Mary Allen
A cat’s diet should be tailored to its individual needs and health. Chronic patients in particular benefit from a suitable diet.
In addition to the administration of medication, nutrition can also make an important contribution to the therapy of chronic diseases. But even cats that need to be fed up or show behavioral problems can benefit from the right choice of food. There is now a suitable diet for many diseases.
Nurse Sick Cats And Support Convalescence
During the recovery phase after surgical interventions, accidents, or serious illnesses, cats need easily digestible, high-calorie, and nutritious food in order to regain their strength quickly.
It should also be particularly tasty so that the patient eats it: A high protein and fat content is attractive to many cats, and at the same time the acceptance of the food can be increased by heating it to body temperature.
Reduced Iodine Content For Cats With Hyperthyroidism
In the case of an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), the hormone production in the thyroid gland becomes unbalanced: too many active thyroid hormones are produced, which has a negative effect on the cat’s metabolism and – later on – the heart and nervous system. Senior cats over the age of 13 are particularly affected.
Since the thyroid hormones can only be formed with the help of the trace element iodine, feeding exclusively (!) a special low-iodine diet can help alleviate the symptoms of the disease. In addition, the phosphorus and sodium content of thyroid diets is tailored to the needs of older cats so as not to put unnecessary strain on the kidneys.
Cats With Diabetes Need More Quality Protein
Above all, overweight cats develop diabetes mellitus: the culprit is a diet that is too high in carbohydrates, which leads to resistance to the body’s own hormone insulin. Insulin is needed so that sugar can get from the blood into the cells and be used there as a source of energy. As a result, diabetic cats will drink more and urinate in large quantities to eliminate the excess sugar that accumulates in the bloodstream. Left untreated, diabetes leads to muscle weakness and nerve damage.
A change in diet and weight reduction is essential for diabetic patients. The appropriate feed should be high in protein and fat, with the carbohydrate content as low as possible.
A fixed feeding routine is also important: cats that are receiving insulin therapy and are injected daily should be given several small meals throughout the day and at consistent times to prevent dangerous blood sugar fluctuations.
Customized Feeding For Cats With Heart Disease
The diet of cats with heart disease is often neglected in veterinary consultations, but it can make a valuable contribution to therapy. Being overweight in particular poses a high risk because the constant stress on the cardiovascular system means that heart disease progresses more quickly.
However, losing weight should be done very slowly (1 to 2 percent weight loss per week) while conserving your own protein reserves. The sodium, potassium, and magnesium content of the feed also plays a special role and should be adjusted to the respective medication in cooperation with the veterinarian.
Prevent Urinary Tract Diseases With The Right Food
Diseases of the lower urinary tract (FLUTD) in cats are manifested by sterile bladder infections, urinary stones, or urinary gravel. What they have in common is that they are associated with severe pain and considerable difficulty in passing urine. Sick cats go to the litter box more often than average but can only urinate in tiny amounts. Obesity, lack of exercise, a low-moisture diet, and stress increase the risk of disease.
The choice of food is an important pillar of therapy for FLUTD. If the cat has always been fed dry food, a gradual switch to wet food is advisable. In order to minimize the risk of urinary stone formation, urinary tract diets are reduced in their mineral content; Magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium are among the “culprits”. The optimal content of omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, helps with inflammatory processes, while the addition of L-tryptophan and milk protein hydrolyzate are intended to reduce stress.
The pH value of the food also plays an important role – especially if the cat suffers from struvite stones. Special diets increase the pH of the urine (making it more acidic), which dissolves the struvite crystals and stones. In addition to any urinary tract diet, the cat should be encouraged to drink, for example by providing several water points and a drinking fountain. Stress factors should be eliminated.
Protect The Cat’s Kidneys With The Right Diet
The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins out of the body. If this important organ is restricted in its function, one speaks of renal insufficiency, which takes a chronic course in many cats (CRF).
A diet that is adapted to the severity of the disease plays an important role in relieving the burden on the kidneys. In the early stages, the phosphorus and sodium content should be reduced to protect the kidneys.
