Vet recommended kidney food but my cat doesn't have CKD.

[Serenityinaz12]

Just wanted to hear other people's thoughts on this - my cat just went in and had lab work done. He doesn't have CKD now but I guess there is a high chance he does develop it within 2 years according to some assessment (he's 12). The vet told me to put him on CKD food but I'm wondering if I really need to do that? I'm concerned since he has IBD and we have had issues with different foods in the past - currently the one he is taking he is tolerating very well. Also I've seen quite a bit through researching over the last week that cat's don't always tolerate kidney-specific food and sometimes have side effects. Also that the research isn't even strong that the food helps the kidneys. I don't know for sure what is accurate though so looking for guidance. Ultimately I want to do what is best for him but taking everything into consideration I'm not sure what is?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. The test you are talking about is likely the SDMA which is supposed to predict the odds of a cat acquiring kidney disease down the road. It is used by a lot of vets, and seems to be fairly reliable - but not always.

I personally would not be inclined to jump right into kidney care food at this juncture, for some of the reasons you mentioned above. If I were you, I'd gather information about mineral levels, most particularly phosphorus, in the food he is tolerating now just to see how the food stands. I'd also compare what he does well with now with some of the lower phosphorus foods that are out there - not necessarily kidney care foods, and especially not prescription ones. The goal with kidney care foods is to lower the level of phosphorus intake and to keep the protein level good but not too high. I have included a link below to Tanya's website that lists many, many lower phosphorus foods that you could look into and at least compare to what he eats now. This is on the assumption he is on a wet food diet. There is another section of the link that does discuss lower phosphorus dry foods.

Kidney disease, should it occur in your cat, cannot be stopped. It can be slowed down, but it will progress no matter what. I would consider his IBD to be the first and foremost concern at this time, and simply monitor his kidney values routinely. This is coming from a layperson with a whole lot of knowledge about CKD.
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease- Canned Food Data USA (felinecrf.org)

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
I've had two cats, one with kidney issues, and one who had triaditus. Poppy's liver and pancreas numbers never did recover to normal, then came hyperthyroidism and kidney disease.

Mr Captain, our marmalade boy who we rescued last year, had a blood panel done in October prior to his first dental with us (maybe his first dental ever, poor guy) and they said "Oh, he's totally fine, everything's great!" Well, yes, for the purpose of the dental anyway. I finally got a look and his kidney numbers are really pushing the high end of normal.

What I'm doing at this point is adding water to his meals since he's not much of a drinker and is unimpressed with every pet fountain I have, and mixing Weruva WX into his other pate style foods. As mentioned, I can't stop it but at least I, and you, can do our best to slow it down.