We promised to update you on our SPCA Diva’s condition after she was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure last November. It’s all well & good to preach about natural methods, but being able to share our experience with what works and what doesn’t is that much more valuable.
We saw little change in our 17 year old old female cat at first, other than the inevitable weight loss. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she took a bad turn. She refused to eat and wasn’t drinking enough. She sat in one spot on the bed and only moved to go to her litter box. We got her to eat unseasoned chicken baby food (no garlic or onion powder) and she’d drink some unseasoned chicken broth, but she still wasn’t moving. I was all but certain it was time to say goodbye. However, she doesn’t have other common symptoms for the final stages of kidney failure, such as nausea or skin issues. I thought the Calcium Montmorillonite Clay was helping with the nausea and the Krill’s fatty acids and antioxidants were supporting skin health, but it was enough to make me hesitate.
Going to the Vet leaves her stressed out for days after, so we had avoided taking her again. However, we decided it was worth the risk to see if there truly wasn’t anything left to do for her. They gave her fluids and we went home with a bag so we could continue to give them to her every couple of days. We also started her on a phosphorus blocker. By the next day, she was back to her old self!
Her blood tests showed her pancreas is struggling, which is common with kidney disease in cats. We’ll be adding more natural support for her pancreas and I’ll write about what we learn on a later date. Her urinalysis was diluted, but otherwise she showed no sign of infection or crystals. Bladder/urinary tract infections are almost inevitable with Feline Chronic Renal Failure, and I credit the natural anti-bacterial action of Cranberry extract, powdered Seaweed and Calcium Montmorillonite Clay for keeping her free of infection.
Our Natural Care of Feline Chronic Kidney Disease
Our cat’s primary natural care involves:
- Mixed Seaweed Powder daily.
- Cranberry Extract daily.
- Kidney Support drops daily.
- FortiFlora daily (half packet, twice per day). The vitamins are synthetic but I’m calling it semi-natural due to the probiotic content. FortiFlora is designed to increase palatability while also adding important antioxidants and probiotics. The negative is that it contains salt.
- Krill semi-weekly.
- Calcium Montmorillonite Clay weekly. Just a dash on a day she receives extra fluids. It’s important that they have enough fluids when they’re taking clay and I’d rather reduce the frequency than risk constipation if she doesn’t drink enough. If she begins to suffer from nausea, I’ll add a bit to her water daily.
- General diet includes low-phosphorus canned food as well as whatever meat we’re having for dinner, including chicken, beef or pork roast. We don’t feed her any fish now but she does get the freeze-dried Krill semi-weekly. We mix her supplements and medication into her canned food twice per day. The canned food isn’t very palatable alone, but we add FortiFlora to it. She loves it and the nutritional boost perked her up. We mix a bit of water in with her food to add fluids, and a couple of times per week we use unseasoned (no salt added) chicken broth instead of water to give her a few extra calories and to boost the taste.
- Low-stress environment
- Frequent litter changes
For more information and natural options, please read part one of this article.
There is no cure for Feline Chronic Renal Disease. We’re realistic, yet optimistic that our sweet cat will be with us for awhile yet. We watch not only her health, but also her enjoyment of life. She still loves to come downstairs in the morning with her “boy” (who has grown up with her and is now a 20 year old man going off to work and university). She sits outside in the sunshine on the step several times each week. She stays in the fenced yard but we have to supervise her in case another cat visits (she is not tolerant of other cats). This cat is still enjoying her life and until she isn’t, we’ll do whatever it takes to keep her healthy and happy.
Note of Caution: Cats suffering from Chronic Renal Failure require proper veterinary care and allopathic medicine. The natural options for this disease are supportive, not curative, and they are not a replacement for allopathic medication in most cases.
Have you used natural support for a cat suffering from Chronic Renal Disease? Please share your experience or questions in the comments below.
✔ You may also be interested in reading:
Natural Support for Feline Chronic Kidney Disease / Renal Failure
Natural Treatment and Prevention of Chronic Bladder Infections in Pets
Natural Pet Protection from Aflatoxin (and other Toxins) with Montmorillonite Clay
Double the Power of Seaweed by Mixing Species (Infographic)
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electrolytes are really important when a cat is peeing so much. natural sea salt and seaweed are perfect but not too much. it really gives them a boost but don’t give them to much.
So valuable, thanks!
Aaawww I’m glad she’s feeling better!!!
Thanks for sharing your story, it must be hard but it will help a lot of people.
So helpful to know others are going through this too. We’re still hopeful and we want to try everything to keep our Sasha alive & well.
Try raw! Our cats have been so healthy on raw food. They get cooked meat from our meals sometimes too but never EVER store food. I give them natural supplements including your mixed seaweed and krill but I’ll never give them store food again.
I’ve lost 2 to kidney failure! We switched to a natural diet for the 2 cats we have now and I hope that means we never have to watch a cat die from kidney failure again!