Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University

the scientific study of pet nutrition by veterinary nutrition specialists and experts.

Test your Nutrition Know-How for Cats with Kidney Disease

by Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)

June 27, 2022

in Finding the Best Food for Your Pet, Petfoodology Blog, Pets with Health Conditions, Trending Topics in Pet Nutrition

Chronic kidney disease or CKD is one of the most common diseases seen in cats. One study found that more than 60% of cats of all ages had evidence of at least mild CKD, but for cats over 15 years of age, more than 80% of the cats had CKD!¹ Nutrition plays a critical role in the treatment of CKD and therapeutic kidney diets have been shown to be beneficial in slowing progression of disease, and may help cats to maintain weight and muscle mass.

Therapeutic kidney diets vary widely in terms of their individual nutritional profiles but, in general, phosphorus, protein, and sodium levels are lower than in diets designed for healthy adult cats, while calories and omega-3 fatty acids are often higher. These “kidney diets” typically are also less acidifying than typical cat foods. Despite the fact that commercial kidney diets have been available (at least for dogs) for more than 70 years, research continues to advance our knowledge in this area. If you have a cat – especially one with CKD – it’s important to be up-to-date on the most current information and avoid the many myths on the topic. We’ve put together this quiz to test your nutrition know-how for cats with kidney disease.

¹Marino CL, Lascelles BDX, Vaden SL, Gruen ME, Marks SL. Prevalence and classification of chronic kidney disease in cats randomly selected from four age groups and in cat recruited for degenerative joint disease studies. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 2014;16:465-472.

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Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Dr. Freeman is a veterinary nutritionist and a professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She is on the cutting-edge of science, with hundreds of articles in prestigious journals, speaking engagements at national and international conferences, and awards for her scientific achievements. However, she also is passionate about providing objective and accurate information on pet nutrition to veterinarians, pet owners, and other animal enthusiasts.