What works for cats with chronic kidney disease?
- A nutritionist's perspective -
Donna M. Raditic, DVM, DACVN, CVA
Nutritional support is a key component of management in feline chronic kidney disease (CKD). The geriatric feline with chronic kidney disease (CKD) typically has anorexia / hyporexia, weight loss, and a decrease in both body and muscle condition score.
The CKD feline often suffers from underlying factors that affect appetite and these need to be addressed to maintain appetite and food intake. Owners perceive a poor appetite as a significant quality-of-life concern and anorexia can cause an increase in an owner’s worry about their pet.
This is all further complicated by the fact that cats frequently become habituated on a certain type of food (e.g. canned vs. dry) or even a specific brand - this makes changing to a more renal appropriate diet challenging. Understanding the specific nutrients of concern in kidney disease can assist the practitioner in making recommendations or presenting multiple nutritional options for the successful management of the cat with CKD.
In this session, Dr. Donna Raditic will discuss:
• The nutrients of concern for feline chronic kidney disease.
• How to evaluate veterinary therapeutic diets and over-the-counter feline diets to select the best diet for the cat with chronic kidney disease.
• How to use body weight, BCS, and MCS to diagnosis CKD earlier and to assess your nutritional management of patients.
Approved for 1 hour of CE credit for veterinarians and veterinary technicians
by AAVSB RACE, NY State, and the NJVMA
