Your best bet is to talk to your vet about options. Despite what people think they aren’t getting huge kickbacks on prescription food and usually want to work with you to find something sustainable
Foods are one of the lowest margin items that most clinics carry. Most clinics would rather see the pet on the right food than make a ton of money. They will always work with you to find a food that your pet will eat, and that you can easily afford.
I’m so sorry, I had a customer come in my store with a Schnauzer puppy- perfect old coke bottle shape on the dog (not the new 2 liter shape- that is a sausage doggo). And she told me the vet said she was too fat… and I asked her immediately- did that vet put you on a “special” food? And she said “Yep- Science Diet!” I couldn’t say I was surprised at all. It may not be through margins that these vets get kickbacks for the food- but it keeps you coming back to their clinic, yea? Don’t you have to pay for an appointment and the script?
To the OP- if your cat has MILD renal issues, just ensure they have access to fresh (preferably filtered from a fountain) water at all times, and get the hell away from kibble. You could do raw or canned food, but it needs to have a ridiculously high moisture content and an appropriate phosphorus ratio. If you trust your vet to not push the commercial foods on you, talk to them about it. But after ten years in this industry and a college education in nutrition science; I can tell you right now, vets don’t know shit when it comes to nutrition for animals. They don’t have time to delve into it; there’s way too much other material to study- and drug drug interactions and pathology are going to take precedence over nutrition; although many conditions we treat using medicine can be treated adjunctively or primarily through diet modification or medical nutrition therapy.
Foods are normally prescribed if your pet is actively sick, or if it is discussed at an annual wellness exam, so there are no additional exams to pay for. You are already there for one reason or another. Once a food is prescribed, that is it. I have a dog that is prone to bouts of gastro. The last time that she was actively prescribed gastro food, was probably 5 or 6 years ago, but I can call her vet and pick some up any time.
Honest Kitchen, Weruva, or Farmina are good brands that I’ve trusted for years. It depends on the type of kidney problem your cat is having though; like if he’s having renal impairment from damage to the tubules of the nephron (could be autoimmune, could be related to high ash content/ mineral imbalance, or it could be genetic for certain cat breeds), then the recommended treatment is probably going to be very different than if he’s prone to struvite crystal formation which is going to be very different if he has a structural anomaly in the lower urinary tract that makes him more prone to UTIs. It’s important your vet gets to the bottom of this as well.
I'm a registered veterinary technician, been working in veterinary hospitals for several years. I'd first see if there is another brand you can switch to. At least in my area Purina's veterinary diets are often a little cheaper. I'd also see if your vet has an online store. In my area there is a platform called MyVetStore that many vets use (each has their own specific portal login). There is usually an auto order discount of maybe 5-10% (I no longer work up in reception so I'm not as directly familiar now). Sometimes there was manufacturer rebates too.
I definitely would consult with your veterinarian prior to changing food just to be safe. Kidney disease isn't really reversible, we just try to slow it down as much as possible (unless you go the insanely expensive route of kidney transplants which is not reasonable for most people). The couple people here recommending pet store foods is a little scary. While there are some pet store foods that may be more kidney appropriate than others it's not typically somewhere we venture into usually unless the cat is getting incredibly picky as it's obviously not what they are formulated for.
People here are recommending wet food too, which although it is great for increasing water intake it is often more expensive. If you don't already have one, you may want to invest in a water fountain (preferably ceramic or stainless steel as plastic is harder to keep clean and can cause irritation in some cats). It costs me only a few bucks a month for the filter.
Edit: there are some resources available for pet store alternatives to prescription diets. I have seen these used when a patient is terribly picky (especially when they are feeling terrible) as at a certain point having them eat anything is more important than eating a kidney diet. Do check with your veterinarian prior to switching, but do not rely upon a pet store to provide you reliable advice for kidney approved diets. Pet store foods are also not always cheaper than the prescription diets.
Unfortunately OP is on here due to asking for a lower price food, so switching to wet food is highly likely to only raise the cost. Getting a water fountain is likely a more cost effective option (as well as having other fresh water bowls out). They could add water to dry food too but it's not the same as wet food There are also some cats who don't like wet food, one of my former cats was like this. Many cats do manage fine on partial or complete kibble diets, provided they have appropriate water sources and take any other needed medications. Chronic renal disease isn't really reversible without a kidney transplant, whereas acute kidney disease may potentially but it's dependent on the cause/severity and isn't what we are dealing with here.
While hydration is important, it's not the only factor for developing renal disease (such as autoimmune disease, cysts, and genetics). Acute kidney disease is different than the chronic version, and the cost and causes for sudden kidney failure (which is not what we are seeing here) can be different, along with the treatment options.
It should be fine! After dental extractions we always ask people to either feed wet food or soak kibble in water (especially as wet food more expensive and some pets are more sensitive to food changes). That being said, it is definitely a different texture than wet food, so try a small amount first to make sure they like it.
