Feeding for Urinary and Kidney Health. Feeding for Urinary and Kidney Health. Last Updated on Sunday, January 2. PM. Published on Friday, May 2. PM. Written by Elisa Katz, DVM There is a connection between what cats are fed and what diseases they might get. This is an idea that is becoming much more widely accepted. Diet plays a role in disease syndromes such as kidney disease, urinary problems such as stones and crystals, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and gastrointestinal problems such as Inflammatory bowel disease is an often chronic condition characterized by inflammation and obstruction of portions of the gastrointestinal tract. It is usually accompanied by painful cramping and persistent diarrhea. As Any of a group of complex organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur, the characteristic element being nitrogen. They comprise the principal constituents of the protoplasm of all cells. All proteins have a common property; their structure includes simple units, amino acids. It's the kidney's job to remove these toxic substances. Waste products such as urea nitrogen, A waste chemical molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. The kidneys filter creatinine from the blood, so rising levels of this molecule indicate impaired kidney function. In an infectious disease, the incubation period is the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms. The latency period is the time between infection and the. Following are links to a series of articles and studies on the roles of protein and phosphorus in the diet of dogs with kidney disease. Would you like to know more about a particular illness, diagnostic test, or therapeutic procedure? Or perhaps you would just like to read up on pregnancy, diabetes. You may be familiar with the names of these by- products of protein breakdown if your cat has had blood work done. These are what are measured in the blood to detect declining kidney function – high levels mean that the kidneys aren't working normally. A complication is that the kidneys possess an amazing capacity for compensation. As much as 7. 5% of kidney function must be lost before we can detect abnormally high blood values for these substances. Sometimes we see increased thirst and urination before the blood values rise above normal, as the kidneys become less able to conserve water, but not always. Since so much kidney function is lost by the time disease is usually detected, we need to do everything we can to help our cats maintain good kidney health in the first place. Diet for the Renal Patient In patients with chronic kidney disease or/on dialysis, the purpose of this diet is to maintain a balance of electrolytes, minerals, and. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, a part of the very small tubes in the kidney that. A low protein diet, a diet in which people are required to reduce their intake of protein, is used by persons with abnormal kidney or liver function to. Do you want to know how to improve kidney function naturally? This article will detail 10 simple and easy methods to increase your kidney function without needing to. There are only a few definitively known causes for kidney disease. Genetic conditions such as polycystic kidney disease in Persian breeds, toxins such as anti- freeze and lilies, infections and cancer are all known to cause kidney disease. Much of the time, the exact cause is unknown, and a number of things may be contributing to impaired kidney function, including diet. Low- grade persistent bacterial infection in the bloodstream, such as that which occurs with advanced dental disease, may injure the kidneys over time. Preventing dental disease can be an important factor in the long- term health of your cat's kidneys. Other conditions that can cause harm to the kidneys include High blood pressure, usually a danger to health. The condition is often referred to as an overactive thyroid. Dehydration in cats causes the kidneys to concentrate urine to try to maintain the body's water balance. Concentrating urine predisposes a cat to renal injury. Also, the low magnesium content in diets designed to decrease urinary stone and crystal formation may adversely affect the kidneys over time. Recent research demonstrates that diets high in protein have no detrimental effect on the kidneys, and animals with mildly decreased kidney function do not benefit from reduced protein diets. This means that the protein source should be from actual meat and not a meat meal. The rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents. Usable muscle meat is removed before rendering, and so meat meals may contain high levels of calcium and phosphorous, which can harm the kidneys. Phosphorous restriction is important in order to prevent the development of renal secondary Abnormally increased activity of the parathyroid gland with excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone, which may be primary or secondary. Secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism is usually due to inadequate calcium intake. The end result of this imbalance causes calcium to be drawn from the cat's bones and deposited into the tissues and organs, including the kidneys, further impairing their function. Cooked egg whites are high in protein and very low in phosphorus. The phosphorous content of 1. A metric unit of mass or weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. For comparison, 1. A metric unit of mass or weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. Binders are added to the food to prevent phosphorus from being absorbed into the body and bloodstream. It is best to try to keep the phosphorous level in the blood to within the normal range or only slightly above. Limiting protein is still sometimes used in cats with advanced kidney failure, but it has been my professional experience that The increased formation of urine by the kidneys. Diuresis can be accomplished either at home with Delivery of a substance (usually medication) via injection, just beneath the skin. Good hydration is a key element in helping cats with kidney disease. You can tell a human with kidney disease to be sure to drink plenty of extra water, but unfortunately you can't do that with your cat. We have to resort to other ways to accomplish extra fluid intake. Increasing water intake through food or, if necessary, through fluids given under the skin, can go a long way towards decreasing the stress on the kidneys and slow the progression of the disease. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease/Feline lower urinary tract disease is a broad term that is used to cover a number of conditions associated with hte feline lower urinary tract. It may present as any of a variety of problems such as, inflammation of the bladder or urethra, formation of urinary crystals/stones in the bladder, and partial or total obstruction of the urethra. The normal instinctual diet of the feline consists of prey animals that are high in protein, have moderate amounts of fat, and little if any An organic substance composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; mainly from plant origin. The most important carbohydrates are starches, sugars, celluloses and gums. The typical prey animal for a housecat, usually a rat or mouse, consists of approximately 5. This indicates that 7. Cats fed a dry diet exclusively are at a significant water deficit compared to cats eating a natural diet. They are only consuming about 1. You may think that the cat can make it up by drinking more water, but cats innately have a low thirst drive, as they evolved to eat prey consisting of so much moisture. This is one reason that the urine of intact male cats has such a strong odor. Basic chemistry tells us that the more concentrated a solution is, and in this case the solution is urine, the more likely any Chemicals that are dissolved in a liquid. Solutes found in urine may be classified as ions or organic molecules. For example, sodium and potassium are ions and urea and creatinine are organic molecules. The more concentrated the urine is, the more likely it is that it may irritate the delicate lining of the urinary bladder. An important component of the recommended treatment of FLUTD cats is the feeding of canned food or raw foods exclusively, which are about 7. This increases the cat's water intake, dilutes the urine and decreases the probability of crystals. A study of the urine of 1. Struvite precipitates in alkaline urine, forming stones. With increased protein, less magnesium is excreted in the urine, and the increased protein causes an osmotic diureses. Water is drawn into the kidneys and makes the cat urinate more. Treating urinary problems in this way may contribute to kidney disease, as recent evidence has suggested that the low magnesium content of these diets may have a detrimental effect on the kidneys over time. During that time period, allergies, urinary problems, digestive problems and kidney disease in cats have all increased. This is in part due to better diagnostics and cats living longer, but it is my professional opinion that the widespread feeding of dry kibble diets plays a significant role. Dr. Elisa Katz, DVM, is a graduate of Ohio State University and is the owner of Natural Pet Animal Hospital in Bourbonnais, Illinois. She practices holistic and integrative medicine focusing on proper diet and nutrition. Katz shares her home with four kitties and one dog. Walsworth Publishing Company, 2. The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for developing and executing US Federal government policy on farming, agriculture and food. Fox, Elizabeth Hodgkins and Marion E. Smart, Not Fit For a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food, 2. Quill Driver Books, 1. Fox, Elizabeth Hodgkins and Marion E. Smart, Not Fit For a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food, 2. Quill Driver Books, 1. September 1. 