Top 5 Of The Best Cat Food For Kidney Disease
If you’ve just discovered your cat has kidney disease – you’re not alone. Chronic kidney disease is one of the most common conditions indoor cats will experience. The usual culprit is dehydration. As a result, the kidneys can’t properly filter down waste products. It causes a lot of urination, weakness, and loss of appetite.
The only way to confirm if your cat has kidney disease for sure is through an official test and diagnosis. Once you know your cat is struggling, it can feel worrisome and overwhelming as a cat parent to improve your cat’s condition. But we want to reassure you that it doesn’t have to be all downhill from here.
The good news is nutrition and diet plays a key role in slowing the progression of kidney disease in your cat!
So it’s time to get good food that eases kidney strain and promotes renal function (acid-base balance). Here are some important considerations before you commit to purchasing. But always double check with your vet to ensure it’s right for your kitty.
Pros of this kidney disease care cat food：
- Real Chicken First Ingredient
- NO Chicken (or Poultry) By-Product Meals
- NO Corn, Wheat or Soy
- NO Artificial Flavors or Preservatives
Blue Buffalo saw rapid growth throughout the 2000s, going from a small family business in Connecticut to one of America’s corporate cat food giants.
BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet will provide your cat with superior nutrition plus a unique nutrient and antioxidant package specifically formulated for her needs.BLUE K+M Kidney + Mobility Support is a natural diet formulated by animal nutritionists for pets with a special dietary need.
With controlled protein and mineral levels to support healthy kidney function, plus glucosamine and chondroitin to support overall mobility in felines, the ingredients in BLUE K+M address two common ailments in cats.
This recipe from Blue Buffalo uses a “controlled” amount of real chicken, so it may not be suitable for cats in later-stage renal failure. But if your cat is not in later-stage renal failure, it is a really good choice for Kidney Disease.
For those who can eat whole meats, here’s a formula that offers a grain-free, low phosphorus and sodium diet that’s packed with supplements. It also includes extra DHA, glucosamine, and chondroitin—all supplements known to promote better mobility and joint function.
(Product requires authorization from a veterinarian).
What are owners saying? With a stellar rating of 4.8, owners loved how excited their cats were about Blue Buffalo’s formula, with it often being the only KD recipe that their cats would accept.
If your cat still can‘t accept KD recipe and loss of appetite, check out the next recommended item!
Pros of this kidney disease care cat food：
- Helps protect vital kidney function
- Stimulates appetite & increases food intake
- Supports the cat’s natural ability to build and maintain muscle mass daily
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- S+OXSHIELD: Formulated to promote a urinary environment that reduces the risk of developing struvite & calcium oxalate crystals
Known for being a premium pet food company that comes highly recommended by veterinarians, Hill’s start goes far back. In 1948 Dr. Mark Morris, a veterinarian known for formulating some of the world’s first clinical veterinary diets, was contracted by Burton Hill of the Hill Packing Company in Topeka, Kansas. Originally, Dr. Morris licensed Hill to produce his pet food formulas. So they worked together to manufacture food for dogs with kidney disease under the name Canine k/d.
When cats have damage to kidney tissues, the kidneys cannot perform as well as before, like filtering and reabsorbing nutrients. The condition is not reversible, but progression may be slowed. Therapeutic foods for kidney conditions are designed to help reduce workload on the kidneys, enabling them to function more effectively. Cats with decreased kidney function may experience loss of appetite and their food intake might decline.
Hill’s nutritionists and veterinarians developed Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d clinical nutrition to help protect your cat’s vital kidney function, enhance appetite and increase food intake. This dry food is made with chicken and has an irresistible taste that your cat will love. In fact, the nutrition of Prescription Diet k/d is clinically proven nutrition to improve & lengthen quality of life.This prescription recipe from Hill’s fits all the requirements for a kidney disease-friendly diet.
It’s low in protein and phosphorus, without resorting to the use of meat by-products or unnamed meals. In addition, Hill‘s has researched the tastes of cats with kidney disease and adopted our unique EAT technology in pursuit of deliciousness. It is known as a highly reliable food such as recommended by US veterinarians as No.1.
What are owners saying? This product scores highly on both flavor and nutritional benefit, with most cats seeming to happily switch to Hill’s dry food, and see improvements in their blood test results. Despite some owners complaining about the price, this formula still gets trust from owners.
If your cat is chronic or acute kidney disease, check out the next recommended item!
Pros of this kidney disease care cat food：
- Adjusts the amount of phosphorus and protein to reduce the burden on the kidneys
- Uses high quality hydrolyzed protein
- Phytochemical ingredients (phytonutrients) support renal function
FORZA10 Active Line is born from the meeting of Dr. Canello’s 40-year clinical experience with an accurate selection of herbal extracts and the purest fish, to accomplish SANYpet’s ultimate mission: curing all canine and feline food-related pathologies and satisfying all their nutritional needs through the most balanced diet possible.