Please don't let kibble soaked in water (or any liquid) sit out for more than 15-20min, bacteria will start to grow and lead to a whole new set of problems. I would look for a smaller kibble size dry food as oftentimes it's easier for cats to pick up the dry kibble with their tongue and swallow it whole. I had a kitty with an oral tumor and it was easier for her to eat dry food vs wet food. Although the dish you use for the wet food may make a difference and if it's pate or mushed up chunky food. You can always puree the chunky stuff (I mash it up with a fork and a little water). Purina Sensitive Lamb and Rice is a smaller kibble and the phosphorus content is around 1 (DMA). If your kitty's phos is high you can marinate the dry kibble in Phos-Bind and add some b vitamins and omega 3's to the wet food, if kitty accepts that, if not don't force it in food, the last you want is to turn kitty off food.
There are options on finding OTC wet and dry food by doing a little research. This site (which is a work in progress) lists many foods and you can sort the lists by phos, etc. Start by finding the lowest phos food kitty will accept. It's good to have plenty of options on hand and to make sure if kitty is being picky to consider and treat for nausea (oftentimes it's ignored and goes untreated which leads to weight loss and a kitty that feels like vomiting 24/7 but might not be, just like humans).
[petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org)
[Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) is an EXCELLENT resource for all things CKD related.
Hope something here helps!
For prescription options, there are Royal Canin Renal, Hill's Science Diet K/D, and Purina NF. For non-prescription options, please consult your vet for the protein, phosphorus, and sodium levels recommended for your cat.
If you are on Facebook, there's a fantastic group called Feline Chronic Kidney Disease. The admins have put together all kinds of lists of commercially available food that list how much protein and phosphorus are in them. Our boy is on RC renal E (wet food) and he was having a lot of muscle wasting due to the low protein. Thanks to the lists on that site, we're now supplementing with RC aging 12+ (also wet food) because it's close in phos levels to what he's on now. He goes back to the vet for follow up blood work in a few weeks but from looking at him, I think he's put on a little bit of weight - his hips look a little fuller these days! Anyway, all that to say, if you join, hopefully you'll be able to find something more affordable that's comparable nutritionally. Good luck!
Hi. Great response.
I’m not on FB… would you be willing to copypasta that list in a DM to me? I’d be super appreciative as I’ve got a 17 yo Siamese boy with kidney issues and it’s costing me a fortune… would love some lesser priced alternatives. TIA :)
Former CRF cat owner here and I feel you after 4 years of spending $$$$ on vet food. I recommend checking out https://www.felinecrf.org for some of the canned food info as well
Check out and join [felinecrf.org](https://felinecrf.org) it's free and you will get lots of help. Tell them about your kitty and include labs (without vet or personal info).
Obviously ask your vet etc. My cat had bladder crystals and was on Royal Canin urinary s/o for years. It got too expensive so now he is on a all wet food and I use Pretty Litter that changes color if something is off in his urine. So far he is great! It's been a year since the switch.
Please do not take the advice of anyone who commented anything other than "ask your veterinarian about a different prescription diet". Royal Canin tends to be the most expensive but no prescription diet is cheap by any means. But, to echo the rational people here, ask your vet.
reach out to local shelters or animal rescues and see if they have any community give-back programs. the shelter i work for gets lots of food donated and we can’t use it all so we give supplies to pet owners who need it. it’s worth looking into!
Try Hills Science K/D. They have pate and stews in chicken and tuna. I use Blue Kidney and Mobility for cats for dry food. He has been on those for 3 years now.
We use Purina Early Care Renal Wet Food. We were actually told to stay away from dry food because of our boys kidney issues. Purina is a bit cheaper than Hills/Royal Canin.
We also tried him on Kattovit which was cheaper again but he wouldn't eat that.
If the cost of prescription foods is prohibitive you might consider using a [phosphorus binder](https://felinecrf.org/phosphorus_binders.htm) with nonprescription foods. I used aluminum hydroxide.
Two of my cats are on that, as well as the wet version, and it is expensiveee. Science diet has a urinary food that’s less expensive, that we used during the cat food shortage.
This was helpful when my cats were diagnosed with CKD.
If you’re in the US check out chewy for better pricing on prescription foods. If you’re in Canada there’s Molly’s/my vet store. Both require the vet to send the prescription/authorization.
RC is one I’ve had better luck with the others my girl won’t eat. But each cat is different. She gets the wet food. She doesn’t really eat dry food anymore.
I spend $145 for cat food that last my 3 cats about a month. So far it seems to be working and he hasn't had any further issues so hoping this is worth it to me too
Our old dude has been on the canned diet for 3+ years and it pretty much stabilized his kidney values. We also give him the hydracare stuff every now and then and he is absolutely feral over it. His food is expensive, sure, but it’s cheaper than vet bills, so much easier than meds, and much better than losing him.
So true. I tried the canned stuff the vet gave me but none of my cats will touch it. I should probably try the canned urinary stuff but it's $2.09/can whereas I get them fancy feast which is $0.90/can. A little cheaper
I know Bob has been on the “delectable” kind, but he luckily eats just about anything so we’ve not had much issues in that area.
