Clinical evaluation of dietary modification for treatment of spontaneous chronic kidney disease in cats

Diet changes can help cats with chronic renal failure, or kidney disease

source: Ross SJ, Osborne CA, Kirk CA, Lowry SR, Koehler LA, Polzin DJ.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association vol 229 no 6, September 15 2006
starts p949, 9 pages long

Researchers from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine, have verified that altering diet in terms of protein, sodium, phosphorus, and lipids can help cats with chronic renal failure, or kidney disease (CKD). The cats on the modified diet were likely to have fewer uraemic episodes and were less likely to die of kidney disease than were cats on a normal adult maintenance diet. The study involved 45 cats with either stage 2 or stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Twenty three of the cats were fed an adult maintenance diet, and 22 were fed a special diet designed for cats with kidney problems. The cats were tested three times a month for up to two years. Cats on the special diet had significantly lower urea nitrogen concentrations, while their concentrations of blood bicarbonate were significantly higher. There were no significant differences found in the body weights of the two groups. None of the cats on the special renal diet suffered uraemic episodes, while 26% of the cats on the maintenance diet suffered uraemic crises. The cats on the special renal diet were much less likely to die from kidney-related problems, though this was not true for all causes of death.
CA,HD