Mary Allen
Very often we get calls for help because a cat wants to eat its kidney food or nothing at all. For anyone desperate for a cat appetite stimulant, a food alternative, or a miracle way to feed your cat, here are our top best practices.
Immediate Measures if the Cat with Kidney Disease Suddenly Stops Eating
Let’s assume the worst-case scenario: Your cat refuses the food, you don’t have any other cat food in the house, the shops are closed and your vet might not be available at the moment. What now? You can:
Warm the cat food to body temperature
The aromatic substances develop better in cat food that is at body temperature and many cats regain their appetite. It shouldn’t be hotter than body temperature and shouldn’t sit for long periods of time to avoid becoming unhygienic.
Moisten the dry food or let it swell to a warm porridge
Warm mashed food has a more intense aroma. In addition, the soft consistency makes it easier for cats with gingivitis or toothache to eat. In kidney diseases, inflammation of the gums occurs more frequently as a result of urinary poisoning (uremia).
Offer small amounts of fresh food frequently
It corresponds to the natural eating behavior of cats to eat a little about 15 times a day. However, wet food is usually not touched if it has been left in the bowl for more than an hour. Lots of tiny portions can help your cat get enough calories throughout the day.
Mix in small amounts of a treat your cat is particularly fond of
Increasing your cat’s kidney diet with meat or salty broth should be the absolute exception, as it puts a strain on the kidneys with extra protein or salt. Sometimes (on weekends, when there is no other option..) it’s still better than starving.
If your cat likes it, you can also occasionally mix in some butter, lard, or fatty fish. The fat provides a lot of energy and is a great flavor carrier. However, we advise against milk or cream for cats, as many react to the lactose with diarrhea, which further dries out the body (a common problem with kidney failure anyway).
Drive to the vet in an emergency
If you do not succeed at all in getting your cat to eat with these measures, a visit to the veterinarian makes sense. In the practice or clinic, you can administer an appetite-stimulating drug or something against nausea and check whether an acute problem is causing the loss of appetite. If needed, fluids, electrolytes, and/or nutrients can be given via an IV-IV to help bridge the dip until appetite returns.
Prepare for Periods of Food Refusal
Anyone who has experienced their cat with kidney disease suddenly not eating at all will not want to go through that again. Unfortunately, loss of appetite due to renal insufficiency becomes more common as the disease progresses. With the right preparation, you can usually help her through without having to go to the emergency services. In our experience, the best way to support your cat is to:
Consistently feed kidney diet food
Loss of appetite is usually caused by nausea and fatigue when your cat is suffering from urinary intoxication. Special kidney diet food helps to ensure that such so-called uraemic phases occur much less frequently. This has been scientifically proven for Hill’s k/d and Royal Canin Renal, for example. Therefore, if possible, you should not switch back to normal cat food if your cat suddenly refuses its kidney diet, but instead:
Have a different kidney diet ready in an emergency
It makes sense to stock up on kidney diet food in different flavors. Why? Because cats with kidney disease often associate their nausea with the food they ate before they became nauseous. Understandably, they then let it be, according to the motto “It made me so sick, I can’t even smell it anymore!”. Even inpatient treatment at the veterinarian can put your cat off the food it was given there because the smell of the food reminds them of the stressful experience.
However, the so-called “learned aversion” usually disappears again after about 40 days, so that you can then switch back to the type of food you are used to. For example, in addition to the “normal” Renal cat food, Royal Canin also has Renal Spezial for phases of loss of appetite in its range.
Use appetizers and poplar paste
We have had good experiences with alphabet ReConvales Tonicum as an appetite stimulant. It can also be used as long-term support if your cat eats a little but still loses weight because the amount of food consumed is not sufficient. RaConvales Tonicum also provides the cats with some liquid, energy, and vitamins.
Energy pastes such as ReConvales Päppelpaste or Vetoquinol Calo-Pet have proven themselves to give the cat short-term energy or simply to “pimp” the diet food a little. It has to be said that “diet food” is misleading in the case of a kidney diet, because: Kidney diets are very high in energy, so even a small amount of food is sufficient to cover the energy requirement. And when it comes to taste, the manufacturers go to great lengths because they know that cats with kidney disease are reluctant to eat. The poplar pastes should not be given permanently, but only for a few days to bridge bad phases.
Reach for liquid food or electrolyte solution
Even if cats with kidney disease do not like to eat, they are usually still thirsty. So it makes sense to supply at least a little additional energy with the liquid. For this purpose, we recommend Oralade electrolyte solution, which can also be frozen in portions in the form of ice cubes. If your cat does not drink itself, you can give the liquid with a syringe.
The high-energy tube feed Royal Canin Renal Liquid can also be given with a syringe. It was developed for intensive care patients and covers all nutritional needs.