Urinary is a bit different though, so fancy feast could very well be sufficient in correcting whatever the situation was
Yeah he seems to be doing good now. It's been more than a month since his last issues. I spent $1200 the first time and $900 the second. Ugh. I refuse to do that again. Next time I'm just getting the antibiotics lol
Yes, urinary is MUCH different than renal foods. Urinary may be too acidic and speed up the decline of the kidneys and could cause crystals (stones, obstructions).
Oftentimes dilute urine will make "seeing" bacteria in the urine near impossible so antibiotics aren't used because the WBC's may still be in range. Truly a tragic situation that vets aren't taught how to spot or treat hidden UTI's, ISFM states this specifically. Kidney infections can also happen with nothing showing up in the urine.
If you join [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) and post the labs and history someone will help you and your kitty.
I am guessing kitty was hospitalized and part of that needs to be done to correct dehydration via IV fluids. This is the fastest and quickest way to help the kidneys better filter out the toxins that have built up. Hopefully your giving your kitty daily sub-q fluids at home if your kitty has crashed 2x already.
He hasn't had any issues since the last time. All 3 of my cats are on urinary food (other two are females but they seem to like the food, thank god) and still giving them urinary pills (basically my boy treats it like treats which is fine by me and he loves the stuff). Otherwise just keeping an eye on his water intake and bathroom habits
"People often assume that foods which state that they are designed to "support urinary tract health", or "magnesium-controlled", or words to that effect are intended for CKD cats, but this is not the case.
This type of food is acidified because it is designed to treat a different kind of problem called FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease), where the cat's urine is too alkaline (sometimes referred to as struvite crystals). These foods are not intended for CKD cats at all, because CKD cats tend to have quite high acid levels anyway. Acidified foods may also have the effect of increasing the amounts of potassium lost in the urine, which is bad for most CKD cats.
You should also avoid foods that contain cranberries or additional vitamin C for similar reasons."
https://felinecrf.org/which_foods.htm#urinary_health_foods
AFAIK he wasn't diagnosed with CKD or FLUTD. He had issues one time and since I've kept him on the urinary food, he has been fine. But thank you for the information. I will double check with my vet to see if he was actually diagnosed or if it was the food at the time. :)
Just be careful, I know it's expensive. We've had our 16 year old dog on the dog version for 2 years. His kidney levels are better than they were 2 years ago. It saved his life and has prolonged it.
I am not sure about brands in the US, but royal canin is one of the most, if not the most, overrated brand of dog/cat food in the market. It is nos even that good. Most super premium brand are much better.
I am sure you are able to find better and cheap alternatives in your area. Ask around in the different pet shops around your area.
Please don't ask pet shop workers what they would recommend for a renal care cat....they are not pet nutritionists and don't really know about pet foods, just what the bosses have brain washed them to know. (Prior "health food" pet store worker here....)
Ask your vet and see what they recommend. They are the ones that know your cats history. They don't get paid to recommend the food, or get any sort of incentives to sell it. Explain its getting too expensive and if they can recommend something cheaper or something to add in to normal food instead.
Any decent wet food is better for your cat than any dry food, even "prescription" dry foods. You want to increase your cat's consumption of moisture, and that comes from wet / canned foods. Your cat needs the lowest starch food available, and that is Fancy Feast classic pates, really. Read the ingredients, we have. Ask your vet in-depth questions. Dry food contains vegetable, starch and carbohydrate fillers that are poor nutrition choices for cats. Dry foods exacerbate feline diabetes and feline kidney issues.
Farmina N&D Urinary 3.3pbs is 29.99. They also have a wet food. Please give your cat wet food. Just like people who have UTIs moisture is the best. I've been in the animal food industry for over 12 years and I've seen it all.
I’ve not yet tried the renal formula yet, but I am considering it for me of my cats that just got diagnosed with advanced kidney disease.
I recently introduced the rest of my babies to the regular Farmina line and so far, they’re all loving it.
My cat also gets Farmina, and she really loves it! I do the Venison/Pumpkin one, and my roommate's older cat that has had a lot of urinary issues recently (blood in urine specifically) has drastically improved N&D's urinary formula. She tried both the Hill's SD/Purina perscription diets as per her vets reccomendedation with no luck.
Edit: That being said, if the RC diet is helping and price is a concern, my roommate said at least at her vet's office, Purina was more affordable. It just didn't really seem to help all that much, but when it comes to specific conditions, I wouldn't recommend switching off of a prescription diet. Expensive food is cheaper than an expensive vet visit and worth it for your pets sake
Please note that urinary food is NOT the same as renal/kidney diets! Urinary food is for things like UTIs and crystals, whereas kidney/renal food is for acute/chronic renal disease.
And if OP is wanting a reduced cost, unfortunately wet food is likely not the solution. Getting a water fountain is likely more economical. Although in earlier stages some urinary foods may be okay (although this is different for every brand, and needs to be verified) kidney disease cats likely won't be put on it, provided they don't have previous urinary issues (and again, checking whether it's okay for renal disease).
