly not live long - it is a balance, and you can drive yourself nuts

I don't know if Dr. Pierson is the best or the worst. I agree that she does seem to know that cats are obligate carnivores, but I am now finding as my cats are older that they need more fiber or they struggle with constipation (and adding more water to food with no fiber does not help), and more fiber nearly always equals more carbs in a wet food. Foods with high protein and basically no carbs, even just boiled chicken, lead to constipation now.

I tell my cats all the time that "being the kitty mommy is not easy."

It's definitely not easy being catmom!

One of our cats gets constipated, too. Egg yolk can help but it contains phosphorus and I don't really like giving pumpkin since it's a little carby -- I never got the sense pumpkin helped as much as it might anyway. Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive tablets (these things), however, have made our constipated cat very regular. They contain psyllium husk, which does apparently contain some carbs, though there's only 50 mg of psyllium per tablet, so the carbs can't be too high! In any case, the tablets really do work for Ireland and I first got the idea of giving them to her because I read in an IBD group that they'd helped other constipated cats.

 

[Potter]

So I have been using the catinfo.org website for many years now, ever since my cat developed urinary issues at the age of four. He is now 14 and has early kidney dysfunction. Hes been on a wet food diet since the urinary issues started. I used to think Dr. Pierson was really reputable and trusted her website but after reading some bad reviews about her I’m not sure anymore.

She also had interviews with Dr. Becker who I have heard is a total quack…

The stuff Dr. Pierson says makes sense to me logically? Cats are obligate carnivores, they need lots of water, they shouldnt have a ton of carbs, ect. but people are saying theres no evidence to back this up. But theres also no evidence to back up the hills science diet is healthy either? It will keep your cat alive but are they thriving on a diet full of corn and wheat?

I just want to do whats best for my cat and given that hes in early kidney dysfunction i know most vets will say low protein. But there was a study that showed cats will die of a protein deficiency long before they die of kidney failure so. I really dont know!!! I trusted this vet but how can we know whats real and whats bogus!

yes, i thought the same. then a saw a video from cornell university and debunked alot of what she said

 

[Potter]

yes, i thought the same. then a saw a video from cornell university and debunked alot of what she said

this was a vet discussion

 

[msserena]

I have followed Dr Pierson's advice for my cats & so far so good. My problem is trying to find food that checks all the boxes. So far Weruva is the only brand that has high protein, low cards, medium fat & low phos. Of course my cats don't like hardly any of their food anymore, so it seems I'm constantly searching for a decent product.

 

[Alldara]

I will add a BIG note that Dr. Pierson's website has not been updated since Nov 2016.

We have had MUCH research on pet foods since then, especially cat foods in recent years.

At best, it's outdated information.

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