Kidney Insufficiency in Cats

SOS - When Your Cat Suffers from Kidney Insufficiency

Kidney insufficiency in cats should not be underestimated. You may have already read about it. But when your own cat suffers from acute or chronic kidney insufficiency, it’s a completely different story. Rational thoughts are often swept away by emotions. Worry and despair rise. Let’s start with the basics:

The Function of Healthy Kidneys in Cats

Your cat naturally has two kidneys that perform various functions. A major task of the kidneys is filtering toxins and waste products, which are then excreted through urine. Have you noticed that your cat's urine has a strong smell? If so, you should keep a close eye on your furry friend.

Additionally, your cat's kidneys have a regulatory function. Electrolytes and water balance depend on kidney function. Furthermore, the kidneys play an important role in producing hemoglobin (red blood pigment) and a hormone that regulates blood pressure.

As you can see, the kidneys play an essential role in your cat's small body. If kidney function decreases, it can have far-reaching consequences. Toxic substances may accumulate in your cat’s body, negatively affecting other organs such as the liver and heart. The astonishing and concerning fact about kidney insufficiency in cats is that symptoms often remain hidden for a long time. Symptoms only appear when the kidneys have lost around 60–70% of their function.

How Does CKD Develop in Cats?

The so-called CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) is a condition that often affects cats. This is largely due to the fact that cats typically don’t drink much. As your cat ages, the risk of kidney insufficiency increases. It is estimated that around 50% of cats over 12 years old suffer from kidney insufficiency. There are numerous triggers and causes of kidney insufficiency in cats:

• Kidney inflammation
• Cystic kidneys
• Cancers
• Leukemia infection
• Kidney stones
• High blood pressure
• Accidents and injuries
• Use of certain medications

When a specific part of the kidney is damaged, the kidney initially compensates. The healthy parts take over the function of the damaged parts, allowing the disease to go unnoticed for a long time. This compensation works well for many years. However, the tissue becomes increasingly damaged due to the additional strain. Over time, the cat loses kidney function, leading to kidney insufficiency. If left untreated, this can result in kidney failure.

Progression of Kidney Insufficiency in Cats

Once kidney insufficiency is diagnosed in your cat, the veterinarian assigns it to a specific stage. These stages are medical guidelines that help the vet tailor the treatment plan. The severity of kidney insufficiency significantly impacts the approach to treatment. Generally, there are four different stages, ranging from mild to severe impairments. The vet evaluates the severity based on the following criteria:

• The concentration of waste products in the blood increases over time.
• Your cat's blood pressure is elevated.
• Protein is excreted through the kidneys and can be detected in the urine.
• Frequent occurrence of typical kidney insufficiency symptoms.

Diet Recommendations for Cats with Kidney Insufficiency

As with all health-related issues, diet plays a crucial role in kidney insufficiency. What your cat eats significantly impacts its organ function and health. Proper nutrition lays the foundation for a healthy body—for both humans and pets alike.

Some veterinarians recommend special kidney diets, often in the form of dry food. However, due to its low moisture content, dry food can negatively impact the kidneys. It is better to offer your cat high-quality fresh meat that contains easily digestible vitamins and minerals without unnecessary chemical additives and with high moisture content.

Specifically for cats with kidney insufficiency, eBarf offers renal complete menus. These were developed with animal health practitioner and feline nutrition expert Petra von Quillfeldt and are tailored to the needs of cats with kidney issues. Alongside fresh muscle meat from turkey, chicken, and beef, high-quality organ meats and other natural supplements ensure optimal nutrition for your cat.

Poultry is particularly high-quality and easily digestible protein. As natural prey for cats, poultry is generally well-accepted, especially important for cats suffering from nausea and vomiting. Appetite is crucial for cats with kidney issues.

The Unique Features of Fix-BARF® Renal Complete Menus from eBarf

• Unlike conventional kidney diets, Fix-BARF® renal is completely grain-free and contains no carbohydrates—aside from necessary fiber (which cannot be digested by a cat's body in its raw state) and pectin (a binding agent derived from ripe apples that inhibits the production of ammonia and urea in the large intestine).
• The renal complete menus are free of other plant-based components or additives. The fiber content is increased to 10%, using pumpkin, which soothes and supports digestive function, helping to prevent common gastrointestinal issues in cats with kidney disease. Since cats are typically prone to constipation, pumpkin is generally well-tolerated.
• The phosphorus content in the menus is significantly reduced (by about 30% of the required value to 170 mg/MJ ME (megajoule metabolizable energy)), thus easing the burden on the kidneys.
• The calcium content is calculated to maintain a favorable Ca/P (calcium/phosphorus) ratio of 1.4/1, despite the significant reduction in phosphorus.
• The iron requirement for cats with chronic kidney disease is typically higher than for healthy cats. Anemia often develops during the disease, so the iron intake in the kidney diet recipes has been increased by 150%.
• To achieve a slightly reduced sodium content while maintaining a stable potassium/sodium ratio, the potassium content was not increased, but the sodium content was adjusted, resulting in a ratio of Ka/Na of 1.9 to 2.1/1.
• The protein content meets the nutritional requirement (and is therefore not too high). Fix-BARF® renal menus are calculated at approximately 15 g digestible crude protein per MJ ME. Prepared with high-quality, highly digestible muscle meat and containing only animal products (aside from fiber and pectin), this food has excellent acceptance among cats.
• No connective tissue-rich meats, such as neck meat, gullet meat, stomachs, tendons, cartilage, or other harder-to-digest components, are used. By exclusively using high-quality animal protein, the amount of nitrogen compounds in the intestines is limited. Additionally, the amount of ammonia produced by bacterial breakdown in the colon is minimized, and fermentable pectin further inhibits the formation of ammonia and urea.
• Kidney disease causes the body to flush out water-soluble vitamins. Therefore, cats require more B vitamins, biotin, and folic acid. This increased need has been accounted for in the recipes.
• To counteract polyuria (increased urination) in cats with kidney disease, Fix-BARF® renal menus can be mixed with about 30 ml of warm water before feeding. Many cats love this warm "soup."
• The energy content in the kidney complete menus is increased by additional fat, without increasing the total energy content of the portion. This includes an increased requirement for vitamin E (antioxidant) and a reduced amount of protein and phosphate. The menus contain 50% more vitamin E than required. The higher fat content in the recipe also increases acceptance, as cats are fat-loving carnivores.
• To achieve a phosphate content below the required level, egg whites are used in the special kidney menus. Egg whites provide highly digestible protein without phosphate. Raw egg white contains a protein that inhibits the absorption of biotin, an essential vitamin for cats. Therefore, the egg whites are cooked before being added to the menu.
• The proportion of salmon oil in the renal complete menus is 2 g per kg of food. The oil contains essential omega-3 fatty acids that support your cat's overall health.