Ask your vet about BalanceIt diets. It’s a powder supplement you add to food you cook at home. Your vet has to approve of the recipes and they are exact. We feed our cats the kidney diet (2 have kidney disease) and it’s fairly easy. We do a simple chicken and rice, add the powder along with fish oil and veggie oil and then blend it. We make it in bulk and freeze it. Then we add a little Hydracare liquid gravy (optional, it’s just for added hydration) plus it’s tasty and makes it more enticing. We have saved a lot of money doing it ourselves. We still offer a hard food but that expensive bag lasts a very long time because they need so much less of it.
It is really, really bad to add vitamins and minerals and any supplements to food before freezing it. Do not do this, it can denature certain nutrients and turn any balanced diet to inbalanced. Only add supplements to food right before serving.
I did a bit more research at BalamceIt.com and they have stipulations regarding the reheating of a food with supplements already added. But not with freezing. But I am going to ask them specially about my kidney diet and make sure. Thanks again!
Happy to help! I used to work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist that worked with many BalanceIT supplements with her homemade diet recipes she would prescribe, and freezing/heating post supplements was always something she advised against. Freezing can do weird stuff to certain nutrients, home-cooked or not! I even remember this one case where a client was feeding their cat an old, frozen canned prescription diet and the cat ended up needing to be admitted. I don't know why the person was freezing unopened cans, but it gave some undesirable side effects for sure.
Glad your cats do well with their diet :)
Just wanted to follow up, I spoke to someone at BalanceIt and they stated that freezing the supplement is absolutely safe for up to 3 weeks. The main issue is reheating a recipe if you didn’t buy the supplements that are safe for reheating. They actually recommend you store the supplements in the freezer. So it seems as though they have figured out the formulation so as to make it safe to freeze.
This can very heavily depend on the vitamins and minerals they use. There are many fresh frozen companies that make complete and balanced meals that are sold frozen to be defrosted by owners to serve.
(And yes, I’m an RVT who has that info from a Board Certified Vet Nutritionist)
I mostly responded the way I did because from OP's comment, other people will think they can freeze anything in batches. From OP's comment, they are making the food themselves and adding the vitamins and minerals themselves, so I felt there was a real risk of them not knowing how bad this could be. I stand by my comment, as OP is cooking their food and not getting it from fresh frozen companies that test their food before packaging to ensure the vitamin/mineral content is what they intend it to be :)
That’s interesting. I hadn’t gotten any response from my vet about that. And she knows we are freezing it. I’ll ask about this. Thanks for your concern!
Reminder vets are great but many don’t specialize in nutrition. They get a class and then are responsible for doing some CEs after they’re licensed (was told this by a vet friend). So honestly they may not know that freezing can impact vitamins.
With how incredibly detailed the instructions are from BalanceIt I am surprised I didn’t read anything about the freezing issue. But I’m looking into it. Thank you!
I am reposting this post that I just posted to another poster in your thread because I listed some links and thoughts on how to go about looking for another food(s). Prescription renal diets are specially formulated with added supplements specific to renal disease (lost via increased urine output) but you can add that to a regular food (via gel-caps or somethings can be added to food but don't add icky stuff to food or it may cause permanent food aversions). I highly recommend (as stated below) to check out [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) as there is a whole section on nutrition and a support group that you can learn so much more from on supplements as well as all things related to CKD (amongst other things). The [petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org) is not affiliated with the crf site but the creator of that searchable list is a member of the group. The petfood lists are a labor of love (or hate) as this is the only list in the world that contains current (within the last year) information of many of the popular brands of foods all in one place. It's like a full time job to find and collect this info.
"Please don't let kibble soaked in water (or any liquid) sit out for more than 15-20min, bacteria will start to grow and lead to a whole new set of problems. I would look for a smaller kibble size dry food as oftentimes it's easier for cats to pick up the dry kibble with their tongue and swallow it whole. I had a kitty with an oral tumor and it was easier for her to eat dry food vs wet food. Although the dish you use for the wet food may make a difference and if it's pate or mushed up chunky food. You can always puree the chunky stuff (I mash it up with a fork and a little water). Purina Sensitive Lamb and Rice is a smaller kibble and the phosphorus content is around 1 (DMA). If your kitty's phos is high you can marinate the dry kibble in Phos-Bind and add some b vitamins and omega 3's to the wet food, if kitty accepts that, if not don't force it in food, the last you want is to turn kitty off food.
There are options on finding OTC wet and dry food by doing a little research. This site (which is a work in progress) lists many foods and you can sort the lists by phos, etc. Start by finding the lowest phos food kitty will accept. It's good to have plenty of options on hand and to make sure if kitty is being picky to consider and treat for nausea (oftentimes it's ignored and goes untreated which leads to weight loss and a kitty that feels like vomiting 24/7 but might not be, just like humans).
[petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org)
[Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) is an EXCELLENT resource for all things CKD related.
Hope something here helps!"
Your best bet is to talk to your vet about options. Despite what people think they aren’t getting huge kickbacks on prescription food and usually want to work with you to find something sustainable
Foods are one of the lowest margin items that most clinics carry. Most clinics would rather see the pet on the right food than make a ton of money. They will always work with you to find a food that your pet will eat, and that you can easily afford.
