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"Kaleo" wrote in message om... My cat has mild kidney failure and is now eating one of those low protein special diets. She used to eat hairball formula cat food that helped a lot with her hairballs. Now that she's not eating that I started giving her one of the petroleum hairball rememdys. However that doesn't seem to be doing her any good. Has anyone else had this problem or have any advice of what to do for her? I've found some fiber supplements for cats online, but can I give those to her? One website said that the fiber absorbs more water so that the hair can pass easier, but having kidney failure, doesn't she need all the water she can get? Otoh, cats in renal failure often get constipated, so as long as she drinks plenty of water, maybe the fiber will help her out & forestall future constipation probs? Cathy |
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Kidney disease and hairballs
My cat has mild kidney failure and is now eating one of those low
protein special diets. She used to eat hairball formula cat food that helped a lot with her hairballs. Now that she's not eating that I started giving her one of the petroleum hairball rememdys. However that doesn't seem to be doing her any good. Has anyone else had this problem or have any advice of what to do for her? I've found some fiber supplements for cats online, but can I give those to her? One website said that the fiber absorbs more water so that the hair can pass easier, but having kidney failure, doesn't she need all the water she can get? |
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one of the petroleum hairball rememdys. However
that doesn't seem to be doing her any good. Is olive oil an option? www.mimiforsyth.com |
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Kaleo,
One thing here to understand. If you, as a human, take a laxative long enough, your body builds a tolerance to it where it no longer is effective as a laxative. So, when you look at laxatives for your sweetie, you need to alternate them. Like us humans eating different fibered foods to keep our bodies regular, cats need a similar fiber laxative variation. Your cat will begin to balk at consuming a gel off your fingers (or swabbed on the paws) after awhile mostly because the cat knows it isn't beneficial anymore. There are numerous types of laxatives .. some with more natural healthy ingredients. Petromalt has pre-measured capsules that you mix in soft foods. Then, there is the grow-the-grass bowls for indoor cats since they can't get out to chew on nature. Even buying catnip plants are a healthy theme .. cats eat only what they need. Realize these petroleum laxatives (and other laxatives) are diuretics, which can cause a degree of dehydration and forcing them on your cat can add to kidney stress. Your cat knows what is bad or good for it to consume. Natural is definitely better for the system, but the gels are a fast method for a short period of effectiveness. So, there are some things like green beans, green peas, pumpkin, squash .. human babyfoods (make sure they don't have onion/garlic powders/ingredients). If you like Japanese squash/pumpkin, bake some up and freeze it for later use. The seeded fiber stuff you toss out from your canteloupe is rich with fiber and nutrients a constipated cat can benefit from .. and you, too with the fruit of your limited labor. The basic point here is that your cat needs variations in the fiber and laxatives that are consumed each day. If you eat prunes everyday, suddenly they have no effect as they did when you first began eating them. Remember .. variety and things will "go" smoothly. |
#5
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"Kaleo" wrote in message om... My cat has mild kidney failure and is now eating one of those low protein special diets. She used to eat hairball formula cat food that helped a lot with her hairballs. Now that she's not eating that I started giving her one of the petroleum hairball rememdys. However that doesn't seem to be doing her any good. Has anyone else had this problem or have any advice of what to do for her? I've found some fiber supplements for cats online, but can I give those to her? One website said that the fiber absorbs more water so that the hair can pass easier, but having kidney failure, doesn't she need all the water she can get? Your cat's protein intake shouldn't be restricted unless/until her BUN exceeds 60-80 mg/dl. Actually, renal cats should eat as much high-quality protein as possible without driving the BUN over 60-80 mg/dl. Premature protein restriction in cats can have very deleterious effects (e.g., reduced immunological response and reduced resistance to infection, reduced hemoglobin production and anemia, muscle wasting). The concept of restricting protein to slow the progression of CRF was based on older studies in lab rats. Its now known that the mechanisms that can alter progression of CRF in the rat don't have the same effect in the cat (or the dog). Cats have a relatively high protein requirement, therefore, protein restriction should be instituted only when the BUN exceeds 60-80 mg/dl - to control uremia. Increasing fiber is a double-edged sword. Although fiber may help reduce the BUN and relieve constipation, it also reduces the nutrient and energy density of the diet because it displaces protein, fat and carbs. Thus the cat needs to eat more food to meet her nutrient and energy requirements. This in turn increases the renal solute load which increases the amount of water the cat needs to consume to eliminate the solutes. Fiber can also contribute to and actually cause constipation. Cats on high fiber diets must be *well* hydrated to avoid impaction of the fiber in the colon. However, renal cats are prone to dehydration because of their kidneys' impaired ability to concentrate urine. If hairballs are a problem, I suggest brushing your cat everyday with a plastic-nub, palm shampoo brush (the type with a ring through which you slide your finger. After you brush your cat, wipe her down with a damp face cloth (then dry her off) - you'll be amazed by the amount of loose hair the damp cloth picks up! As far as diet for an early-to-mid stage renal cat, I highly recommend a *low acidic* diet such as Hill's Prescription Feline x/d with Chicken (canned). This diet contains moderate protein (43% DMB) and relatively low phosphorus (0.53% DMB). I've had excellent results with this diet in our renal cats. Some of our renal cats have made *dramatic* comebacks on this diet. Best of luck, Phil |
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