Your Experience With Balanceit/homemade Kidney Diets?

[oriza]

I read a bunch of threads here that talked about their experience with BalanceIT, and it sounded like most folks seemed to be somewhat in favor of it. I'd like to just ask a couple more questions before I ask my vet to approve it.

My 17 year old cat entered stage 3 kidney disease a few days ago.

He has been on a food elimination trial for a month or so (he is allergic to something in almost all pre-made foods, but we haven't figured out what yet), so right now all he eats is homemade boiled chicken or ground beef. He's done SO much better since then-- he used to throw up basically every other day and now he doesn't vomit at all-- but he's definitely starting to show signs of poor nutrition based on his bloodwork from a few days ago.

I need to start him on a more balanced diet that's kidney-friendly, but I really can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a consult with a nutritionist. So before I call my vet to request his approval, I wanted to see if other folks have had good experiences with BalanceIT-- OR if any of y'all have had success with your homemade kidney diet (and if you'd be willing to share!)

Thanks!!

 

[white shadow]

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Hey oriza !
This sub-forum has this thread: Who Uses Balanceit Here?.

[I also saw your post on another "forum"......that place is deader than a door nail (and most uninformed!). I'd say best save your energy! This place rocks!]
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[mschauer]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty!

I think your vet would be fine with the Balance IT Feline K product. That is their lower phosphorus product and is what I'm sure your vet would prefer you use rather than the regular.

I've created nutritional analyses of a chicken and beef recipe using it. I've created analyses using Balance IT products for people before and they seem to want canola oil to be used with their product so I included that in the same proportion I have been asked to use before. See the link below for the recipes.

I used chicken breast and ground beef in the recipes but can easily change those to something closer to what you actually use if you let me know what that is. Also, so you feed the chicken skin or just the meat? I've assumed the meat only.

Lastly, the analyses come up low in chloride. I don't know why except possibly because there was no min chloride recommendation prior to the release of the 2018 recommendations and Balance IT may not yet have updated their formula.

Let me know if you have any questions.

recipes link

 

[wombat]

Hi Oriza! I don't have any advice or any recommendations, but just wanted to say I'm in the same boat as you. My moggy has CKD ( we've known for the past 5 years). He has recently been diagnosed with IBD too, so I'm going to switch him to a home cooked diet with a novel protein (duck). I've ordered Balance IT Feline K, and am now waiting for it to arrive. I hope your cat does well on it!

 

[oriza]

@whiteshadow-- thanks! Before I posted here, I looked through that thread you mentioned and all of the linked threads-- they were super helpful, I just wanted to check and make sure that y'all felt good about it before I started using BalanceIT.

I also had a Facebook group recommend Alnutrin and EZComplete, so I need to look through these three options and see which one would work best. (If y'all have opinions on either of those options, too, let me know!)

W wombat -- good luck to your kitty! Let me know how it goes

 

[oriza]

I can't edit posts yet (I think I'm too new) but I just realized that BalanceIT's Feline K (for CKD cats) comes in at $75! Granted, it's a one-pound bottle, but I can't imagine I'm going to use that much-- especially since he's only got maybe a year left...

I ordered some EZComplete and also sent away for a free sample of Alnutrin, just in case he likes that better. I'll see how it goes. Thanks y'all for your help!

 

[Tobermory]

I also had a Facebook group recommend Alnutrin and EZComplete, so I need to look through these three options and see which one would work best. (If y'all have opinions on either of those options, too, let me know!)

I’m currently using EZ Complete in rotation with food I make using individual supplements. My cats like it, although they seem to like the homemade with individual supplements a bit better. I’ve also tried Alnutrin with Eggshell Calcium, and they like that, too. Alnutrin requires that you add liver; EZ Complete doesn’t.

If you’re interested in a price comparison, EZ is more expensive than Alnutrin. EZ is about 14 cents per finished ounce. Alnutrin is about 4 cents per finished ounce. So here’s what that looks like for me per day:

EZC (for 3 cats eating a total of 13 ozs. per day)
Boneless chicken thighs: $2.18 ($2.69 lb.)
EZC: $1.82 (@14 cents/oz.)
Total: $4.00 per day

Alnutrin (for 3 cats eating a total of 13 ozs. per day)
Boneless chicken thighs: $2.18 ($2.69 lb.)
Chicken liver: 15 cents ($2.99 lb.)
Alnutrin: 52 cents (@4 cents/oz.)
Total: $2.85 per day

 

[lisahe]

Our cats love both EZ and Alnutrin, which I used to make cooked food with a variety of meats, though mostly chicken and pork.

 

[Jojo&Tutu]

Bad experience with Balance IT K it made the cat food very bitter. First my cat threw it up then refused to eat it. Looking for a low phosphorus vitamin mineral supplement needed for CKD. I think EZ complete has proteins in it not appropriate for my cat also has IBD and is strictly on rabbit.