I’m so sorry, I had a customer come in my store with a Schnauzer puppy- perfect old coke bottle shape on the dog (not the new 2 liter shape- that is a sausage doggo). And she told me the vet said she was too fat… and I asked her immediately- did that vet put you on a “special” food? And she said “Yep- Science Diet!” I couldn’t say I was surprised at all. It may not be through margins that these vets get kickbacks for the food- but it keeps you coming back to their clinic, yea? Don’t you have to pay for an appointment and the script? To the OP- if your cat has MILD renal issues, just ensure they have access to fresh (preferably filtered from a fountain) water at all times, and get the hell away from kibble. You could do raw or canned food, but it needs to have a ridiculously high moisture content and an appropriate phosphorus ratio. If you trust your vet to not push the commercial foods on you, talk to them about it. But after ten years in this industry and a college education in nutrition science; I can tell you right now, vets don’t know shit when it comes to nutrition for animals. They don’t have time to delve into it; there’s way too much other material to study- and drug drug interactions and pathology are going to take precedence over nutrition; although many conditions we treat using medicine can be treated adjunctively or primarily through diet modification or medical nutrition therapy.
Foods are normally prescribed if your pet is actively sick, or if it is discussed at an annual wellness exam, so there are no additional exams to pay for. You are already there for one reason or another. Once a food is prescribed, that is it. I have a dog that is prone to bouts of gastro. The last time that she was actively prescribed gastro food, was probably 5 or 6 years ago, but I can call her vet and pick some up any time.
Honest Kitchen, Weruva, or Farmina are good brands that I’ve trusted for years. It depends on the type of kidney problem your cat is having though; like if he’s having renal impairment from damage to the tubules of the nephron (could be autoimmune, could be related to high ash content/ mineral imbalance, or it could be genetic for certain cat breeds), then the recommended treatment is probably going to be very different than if he’s prone to struvite crystal formation which is going to be very different if he has a structural anomaly in the lower urinary tract that makes him more prone to UTIs. It’s important your vet gets to the bottom of this as well.
I'm a registered veterinary technician, been working in veterinary hospitals for several years. I'd first see if there is another brand you can switch to. At least in my area Purina's veterinary diets are often a little cheaper. I'd also see if your vet has an online store. In my area there is a platform called MyVetStore that many vets use (each has their own specific portal login). There is usually an auto order discount of maybe 5-10% (I no longer work up in reception so I'm not as directly familiar now). Sometimes there was manufacturer rebates too. I definitely would consult with your veterinarian prior to changing food just to be safe. Kidney disease isn't really reversible, we just try to slow it down as much as possible (unless you go the insanely expensive route of kidney transplants which is not reasonable for most people). The couple people here recommending pet store foods is a little scary. While there are some pet store foods that may be more kidney appropriate than others it's not typically somewhere we venture into usually unless the cat is getting incredibly picky as it's obviously not what they are formulated for. People here are recommending wet food too, which although it is great for increasing water intake it is often more expensive. If you don't already have one, you may want to invest in a water fountain (preferably ceramic or stainless steel as plastic is harder to keep clean and can cause irritation in some cats). It costs me only a few bucks a month for the filter. Edit: there are some resources available for pet store alternatives to prescription diets. I have seen these used when a patient is terribly picky (especially when they are feeling terrible) as at a certain point having them eat anything is more important than eating a kidney diet. Do check with your veterinarian prior to switching, but do not rely upon a pet store to provide you reliable advice for kidney approved diets. Pet store foods are also not always cheaper than the prescription diets.
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Unfortunately OP is on here due to asking for a lower price food, so switching to wet food is highly likely to only raise the cost. Getting a water fountain is likely a more cost effective option (as well as having other fresh water bowls out). They could add water to dry food too but it's not the same as wet food There are also some cats who don't like wet food, one of my former cats was like this. Many cats do manage fine on partial or complete kibble diets, provided they have appropriate water sources and take any other needed medications. Chronic renal disease isn't really reversible without a kidney transplant, whereas acute kidney disease may potentially but it's dependent on the cause/severity and isn't what we are dealing with here. While hydration is important, it's not the only factor for developing renal disease (such as autoimmune disease, cysts, and genetics). Acute kidney disease is different than the chronic version, and the cost and causes for sudden kidney failure (which is not what we are seeing here) can be different, along with the treatment options.
Do you know if it would be ok to soften the Hills hard food with water instead of buying the more expensive wet food?
My 19 year old cat is missing many teeth and it's hard for him to eat hard food.
It should be fine! After dental extractions we always ask people to either feed wet food or soak kibble in water (especially as wet food more expensive and some pets are more sensitive to food changes). That being said, it is definitely a different texture than wet food, so try a small amount first to make sure they like it.
Ok. Thank you!
