My old kitty Essie is 15 and recently had blood work done. Per lab print out BUN is 46+ (normal is 18-36) and Creatinine is 2.4+ (normal is 2). Vet has recommended either Hill or Royal Canin prescription urinary food. Unfortunately, Essie’s daughter (Mukluk) was diagnosed with chronic renal failure at age 6- and lasted about 2 more years. She wouldn’t eat the prescription food. She was doing better with interstitial fluids for a few years but when she declined I put her down (still really miss her, she was the best kitty). Anyone else have a kitty with renal issues? It’s so sad.
Jingles & AO for Essie ~ ((hugs))
Push onward ~ be brave ~
Wrap her in ‘home love’ and cherish each day you share together ~
- Daily subq fluids help them immensely !
Feline kidney issues … a heart wrenching assignment for all owners • IMHO
Thanks Zu Zu. I got Essie and her two babies when Essie was probably just old enough to have had kittens. Her babies were still nursing when I got them. So Essie and her remaining daughter Stinkerbelle are probably a year apart. Essie has just been slowing down lately and seems to have a good appetite but is thin. Will be starting her on the prescription food shortly. Stinker belle looks great- like a much younger cat. I call Essie “the little kitty with a big purr” - she’s a very sweet affectionate girl (Stinkerbelle on the other hand is a hellion). Just sad that due to CRF (chronic renal failure) Essie will leave me sooner than I would want.
There are a lot of websites that advise on how to feed kidney kitties. It seems that recent research is showing that phosphorous levels, not protein levels, are the most important thing to watch. I had a renal failure cat several years ago that would not eat the prescription food. The vet said to just give him what he would eat, as that is the most important thing at that point.
[QUOTE=Perfect10;8741508]
There are a lot of websites that advise on how to feed kidney kitties. It seems that recent research is showing that phosphorous levels, not protein levels, are the most important thing to watch. I had a renal failure cat several years ago that would not eat the prescription food. The vet said to just give him what he would eat, as that is the most important thing at that point.[/QUOTE]
That’s what I had to do with Mukluk, Essie’s daughter. She lasted for about 2 years after her diagnosis and was looking pretty good until the end (died in 2011). According to the vet, the palatability of the prescription foods has improved. But Essie will be the judge of that.
double post
How is Essie doing, did you find any food she will eat?
I have an old feral female, in the last weeks I have watched her trying to pee several times, it looks like she finally does and she is happy, she is skinny and is becoming more affectionate.
There is no way I can catch her, the time she was caught for spaying was the ONLY time, she eats cat chow and I have never been able to feed her anything else.
I just wish there was something I could do.
Maybe a Paté?
My cat’s kidney values are starting to creep up. She eats Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d very well. She likes the dry food and in the morning I give her the canned version. There are two canned varieties, chicken and seafood and she absolutely loves the seafood. Her test results improved on this diet.
If you’re willing to feed her all wet food, I’m currently using Nutro Max Adult Chicken Supreme Entree Chunks in Sauce because my elderly kitty won’t eat ANY of the prescription food. Stubborn lady. It’s lower in phosphorous than some of the other wet foods, but also a bit higher in fat, since my girl was getting skinny on the Purina ONE® Urinary Tract Health Formula.
She’s verging on 18 and has been a “kidney cat” since I got her at age 13.
Thanks, I will give it a try.
There’s a few different flavors of kidney foods available, I’d ask your vet for a tin of each and different brands. Sometimes switching them up instead of feeding the same thing day after day keeps their appetite stimulated.
We have an 18yo who has had kidney issues for the past 2 years. Not sure what his bloodwork was last. We try to get him to eat Royal canin renal formula but of course the young healthy cats want to eat the kidney food and the old men want to eat the “normal cat” food (wellness) so he isn’t 100% on a kidney diet. He did have one bad episode last fall where I thought we were going to have to put him down but he was just super constipated so an enema and some fluids fixed him right up. He is on daily thyroid meds and laxatives and still going strong.
They make many renal diet now and many flavors. I think royal canine makes 6 different renal diets for cats now(3 wet and 3 dry) and you can sometimes request a sampler box of them to try all. Good luck with your kitty.
Success with Nutro Max:)
I put a few cat chow in there but she acted like it was all poison.
First she wanted to kill me, then starve herself to death, this morning the food was gone but I had no proof who ate it:lol:
Again this morning I put some more out but she would not eat in front of me, food gone:confused:
Now 4PM I watched her from the window and she DID eat it, I am so happy, thanks for the tip.
Yay! Maybe she was convinced you were poisoning her with all the prescription foods, so it took a while before she’d even try anything new. 
Purina ONE® Urinary Tract Health Formula is also pretty palatable. Naturally, anything prescription, grain-free, or organic is CLEARLY poison.