FORZA10 Renal Active is a special dietetic food, balanced and complete, developed by SANYpet’s Research&Development Department for all adult cats with chronic or acute kidney disease.
FORZA10 Active Line is the natural alternative to medicines: a diet that can solve all the main health problems of cats! Especially for kidney disease!
FORZA10 Active Line diets are made up of two components (the AFS tablet and kibbles) that have been selected to solve all the most common chronic or recurrent inflammations deriving from adverse reactions to food.
FORZA10 Active Line kibbles – beside containing wild-caught fish as a high value protein source – employ rice or potatoes as hypoallergenic source of carbohydrates, and fish oil, naturally rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
This diet is also enriched by special heart-shaped tablets that carry a pool of specific natural extracts, mixed with kibbles in a 7% ratio. Thanks to our AFS (Active Fresh System) patented technology, these tablets are cold-pressed, in order to preserve the efficacy of the herbal extracts inside them. Supportting of the renal function during chronic kidney disease or temporary renal failure.
If your cat is a fan of rabbit, check out the next recommended item!
Pros of this kidney disease care cat food：
- Purposefully simple ingredient list for pets with food sensitivities - ONE ANIMAL PROTEIN and ONE VEGETABLE
- Made with farm-raised rabbit – a nutrient rich, easily digestible protein that provides all of the essential amino acids
- Made without - grain, dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, fish, sweet potato, potato, chickpeas, corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors or preservatives
- Guaranteed levels of natural Omegas and antioxidants for healthy skin & coat, and immune health
- The only limited ingredient diet kibble with the pure, real nutrition of raw on every piece
Every Instinct recipe starts with the highest quality ingredients from vendors they deeply trust. Moreover, their safety procedures are the best in the industry: Instinct is the ONLY raw pet food company in North America to achieve an “Excellent” Safe Quality Food (SQF) Food Safety rating and an SQF Quality Certification. Their raw food is cold-pressured to ensure it’s free of pathogens. This natural process uses high pressure (rather than high heat) to safely prepare raw food with more nutrients intact than cooked pet food. As a final safety step, all their food is tested by an external lab prior to leaving their facilities. In 2020, Instinct proudly became a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) that drives positive impact for the environments and communities where they do business.
Cats with kidney issues who aren’t quite at the point of requiring a heavily restricted diet might benefit from this limited-ingredient, raw food formula by Instinct.
While it’s still low in phosphorus, this recipe includes farm-raised, freeze-dried rabbit meat and rabbit meal, bolstered with pea protein and tapioca. Providing all of the essential amino acids, guaranteed levels of natural Omegas and antioxidants for kidney health.
Because it’s a raw recipe, this formula has a much lower moisture content than traditional wet food, so it’s important that cats eating this food receive lots of additional hydration. But it is suitable for kidney disease!
What are owners saying? Owners of cats with IBD and other digestive issues are big fans of this formula, which often allows their cats to access real proteins without experiencing stomach upset. For cats with significant kidney problems, however, it may not meet their needs. Overall, Instinct’s freeze-dried raw rabbit formula gets the trust of owners.
If your cat is underweight, please check out the last recommended item！
Pros of this kidney disease care cat food：
- Add an appetizing scent for cats that don’t eat traditional therapeutic foods
- Adjusting the content of phosphorus and protein to reduce the burden on the kidneys
- Contains multiple antioxidants such as EPA and DHA
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Renal Support + Hydrolyzed Protein dry cat food developed to be high in antioxidants, compounds that help reduce levels of toxins in the blood.It’s also low in phosphorus and proteins, which means that underweight cats should be able to intake enough calories without impacting their kidney function.
(Product requires authorization from a veterinarian).
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Renal Support + Hydrolyzed Protein dry cat food is the only veterinary-exclusive diet that supports kidney health and food sensitivities in adult cats. It helps stimulate appetite in cats and encourage eating with aromatic kibble. So It is suitable for underweight cats!
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Renal Support + Hydrolyzed Protein dry cat food helps promote kidney function with a precise antioxidant complex, fatty acids from fish oil, low phosphorus, and targeted protein levels.
What are owners saying? One of the most highly-rated foods on this list, Royal Canin has received positive feedback from owners for their Renal Support formula. Reviews highlight the combination of low protein and low carbs, as well as how Royal Canin often seems to work for cats that refused other big-brand KD recipes.
Tips
Please refer to this summary for how to choose cat food for cats that are worried about their kidneys and cats that have kidney disease.
- A comprehensive nutritional diet for kidney care and a therapeutic diet for kidney disease are different
- Always give therapeutic food under the guidance of a veterinarian
- Moderate protein
- Pay attention to the phosphorus content
- Contains omega 3 fatty acids to smooth blood flow
- Switch to a therapeutic diet little by little