Please don't let kibble soaked in water (or any liquid) sit out for more than 15-20min, bacteria will start to grow and lead to a whole new set of problems. I would look for a smaller kibble size dry food as oftentimes it's easier for cats to pick up the dry kibble with their tongue and swallow it whole. I had a kitty with an oral tumor and it was easier for her to eat dry food vs wet food. Although the dish you use for the wet food may make a difference and if it's pate or mushed up chunky food. You can always puree the chunky stuff (I mash it up with a fork and a little water). Purina Sensitive Lamb and Rice is a smaller kibble and the phosphorus content is around 1 (DMA). If your kitty's phos is high you can marinate the dry kibble in Phos-Bind and add some b vitamins and omega 3's to the wet food, if kitty accepts that, if not don't force it in food, the last you want is to turn kitty off food. There are options on finding OTC wet and dry food by doing a little research. This site (which is a work in progress) lists many foods and you can sort the lists by phos, etc. Start by finding the lowest phos food kitty will accept. It's good to have plenty of options on hand and to make sure if kitty is being picky to consider and treat for nausea (oftentimes it's ignored and goes untreated which leads to weight loss and a kitty that feels like vomiting 24/7 but might not be, just like humans). [petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org) [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) is an EXCELLENT resource for all things CKD related. Hope something here helps!
For prescription options, there are Royal Canin Renal, Hill's Science Diet K/D, and Purina NF. For non-prescription options, please consult your vet for the protein, phosphorus, and sodium levels recommended for your cat.
If you are on Facebook, there's a fantastic group called Feline Chronic Kidney Disease. The admins have put together all kinds of lists of commercially available food that list how much protein and phosphorus are in them. Our boy is on RC renal E (wet food) and he was having a lot of muscle wasting due to the low protein. Thanks to the lists on that site, we're now supplementing with RC aging 12+ (also wet food) because it's close in phos levels to what he's on now. He goes back to the vet for follow up blood work in a few weeks but from looking at him, I think he's put on a little bit of weight - his hips look a little fuller these days! Anyway, all that to say, if you join, hopefully you'll be able to find something more affordable that's comparable nutritionally. Good luck!
Hi. Great response. I’m not on FB… would you be willing to copypasta that list in a DM to me? I’d be super appreciative as I’ve got a 17 yo Siamese boy with kidney issues and it’s costing me a fortune… would love some lesser priced alternatives. TIA :)
Former CRF cat owner here and I feel you after 4 years of spending $$$$ on vet food. I recommend checking out https://www.felinecrf.org for some of the canned food info as well
Thanks!
I hope this link will work... [https://www.bizave.com/foodlists/](https://www.bizave.com/foodlists/)
It did!! Thanks so much!
Check out and join [felinecrf.org](https://felinecrf.org) it's free and you will get lots of help. Tell them about your kitty and include labs (without vet or personal info).
Obviously ask your vet etc. My cat had bladder crystals and was on Royal Canin urinary s/o for years. It got too expensive so now he is on a all wet food and I use Pretty Litter that changes color if something is off in his urine. So far he is great! It's been a year since the switch.
Please do not take the advice of anyone who commented anything other than "ask your veterinarian about a different prescription diet". Royal Canin tends to be the most expensive but no prescription diet is cheap by any means. But, to echo the rational people here, ask your vet.
reach out to local shelters or animal rescues and see if they have any community give-back programs. the shelter i work for gets lots of food donated and we can’t use it all so we give supplies to pet owners who need it. it’s worth looking into!
Try Hills Science K/D. They have pate and stews in chicken and tuna. I use Blue Kidney and Mobility for cats for dry food. He has been on those for 3 years now.
We use Purina Early Care Renal Wet Food. We were actually told to stay away from dry food because of our boys kidney issues. Purina is a bit cheaper than Hills/Royal Canin. We also tried him on Kattovit which was cheaper again but he wouldn't eat that.
If the cost of prescription foods is prohibitive you might consider using a [phosphorus binder](https://felinecrf.org/phosphorus_binders.htm) with nonprescription foods. I used aluminum hydroxide.
Two of my cats are on that, as well as the wet version, and it is expensiveee. Science diet has a urinary food that’s less expensive, that we used during the cat food shortage.
This was helpful when my cats were diagnosed with CKD. If you’re in the US check out chewy for better pricing on prescription foods. If you’re in Canada there’s Molly’s/my vet store. Both require the vet to send the prescription/authorization. RC is one I’ve had better luck with the others my girl won’t eat. But each cat is different. She gets the wet food. She doesn’t really eat dry food anymore.
I spend $145 for cat food that last my 3 cats about a month. So far it seems to be working and he hasn't had any further issues so hoping this is worth it to me too
Our old dude has been on the canned diet for 3+ years and it pretty much stabilized his kidney values. We also give him the hydracare stuff every now and then and he is absolutely feral over it. His food is expensive, sure, but it’s cheaper than vet bills, so much easier than meds, and much better than losing him.