0, 2. Diet and Chronic Renal Disease. Dogs. and cats should not be so unique that they have chronic renal disease much. This frequency may. Commercial foods can cause problems when they contain excess. D; earlier it was noted that this vitamin is indirectly a. Vitamin D is added to pet foods during processing and. As with. most vitamins, D is added in excess to insure that an adequate amount. Who adds the vitamins and how they are. The. imprecise addition of vitamin D to milk processed for human consumption has. D toxicity that resulted in some human deaths. Could that. happen to pet foods? It is not likely that large amounts of vitamin D would. But it. is possible that . Over a period of months or years that excess could. An unusually high incidence of chronic renal disease in cats has. D. Excessive dietary levels of calcium and phosphorus can also lead to. Diets should contain proper. The concentration. Increased free intracellular calcium. Anything increasing intracellular free calcium. Increased extracellular calcium or phosphorus can. Abnormal extracellular. Crystals cause inflammation, scarring and. Many. different diseases can increase extracellular calcium and phosphorus levels. Causes of high extracellular calcium. Excess dietary calcium or. D also increases extracellular calcium. Excess dietary phosphorus. Vitamin D Excess. Vitamin D is necessary for dietary calcium and phosphorus absorption. Excess vitamin D. Excess dietary. vitamin D is toxic and has the potential for being the most toxic vitamin. Hypertension. High. Hypertension may be the most critical factor causing. Chronically diseased kidneys have fewer. Hypertension results from increase renal blood flow. Management is. directed at minimizing the renal work load. One primary renal burden is. A. restricted- protein diet is fed to manage this burden. Hypertension and the. Drugs should not. Acidosis and Ammonia. The. kidneys play an important role in maintaining acid base homeostasis. Dietary. protein is metabolized to acid products that the kidneys must excrete. These. acid products result primarily from the metabolism of sulfur- containing. Renal excretion of acid produces ammonia which. Renal ammonia formation can be reduced by feeding. Sulfur- containing amino acids and phosphates are. Plant proteins are low in sulfur amino acids and. The acid effects of a diet can be. Lipids. Abnormal lipid metabolism is found in humans and sometimes in animals with. The abnormalities may result from renal disease and some may. Abnormal changes include hyperlipidemia and. Management can include reducing dietary. Some benefit may be gained by feeding more. Diagnosis. 1,2. There. Nonspecific signs. These signs are not specific for renal disease. Early signs should not be ignored because important signs do not. Renal. disease is diagnosed by laboratory tests that include urinalysis and blood. The urinalysis is helpful in evaluating kidney functions to. It is also helps identify infection and active. Urinalysis can be normal with renal disease, however, so an. Blood. chemistry tests include blood urea and often creatinine determinations which. Blood chemistry tests also include. Potassium is also excreted renally and its blood levels can. The kidney produces erythropoietin that is necessary for bone. Erythropoietin production may be deficient. Erythropoietin is an important treatment for anemia due. Blood. pressure is measured to identify hypertension. Dietary management changes. Other. tests to evaluate for chronic renal disease are not essential. Renal biopsy. gives information on the extent of damage and is usually done for prognosis. Feeding To Restrict Renal Damage. Dietary Protein Selection And Restriction Dietary protein is restricted for some dogs and cats with chronic renal. That restriction reduces the exposure of nephrons to toxins and. As noted above, some products of protein metabolism are. Reducing dietary. Reduced protein. diets limit 1) proteinuria, 2) glomerular damage, and 3) progressive loss of. Protein restriction generally reduces phosphorus intake. Phosphorus is. toxic as already described. It causes calcium phosphate crystalization which. In all of the following diets phosphorus levels are low to. The. optimal value of a restricted protein diet is most importantly determined by. Little of these proteins are. Egg protein has the highest biological value (set at 1. For comparison. biological value for milk protein is 9. Egg protein. is high in sulfur- containing amino acids, however, but unless acidosis is. On the other hand, sulfur- containing amino acids are the first. This means that relative. Diets with proteins from vegetables rather than. Thus, with the possible exception of tofu. Affected dogs require 2. The lower amount can be used when feeding a protein with a high. Feeding low biological value protein requires more work. Feeding a diet containing a high quality. In general, feeding high quality protein. The. amount of protein to feed cats with kidney disease is 2. The diet must. provide a proper balance between the amounts of crude protein and calories. In cats with chronic kidney disease