aaarrrggghhh!!!! I am SO confused. Best food for senior cats withkidney/heart/gingivitus probs in UK

Have just been to a 2nd vet with my overweight 15 yr old cat,
diagnosed 2 months ago with mild heart probs & start of kidney probs
and gingivitus. Cats have until recently been fed mostly wet food 'Hi-
life' or 'Sheba' and a few t/d biscuits for teeth (other cat also has
gingivitus also).

First vet rec. Hills k/d or t/d - cats wouldnt touch wet version,
tolerated dry version but have had diarrhoea. I stopped the k/d,
changed to recently discovered 'Applaws' which they love and seems to
be very good quality food.

2nd vet today says to change to 'senior Hills food' for them both,
because it's consistent quality food and it's important not to overdo
the protein content and have low phosphate.

I have been researching on the internet for hours now and am SOOOO
confused. My instinct is quality wet food is the way to go with a
little t/d or k/d food, however, I am concerned about this protein
issue - I don't want to make these kidney problems any worse. Both
cats have always been great water drinkers.

All comments appreciated!

On Dec 22, 11:52 am, eden wrote:
Have just been to a 2nd vet with my overweight 15 yr old cat,
diagnosed 2 months ago with mild heart probs & start of kidney probs
and gingivitus. Cats have until recently been fed mostly wet food 'Hi-
life' or 'Sheba' and a few t/d biscuits for teeth (other cat also has
gingivitus also).

First vet rec. Hills k/d or t/d - cats wouldnt touch wet version,
tolerated dry version but have had diarrhoea. I stopped the k/d,
changed to recently discovered 'Applaws' which they love and seems to
be very good quality food.

2nd vet today says to change to 'senior Hills food' for them both,
because it's consistent quality food and it's important not to overdo
the protein content and have low phosphate.

I have been researching on the internet for hours now and am SOOOO
confused. My instinct is quality wet food is the way to go with a
little t/d or k/d food, however, I am concerned about this protein
issue - I don't want to make these kidney problems any worse. Both
cats have always been great water drinkers.

All comments appreciated!


Do you think it would harm them to give them a bit of minced chicken,
raw or boiled?

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:52:36 -0800 (PST), eden
wrote:

Have just been to a 2nd vet with my overweight 15 yr old cat,
diagnosed 2 months ago with mild heart probs & start of kidney probs
and gingivitus. Cats have until recently been fed mostly wet food 'Hi-
life' or 'Sheba' and a few t/d biscuits for teeth (other cat also has
gingivitus also).

First vet rec. Hills k/d or t/d - cats wouldnt touch wet version,
tolerated dry version but have had diarrhoea. I stopped the k/d,
changed to recently discovered 'Applaws' which they love and seems to
be very good quality food.

2nd vet today says to change to 'senior Hills food' for them both,
because it's consistent quality food and it's important not to overdo
the protein content and have low phosphate.

I have been researching on the internet for hours now and am SOOOO
confused. My instinct is quality wet food is the way to go with a
little t/d or k/d food, however, I am concerned about this protein
issue - I don't want to make these kidney problems any worse. Both
cats have always been great water drinkers.

All comments appreciated!

On a plastic disposable party *plate* not a bowl try putting a little
drinking water (about 4 dessert spoons) with/around wet food (do not
mix). feeding them less solid this makes the cat "fuller" and eats
less if over weight. Effectively putting cat on diet

You can use any type of plate I find the plastic party ones cheap and
disposable if needed (they can be washed) Cats (often) do not lick
water if whiskers touch side of a bowl

I don't see any problems with occasional quality dry food as long as
water is present. Any/all quality cat food is formulated so shouldn't
matter, the Cat will decide what it likes (Dry is good/better for
cleaning teeth)

Fact is your cat is simply getting old and like most, people included,
will start showing age and some problems associated with it


Petzl
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On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:58:51 -0500, "cindys"
wrote:

On a plastic disposable party *plate* not a bowl try putting a little
drinking water (about 4 dessert spoons) with/around wet food (do not
mix). feeding them less solid this makes the cat "fuller" and eats
less if over weight. Effectively putting cat on diet

You can use any type of plate I find the plastic party ones cheap and
disposable if needed (they can be washed) Cats (often) do not lick
water if whiskers touch side of a bowl

I don't see any problems with occasional quality dry food as long as
water is present. Any/all quality cat food is formulated so shouldn't
matter, the Cat will decide what it likes (Dry is good/better for
cleaning teeth)
--------
I think you offered a lot of really great suggestions, but I have to
disagree with your statement about the dry food being better for cleaning
the cat's teeth. Cats don't chew with a grinding motion like humans do. They
swallow most things whole or if it's a big piece of something, they bite
straight down in a single motion. The condition of a cat's teeth is mostly
genetic. I have five cats. They have all been eating the same thing for
years (which was only dry food up until a year and a half ago). Two of them
had horrible teeth at a very young age and one of them has already had two
dentals and needs a third. OTOH, two of my senior cats have *never* needed a
dental. I agree with you that canned food is the way to go. Dry food has its
place but not because it cleans the cat's teeth.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

Thanks for the reply
The claim for some dry food is its teeth cleaning abilties? Raw
Chicken wings I also believe are good for teeth?

To clean a cats teeth one really need to do this manually with "Cat
Toothpaste"

suggest one google for tips on how
like this one
http://cats.about.com/cs/dentalhealth/ht/cleanteeth.htm
Dental health is every bit as important to cats as it is to humans. A
regular program of teeth cleaning will ensure your cat will enjoy his
senior years with all his teeth intact.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:
1, Assemble supplies: sterile gauze, scissors, cat toothpaste
(available at pet stores) or a weak sterile solution recommended by
your veterinarian.

2. Wrap a strip of gauze around the index finger of your dominant hand
and either dip it in the sterile solution, or apply a small amount of
toothpaste to your fingertip.

3.Holding the cat in your lap, open his mouth

4. Gently rub your 'finger brush' in a circular motion on his teeth,
concentrating on the area next to the gums. Gently massage the gums at
the same time. It's not necessary to do the back sides of the teeth

5. Once your cat will tolerate this procedure, you can graduate to a
small child's toothbrush

Petzl
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On Dec 24, 5:05 pm, "cindys" wrote:
"Petzl" wrote in message
Raw
Chicken wings I also believe are good for teeth?

Really really dangerous. Lots of sharp, pointy bone shards to puncture
esophagus, stomach, intestines.

Yes, cooked bones ARE very dangerous, but RAW bones are not. Cats are
carnivores and their teeth are designed for eating raw meat, including
bones. I feed mine quail or small cornish rock hens and they do fine
with the bones. Of course they've been raised on raw since they were
kittens and are adept at handling bones. I recommend for cats new to
raw feeding that the bones be made into manageable size pieces. I
would also highly recommend consulting with a vet who is knowledgeable
with raw feeding, and doing lots of research via books and reputable
sites on line. More info can be found at this site:

www.felinefuture.com