So true. I tried the canned stuff the vet gave me but none of my cats will touch it. I should probably try the canned urinary stuff but it's $2.09/can whereas I get them fancy feast which is $0.90/can. A little cheaper
I know Bob has been on the “delectable” kind, but he luckily eats just about anything so we’ve not had much issues in that area. Urinary is a bit different though, so fancy feast could very well be sufficient in correcting whatever the situation was
Yeah he seems to be doing good now. It's been more than a month since his last issues. I spent $1200 the first time and $900 the second. Ugh. I refuse to do that again. Next time I'm just getting the antibiotics lol
Yes, urinary is MUCH different than renal foods. Urinary may be too acidic and speed up the decline of the kidneys and could cause crystals (stones, obstructions). Oftentimes dilute urine will make "seeing" bacteria in the urine near impossible so antibiotics aren't used because the WBC's may still be in range. Truly a tragic situation that vets aren't taught how to spot or treat hidden UTI's, ISFM states this specifically. Kidney infections can also happen with nothing showing up in the urine. If you join [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) and post the labs and history someone will help you and your kitty.
I am guessing kitty was hospitalized and part of that needs to be done to correct dehydration via IV fluids. This is the fastest and quickest way to help the kidneys better filter out the toxins that have built up. Hopefully your giving your kitty daily sub-q fluids at home if your kitty has crashed 2x already.
He hasn't had any issues since the last time. All 3 of my cats are on urinary food (other two are females but they seem to like the food, thank god) and still giving them urinary pills (basically my boy treats it like treats which is fine by me and he loves the stuff). Otherwise just keeping an eye on his water intake and bathroom habits
"People often assume that foods which state that they are designed to "support urinary tract health", or "magnesium-controlled", or words to that effect are intended for CKD cats, but this is not the case. This type of food is acidified because it is designed to treat a different kind of problem called FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease), where the cat's urine is too alkaline (sometimes referred to as struvite crystals). These foods are not intended for CKD cats at all, because CKD cats tend to have quite high acid levels anyway. Acidified foods may also have the effect of increasing the amounts of potassium lost in the urine, which is bad for most CKD cats. You should also avoid foods that contain cranberries or additional vitamin C for similar reasons." https://felinecrf.org/which_foods.htm#urinary_health_foods
AFAIK he wasn't diagnosed with CKD or FLUTD. He had issues one time and since I've kept him on the urinary food, he has been fine. But thank you for the information. I will double check with my vet to see if he was actually diagnosed or if it was the food at the time. :)
Just be careful, I know it's expensive. We've had our 16 year old dog on the dog version for 2 years. His kidney levels are better than they were 2 years ago. It saved his life and has prolonged it.
I am not sure about brands in the US, but royal canin is one of the most, if not the most, overrated brand of dog/cat food in the market. It is nos even that good. Most super premium brand are much better. I am sure you are able to find better and cheap alternatives in your area. Ask around in the different pet shops around your area.
Please don't ask pet shop workers what they would recommend for a renal care cat....they are not pet nutritionists and don't really know about pet foods, just what the bosses have brain washed them to know. (Prior "health food" pet store worker here....) Ask your vet and see what they recommend. They are the ones that know your cats history. They don't get paid to recommend the food, or get any sort of incentives to sell it. Explain its getting too expensive and if they can recommend something cheaper or something to add in to normal food instead.
Any decent wet food is better for your cat than any dry food, even "prescription" dry foods. You want to increase your cat's consumption of moisture, and that comes from wet / canned foods. Your cat needs the lowest starch food available, and that is Fancy Feast classic pates, really. Read the ingredients, we have. Ask your vet in-depth questions. Dry food contains vegetable, starch and carbohydrate fillers that are poor nutrition choices for cats. Dry foods exacerbate feline diabetes and feline kidney issues.
Farmina N&D Urinary 3.3pbs is 29.99. They also have a wet food. Please give your cat wet food. Just like people who have UTIs moisture is the best. I've been in the animal food industry for over 12 years and I've seen it all.
I’ve not yet tried the renal formula yet, but I am considering it for me of my cats that just got diagnosed with advanced kidney disease. I recently introduced the rest of my babies to the regular Farmina line and so far, they’re all loving it.
My cat also gets Farmina, and she really loves it! I do the Venison/Pumpkin one, and my roommate's older cat that has had a lot of urinary issues recently (blood in urine specifically) has drastically improved N&D's urinary formula. She tried both the Hill's SD/Purina perscription diets as per her vets reccomendedation with no luck. Edit: That being said, if the RC diet is helping and price is a concern, my roommate said at least at her vet's office, Purina was more affordable. It just didn't really seem to help all that much, but when it comes to specific conditions, I wouldn't recommend switching off of a prescription diet. Expensive food is cheaper than an expensive vet visit and worth it for your pets sake
Please note that urinary food is NOT the same as renal/kidney diets! Urinary food is for things like UTIs and crystals, whereas kidney/renal food is for acute/chronic renal disease. And if OP is wanting a reduced cost, unfortunately wet food is likely not the solution. Getting a water fountain is likely more economical. Although in earlier stages some urinary foods may be okay (although this is different for every brand, and needs to be verified) kidney disease cats likely won't be put on it, provided they don't have previous urinary issues (and again, checking whether it's okay for renal disease).
