Appetite Boosters for Cats with Kidney Disease

I've talked about how important it is to switch your cat to a low phosphorus, low protein diet if your cat has kidney failure. But cats are finicky, and if they won't eat the new food so quickly, and continue to lose weight, you've got a problem. So the very first rule is:

Rule #1: Get them to eat.
You have to balance the benefits of a low-protein diet with Rule #1: making sure your cat is eating.

If your cat's not eating and gradually losing weight, then its health is in danger. You have to get calories into him. Here are some of the little tricks we've used that seem to work:

 Microwave the canned food. Just a few seconds in the microwave (5 seconds for room temperature food; 15 seconds if the food has been refrigerated). This tends to release the aroma of the food more, attracting the cat. It also (and this is gross but real), makes the food seem more like a freshly-killed animal meal. A warm kill. Like I said: gross, but that's a cat's life.

 Feed her smaller meals, more often. Rather than the regular morning meal and night feedings, break things up into breakfast, a mid-day snack, dinner, and a bedtime snack. Maybe even more often, if you're around the house and able to do it.

 Spoon-feed. Every so often, Michou will either stop eating, or not be willing to get out of her bed when we bring her food. When she appears particularly weak, we bring the food to her. We either spoon-feed at least half of her meal, or use our fingers to pick up clumps and hand-feed her. We're always surprised by how much she does eat – even when she refuses to eat by herself.

 Little treats. I know that I said feeding any protein or meat food cancels out the benefits of your cat's low-protein diet. And it does. But just to perk up her appetite when we notice she's not eating, we sometimes try:

o Tuna juice: this is the water from an open can of tuna. She seems to like the flavor and lapping up the juice helps with her hydration, too. We put a few, tiny slivers of tuna in with the juice as a treat.

o Table treats: a tiny piece of chicken or beef from a meal. I know, this is protein. But it perks up her appetite. And she obviously craves it, because she'll sit and meow for more. In fact, when we bring grilled chicken kabobs from our favorite restaurant home for dinner, Michou can smell them from upstairs. Our previously lazy cat who's too apathetic to get out of bed for her canned cat food suddenly shows up at our feet, giving us the eyeball treatment.

o Kitty malt. This is a gel-like substance for cats to help them avoid hairballs. But it's also a tasty treat that can perk up their appetite. It's made with glyercine and fat that can help coat their gut and may reduce constipation as well.

 Probiotic Supplements. There is a supplement called Renal Advanced from Candioli Pharma, an Italian company, that contains active Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures, bioflavonoids, and other nutrients. One of our veterinarians told us about it. It is a fine powder that can be sprinkled over wet cat food. It was recommended to improve digestion, cut down on nausea, and boost our cat's appetite. I can't refer to any clinical studies but anecdotally, we have noticed that Michou's appetite improved and she eats a greater volume of food per day, when we add this to her food. It is also very easy to incorporate into your daily routine. The vet had suggested another probiotic, but it was in pill form. The idea of having to fire a pill down Michou's throat each day wasn't something we wanted to pursue.

How about you? Have you developed a few little tricks or treats to get your cat to eat more or more often? Add your comments below.