reduce this ratio. The primary. biochemical abnormality with loss of renal function is uremia or azotemia. Based on this, dietary phosphorus intake. The National Research Council (NRC). There is little information from studies on cats to. The level of. phosphorus is about 1. Dogs with chronic. Nutritionists recommend a low dietary level of. Whatever the level, it must be low enough to prevent. The dietary ratio of calcium to phosphorus should be. Calcium can be. supplemented except when blood calcium is increased. Blood. phosphorus levels can be reduced by phosphorus binders given orally. Calcium. carbonate binds phosphorus and can be used unless blood calcium is high. Magnesium can help correct a low magnesium to. Phosphorus is low enough in the following diets that binding agents. In summary, to restrict phosphorus feed a diet that is low. If more severe. restriction requires some of the other measures, renal disease is so severe. Dietary Salt Restriction — Controlling Hypertension. Hypertension of renal circulation may be the critical determinant of renal. As noted earlier, protein restriction relieves. This hypertension can be. Reduction of dietary sodium. Commercial dog foods are high. Manufacturers include up to one percent sodium chloride in dry. With kidney disease. If necessary, sodium intake is restricted to the NRC recommended. Cats tolerate. diets containing one percent salt but that level is excessive. A level of. 0. 2. Reduction of hypertension is also possible with weight reduction in obese. A relationship has been established between obesity and hypertension. Medications can be used to manage hypertension. They may be necessary with. Dietary Potassium Restriction or Supplementation. Chronic renal disease greatly increases urine production in some dogs. Such. animals can lose large amounts of potassium and become deficient. Potassium. depletion can be difficult to identify because blood potassium can be either. Commercial dry dog foods contain from 0. The NRC recommends a dietary level of 0. Cats require supplemention. Acidosis complicating chronic renal disease can worsen. Drugs for acidifying urine can also cause acidosis. Specific treatment for hyperkalemia involves intravenous glucose. Dietary Magnesium Intake. Urinary tract struvite stones form in cats for a number of interrelated. Diets containing greater than 0. In response cat foods were formulated with. This resulted in hypomagnesemia, which increases urinary. Adequate amounts of magnesium. Canine requirements are. Dietary Energy Intake Animals with renal disease are fed to maintain normal body weight. If. necessary caloric intake is adjusted so underweight dogs regain weight. Restricting caloric intake to. Dietary Lipid Selection and Restriction. Reducing dietary saturated fat and cholesterol may benefit dogs with chronic. Non- animal protein is needed for that. Some experimental studies suggest that. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are precursors for leukotrienes. High dietary levels may promote formation of. That is unproven. Dietary fats are important for other reasons. Low- fat diets are unpalatable. These cats also suffer from weight loss, and feeding to promote weight. The dietary fat content on a. Vegetable and fish oils are. Vitamin and Trace Mineral Supplementation. Chronic renal disease is associated with reduced intestinal absorption and. Iron and zinc deficiencies. Iron is. necessary for erythrocyte production and with chronic renal disease often. Vitamin deficiencies are. Diets are supplemented with B complex vitamins, vitamin C and. K. It is dangerous to give additional vitamin D. Commercial pet. foods may contain excess vitamin D that can be responsible for chronic renal. As mentioned earlier vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and high. Chicken fat improves. Increasing dietary chicken fat decreases the protein percent. The diets are all low phosphorus and provide 5. D requirements. Some diets contain minimum amounts of sodium and. Some animals loose excess sodium with chronic renal. Depending on needs diets contain. Potassium depleted animals can be. Some diets are low in. B1. 2 which is probably unimportant unless they are fed for. Substituting chicken or ground beef for eggs enhances flavor. B complex and B1. A vitamin B1. 2 supplement can be given occasionally. The diets are balanced with respect to. Feeding a diet matched to needs can restore phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Blood chemistry panels are done to monitor plasma concentrations. It may not. be necessary to continue feeding a very low phosphorus diet; doing so may. To increase dietary phosphorus substitute bone meal. For example, to one of these diets. NRC. requirements. Normal calcium levels are maintained. At the end of each. Eggs. and Potato. Low Protein, Low phosphorus, High Potassium, Normal Sodium. To feed. this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus substitute 3 grams.
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