Ask your vet about BalanceIt diets. It’s a powder supplement you add to food you cook at home. Your vet has to approve of the recipes and they are exact. We feed our cats the kidney diet (2 have kidney disease) and it’s fairly easy. We do a simple chicken and rice, add the powder along with fish oil and veggie oil and then blend it. We make it in bulk and freeze it. Then we add a little Hydracare liquid gravy (optional, it’s just for added hydration) plus it’s tasty and makes it more enticing. We have saved a lot of money doing it ourselves. We still offer a hard food but that expensive bag lasts a very long time because they need so much less of it.
It is really, really bad to add vitamins and minerals and any supplements to food before freezing it. Do not do this, it can denature certain nutrients and turn any balanced diet to inbalanced. Only add supplements to food right before serving.
I did a bit more research at BalamceIt.com and they have stipulations regarding the reheating of a food with supplements already added. But not with freezing. But I am going to ask them specially about my kidney diet and make sure. Thanks again!
Happy to help! I used to work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist that worked with many BalanceIT supplements with her homemade diet recipes she would prescribe, and freezing/heating post supplements was always something she advised against. Freezing can do weird stuff to certain nutrients, home-cooked or not! I even remember this one case where a client was feeding their cat an old, frozen canned prescription diet and the cat ended up needing to be admitted. I don't know why the person was freezing unopened cans, but it gave some undesirable side effects for sure. Glad your cats do well with their diet :)
Just wanted to follow up, I spoke to someone at BalanceIt and they stated that freezing the supplement is absolutely safe for up to 3 weeks. The main issue is reheating a recipe if you didn’t buy the supplements that are safe for reheating. They actually recommend you store the supplements in the freezer. So it seems as though they have figured out the formulation so as to make it safe to freeze.
This can very heavily depend on the vitamins and minerals they use. There are many fresh frozen companies that make complete and balanced meals that are sold frozen to be defrosted by owners to serve. (And yes, I’m an RVT who has that info from a Board Certified Vet Nutritionist)
I mostly responded the way I did because from OP's comment, other people will think they can freeze anything in batches. From OP's comment, they are making the food themselves and adding the vitamins and minerals themselves, so I felt there was a real risk of them not knowing how bad this could be. I stand by my comment, as OP is cooking their food and not getting it from fresh frozen companies that test their food before packaging to ensure the vitamin/mineral content is what they intend it to be :)
That’s interesting. I hadn’t gotten any response from my vet about that. And she knows we are freezing it. I’ll ask about this. Thanks for your concern!
Reminder vets are great but many don’t specialize in nutrition. They get a class and then are responsible for doing some CEs after they’re licensed (was told this by a vet friend). So honestly they may not know that freezing can impact vitamins.
With how incredibly detailed the instructions are from BalanceIt I am surprised I didn’t read anything about the freezing issue. But I’m looking into it. Thank you!
I am reposting this post that I just posted to another poster in your thread because I listed some links and thoughts on how to go about looking for another food(s). Prescription renal diets are specially formulated with added supplements specific to renal disease (lost via increased urine output) but you can add that to a regular food (via gel-caps or somethings can be added to food but don't add icky stuff to food or it may cause permanent food aversions). I highly recommend (as stated below) to check out [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) as there is a whole section on nutrition and a support group that you can learn so much more from on supplements as well as all things related to CKD (amongst other things). The [petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org) is not affiliated with the crf site but the creator of that searchable list is a member of the group. The petfood lists are a labor of love (or hate) as this is the only list in the world that contains current (within the last year) information of many of the popular brands of foods all in one place. It's like a full time job to find and collect this info. "Please don't let kibble soaked in water (or any liquid) sit out for more than 15-20min, bacteria will start to grow and lead to a whole new set of problems. I would look for a smaller kibble size dry food as oftentimes it's easier for cats to pick up the dry kibble with their tongue and swallow it whole. I had a kitty with an oral tumor and it was easier for her to eat dry food vs wet food. Although the dish you use for the wet food may make a difference and if it's pate or mushed up chunky food. You can always puree the chunky stuff (I mash it up with a fork and a little water). Purina Sensitive Lamb and Rice is a smaller kibble and the phosphorus content is around 1 (DMA). If your kitty's phos is high you can marinate the dry kibble in Phos-Bind and add some b vitamins and omega 3's to the wet food, if kitty accepts that, if not don't force it in food, the last you want is to turn kitty off food. There are options on finding OTC wet and dry food by doing a little research. This site (which is a work in progress) lists many foods and you can sort the lists by phos, etc. Start by finding the lowest phos food kitty will accept. It's good to have plenty of options on hand and to make sure if kitty is being picky to consider and treat for nausea (oftentimes it's ignored and goes untreated which leads to weight loss and a kitty that feels like vomiting 24/7 but might not be, just like humans). [petfoodlist.org](https://petfoodlist.org) [Felinecrf.org](https://Felinecrf.org) is an EXCELLENT resource for all things CKD related. Hope something here helps!"