How Does a Blood Building Diet Help Cats in Kidney Failure?
I know it sounds odd, but a blood-building diet often helps cats in kidney failure.
When you see the term “Blood deficiency,” the first thing that pops into your mind is anemia, right?
Although anemia and Blood deficiency aren’t exactly the same, the concepts are similar.
And, cats with renal failure are often anemic.
So, a TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine) Blood building diet will definitely help an anemic cat with kidney failure feel better!
What Is TCVM Blood Deficiency in a Cat?
In TCVM, “Blood” is much more than the liquid red substance pumped by the heart and travels through your veins.
In TCVM, Blood provides nourishment and moisture for your cat’s entire body.
Blood keeps your cat’s tendons, skin, and hair healthy, strong, and flexible.
Blood lubricates the joints and nourishes the mind.
It keeps your cat calm and ensures good sleep.
The classic signs of Blood deficiency in cats are:
- Pulled ligament or cranial cruciate ligament rupture
- Dandruff, dry skin and hair
- Pale, dry tongue
- Depression, apathy, lack of spirit
- Sallow or dull coloring
- Arthritis
- Anemia
You can help cats with Blood deficiency feel better by feeding a Blood building diet.
Creating the TCVM Blood Building Diet for Cats with Kidney Failure
Use Eastern Food Therapy to rebuild your cat’s blood.
A nutritionally balanced diet for cats in the early stages of kidney failure contains:
- 80-90% protein (meats)
- 10-20% grains, fruits, and vegetables
- A minimum of 2% fat
- Avoid salt, bones, dairy
In late-stage kidney failure, increase fat content to decrease the protein level of the diet. You may need to increase carbs to help accomplish an overall lower protein level. (Consult with a TCVM veterinarian for the best advice for your cat’s late-stage renal failure diet.) And remember to avoid salt, bones, and dairy.
Use the list of foods below to create endless delicious recipe combinations for your furry friend!
Mix up the ingredients as needed to create a food that your cat loves.
You can easily track protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratios in an online food log like the ones found on Fitbit and Livestrong websites.
You also need to add a taurine supplement to each batch of cat food you make.
For cats, taurine is an essential amino acid.
Taurine is critical for normal digestion, heart muscle function, normal vision, and maintaining a healthy immune system.
TCVM Blood Building Foods
Remember, avoid salt, bones, and dairy!
Meats/Protein Source
- Beef, red meats
- Eggs
- Kidney beans
- Liver
- Oyster
- Sardine
- Seeds
- Tuna
Vegetables/Fruits
- Sea vegetables
- Beets
- Dandelion
- Carrots
- Kale
- Leafy greens
- Seaweed
- Spinach
- Spirulina
Grains/Beans/Starch
- Barley
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Whole grains
Fats
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Olive oil
- Flaxseed oil
Sample TCVM Blood Building Cat Food Recipe
3 pounds meat/dairy (see “meat/protein source” section above)
1/3 pound vegetable/fruit (see “vegetables” section above)
1/3 pound white potatoes or grains/beans (cooked weight)
3/4 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
Directions:
Debone and chop meat and vegetables.
Place all ingredients in crockpot layering:
- Slow cooking root vegetables on bottom
- Meat in the middle
- Fast cooking items on top
- Top with 1 cup water.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
In addition, add the following to your pet’s diet:
- One cat multivitamin dose per day
- Calcium supplement 50mg/kg of body weight (22mg/lb of body weight) per day. Some other good choices for calcium are eggshell powder or bone meal.
- Taurine between 250mg and 500mg per cat per day
Cat Kidney Failure Diet Feeding Schedule
Feed 2-2.5% body weight per day. You may increase to 3.5% of body weight per day if losing weight.
Monitor your cat’s weight. If an undesirable weight loss occurs, please contact your veterinarian immediately so you can make an adjustment in your cat’s feeding/diet plan.
If your cat is picky, you may want to run the food through the blender prior to feeding.
When cooked this way, the vegetable pulp mixes with cooked meat juices to create a nutritious broth.
Often, cats in kidney failure will lap up the broth more readily than eat small vegetable chunks.
As you can see, cooking for your cat isn’t really difficult, and can be a rewarding experience for both you and your cat!
Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when cooking at home for your cat.
Even though pet food recalls and the poor quality of some pet foods are a concern, many veterinarians voice concerns over homemade diets.
Some vets feel that when fed exclusively, homemade diets may result in vitamin/mineral deficiencies that can adversely affect a pet’s health.
If you choose to feed your cat a homemade diet, you must understand and meet your cat’s needs to stay healthy.
Please share our recipe with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can advise you on supplements for your pet’s individual situation.
Monitor your cat’s health by observing his/her temperament, skin, coat, and waste. If you notice anything strange, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Powerful Tools for Cat Kidney Failure Challenges
There are several quick and easy changes you can make at home to help you give your cat an edge on easing kidney disease and renal failure challenges.
- Learn more about cat renal failure.
- Ask your vet about Epakitin. Epakitin is a chitosan-based supplement that helps with the filtering your cat’s kidneys can no longer do.
- Home cook for your pet. Go to our slow-cooker recipe page and try one of our cat food recipes for kidney disease or renal failure. Make sure to run it by your holistic vet first!
- Learn more about TCVM Herbal Remedies. Chinese medicine offers many amazing natural solutions for cat kidney failure. Some good examples are:
Get A Phone Consultation with One of Our TCVM Veterinarians
Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when cooking at home for your dog. Even though pet food recalls and the poor quality of some pet foods are a concern, many veterinarians voice concerns over homemade diets. Some vets feel that when fed exclusively, homemade diets may result in vitamin/mineral deficiencies that can adversely affect a pet’s health. If you choose to feed your dog a homemade diet, you must understand and meet your dog’s needs to stay healthy. Please share our recipe with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can advise you on supplements for your pet’s individual situation. Monitor your dog’s health by observing his/her temperament, skin, coat, and waste. If you notice anything strange, contact your veterinarian immediately.
