Benefits of Raw Food for Cats, in Relation to Kidney Disease
29th Aug 2023
Kidneys are an extremely important organ; good kidney function is key to the overall health of your cat. Important functions of the kidneys include, removing toxins from the blood, managing blood pressure, maintaining normal electrolyte balance, regulating hydration, and producing the hormones that stimulate the production of red blood cells.
Types of kidney failure in cats
There are two types of kidney failure in cats - acute and chronic:
Acute
Acute kidney problems are caused by a sudden event. This means that the symptoms come on very quickly, as healthy kidneys stop functioning properly. This can be caused by injury, infection, poisoning, etc.
Chronic
Chronic kidney failure is a progressive illness. The symptoms will come on gradually, as the kidneys become less efficient over months, or years. There are many potential causes, including genetic predisposal, poor diet, birth defects, etc.
Symptoms
Increased thirst (polydipsia) and urination (polyuria) – This is because as the kidneys become diseased, they cannot filter waste & toxins from the bloodstream, or concentrate the urine. This causes your cat to lose more fluids and they may drink more to battle dehydration.
Poor appetite – Toxins that are usually passed in the urine, build up in the cat’s body. This can make them feel nauseous and put them off their food. This can lead to weight loss, fatigue, bad breath and decreased activity.
If your cat presents any of the above symptoms, or its condition changes, please consult your veterinarian.
When looking at diet and the affect it has on kidney function, there are 3 key areas to look at:
- moisture content
- protein
- phosphorus.
Moisture content
Hydration is essential to kidney health. Cats are naturally very poor water drinkers and get most of their fluids from their food. Cats fed their whole life on dry cat food are at an increased risk of developing kidney disease because it is so low in moisture. Always ensure your cat has access to plenty of clean drinking water.
Ensuring your cat is well hydrated can help prevent kidney disease developing. If a cat is already suffering from kidney disease, they will be urinating more frequently and could be suffering from dehydration, putting further pressure on their kidneys. A raw food diet is naturally high in moisture and so can both help prevent kidney disease and manage the condition.
Protein
There is often the misconception that cats with kidney disease should be on a low protein diet. Only cats in the end stage of kidney failure with toxic levels of urea present in their blood will benefit from a protein restricted diet.
Cats with early-stage (1-3) kidney disease will benefit from a high-quality protein diet, more than a restricted protein-diet. Too little protein in a cat’s diet will lead to weight loss and have a detrimental effect on your cat’s overall health. Cats are obligate carnivores and are designed to get their energy from raw meat; this does not change if they develop kidney disease.
Low protein diets are often recommended because commercial pet foods are frequently made using low quality proteins such as soy, wheat gluten and animal derivatives, that are poorly digestible for cats and difficult for the kidneys to process.
High-quality, highly digestible protein, such as Purrform raw cat food, provides your cat with the necessary, species appropriate nutrition, with little waste for the kidneys to flush out.
Phosphorus
Again, there is often some misconception surrounding phosphorus and cats with kidney disease. Phosphorus is an essential mineral for your cat’s health. Unfortunately, the levels of phosphorus are regulated by the kidneys, and low-functioning kidneys cannot remove the excess phosphorus. Phosphorus is attracted to calcium, forming calcium phosphate, which is what gives bones and teeth their strength. The most important thing is not the amount of phosphorus, but the phosphorus:calcium ratio.
The recommended ratio of calcium:phosphorus (Ca:P) in cat food, is between 1.1:1 and 1.5:1 and generally speaking, most of the Purrform complete raw food products, are within this range.
Other risk-factors for kidney disease include high blood pressure, which can be caused by a diet that is high in salt, which can be the case for many dry & wet commercial pet foods.
By addressing the above factors from an early age, you will be promoting healthy kidney function for your kitten/cat. If your cat is unfortunate enough to develop kidney disease, it is important to understand how all the different elements affect the kidneys, so that you can make informed decisions about your cat’s care.
Feeding your cat a high quality raw food, such as Purrform, from an early age, can prevent any on set of kidney disease and the associated symptoms.