In the advanced stage, attention should also be paid to the protein content in the kidney diet food: the breakdown of proteins produces urea, which accumulates in the blood due to the restricted kidney performance and thus gradually poisons the cat from the inside. Therefore, the protein content in kidney diets is reduced, while at the same time attention is paid to particularly high-quality protein sources.
A problem in cats with kidney disease is also a lack of appetite: this is why palatability is so important in kidney diets.
Cats With Liver Disease Need Easily Digestible Food
In addition to the kidneys, the liver is also indispensable for the cat’s metabolism. The liver has a wide range of tasks: it is involved in fat digestion and sugar metabolism, is involved in detoxification, and acts as a storage organ. The symptoms that can occur when the liver function is impaired are just as multifaceted as their tasks. The most noticeable sign is a yellow discoloration of the skin and the visible mucous membranes, also known as jaundice. Only when 70 percent of the liver tissue is lost do functional failures and thus clear symptoms appear.
Nutrition plays an important role in the treatment of liver diseases. Liver diets consist of highly concentrated and easily digestible macronutrients. The protein content is reduced, and the remaining part is obtained from particularly high-quality sources. Complex carbohydrates help keep blood sugar steady. This relieves the liver. Increased fat content also increases the acceptance and energy content of the feed.
Cats With Allergies Must Be Consistently Fed An Appropriate Diet
In some cats, certain food components can cause the immune system to overreact – this is referred to as a food allergy. This can occur at any time and out of the blue, no matter how long the corresponding food has already been fed.
Certain sources of protein are often considered to be triggers, more rarely also other feed components such as thickeners, colorings, or preservatives. In the case of a feed allergy, the immune system mistakenly forms antibodies against these substances: The result is gastrointestinal complaints (vomiting, diarrhea) and/or various skin reactions (itching, scaly and dull fur).
Diagnosing a food allergy is a lengthy undertaking: the allergy-triggering component can be identified with the help of an elimination diet, in which the cat receives a previously unknown protein source and a subsequent provocation diet. From now on, it is important to strictly avoid it and switch to a hypoallergenic feed.
Often there is already an improvement. The whole process requires a lot of patience and consistency, but that’s not all: Because of the sheer abundance of commercial complete food varieties, many cats have already come into contact with several protein sources, making an elimination diet difficult for many velvet paws.
Food for allergy sufferers made from hydrolyzed proteins offers hope: During the hydrolysis process, the proteins are broken down by certain enzymes to such an extent that the immune system no longer recognizes the type of protein and accordingly does not react to it. BARF, i.e. raw feeding with self-prepared rations, can also be very successful with food allergies, but also requires a lot of knowledge about the cat’s special nutritional needs.
Bland Foods Are On The Menu For Cats With IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with diarrhea, vomiting, and deficiency symptoms and occurs in phases. Before the diagnosis is made, numerous other diseases must be ruled out. Feed intolerances often promote the inflammatory processes and can trigger flare-ups.
Here, too, an elimination diet is on the agenda: In the best case, switching to a hypoallergenic feed can already alleviate the symptoms, even if the disease itself cannot be cured. By feeding a special diet, in consultation with the veterinarian, cats with IBD can still lead full lives.
With Special Food Through Stressful Times
Cats are very sensitive animals and react extremely sensitively to stressful situations and changes in their environment. Special feeds can help in periods of stress and increased anxiety, as well as supporting behavioral therapy measures.
For example, alpha-capsazepine, a protein component of milk with anxiety-relieving properties, and the amino acid L-tryptophan, a precursor of the “happiness hormone” serotonin, provide stress relief. Anti-stress feed is also characterized by the addition of water-soluble vitamin B3, which acts as an anxiolytic sedative in the central nervous system.
Of course, these alone are not a panacea: the cat’s overall living conditions must be improved and chronic stress reduced. Nevertheless, they can have a positive effect on the psyche. If a predictable stressful situation such as moving house is imminent, the feeding of the special food should be started in good time (about two weeks in advance) so that the cat can benefit from the effect of the food.