Home Cooked Meals for my Cat Misty

[BarbaraPB]

Good Morning,

My name is Barbara (I am new here and live in NJ) and I am posting about my 12 year old cat Misty. She is home recovering from the hospital with a kidney infection as well as CKD. Yesterday I had a very informative call with Dr. Jeff and have a few follow up questions.

I will be transitioning Misty from canned food to home cooked / prepared food. I presume the cooked food is best by boiling. Can someone please confirm for me or point me in the direction of recipes for preparing foods.

Also, If I am buying chicken for Misty, can I buy any pieces of the chicken or are there certain parts that are better for me to purchase? And does organic or if I can get local make a difference?

Would a plain rotisserie chicken be ok?


Many thanks for your help and support and I so much appreciate being here!
Barbara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Welcome to HA Barbara!

I'm so glad that you're transitioning Misty to fresh food!!?

Also, If I am buying chicken for Misty, can I buy any pieces of the chicken or are there certain parts that are better for me to purchase?

Any chicken part or other fresh meat/poultry/fish is fine IMHO.

And does organic or if I can get local make a difference?

Organic and local are ideal, but many of the local small farms use organic practices but are not organic (and that's fine). Anything we can do to help support our local farmers is fantastic!

Would a plain rotisserie chicken be ok?

Not ideal because of the salt (and other spices). However, super picky CKD kitties will often eat rotisserie chicken even when they reject every other food. It's super palatable!

Did the vet test Misty's phosphorus level? That will help determine your next steps for food.

Regardless of the phos. number, it also would be great to start Misty on this:

Aventi Kidney Complete for Dogs and Cats

What is Aventi Kidney Complete for Dogs and Cats? Aventi Kidney Complete is a comprehensive renal supplement for dogs and cats that is designed to preserve and protect kidney health and function. It helps to control metabolic imbalances and may aid…

www.vetrxdirect.com

@Dr. Jean Hofve is a food for kitties with CKD expert so let's see what she says.

 

[BarbaraPB]

Dear Dr. Jeff,

Thank you so much for your insight and support. I realize it will be a process and am hoping I can do the best possible for Misty. The good thing is she is home, happy ,eating and exploring more and more around our apartment. I look forward to a response about food from @Dr. Jean Hofve .

Thank you for the info about Advent Kidney. I will take a look and reach out if I have additional questions.

I have one additional question about L-lysine.... I was previously giving to Misty as it was recommended for respiratory symptoms. Is there any downside with her kidney status and or interaction with the antibiotics (hoping it is finished tomorrow Monday, October 9).


I have a whole trend of phosphorus and creatine numbers so am sharing. Hopefully not over sharing.

	Oct. 3, 2022	Sept. 30 2022	Sept. 9 2022	Nov. 2021	Nov. 2020
	Left Hospital On antibiotics , gabapentin , bp med and appetite stimulator	Admitted Hospital In and out of litter box, blood in box and behavior was inconsolable	Vet (presumed symptoms of UTI) antibiotic injection	Vet - noticing more instances of urination	Vet for teeth issue….. Had surgery and antibiotics
Creatine	3.3	5.5	2.3	1.4	1.1
BUN	55	104	48	27	21
Phosphorus	5.6	8.1	6.3	5.0	6.2

Thank you again. I am learning so much and cannot express how much I appreciate the support of the group. Barbara

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Barbara,
This site

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat

www.felinecrf.org

contains a wealth of high quality, well researched and documented information about chronic renal disease in cats. This is such a multi-faceted topic that I encourage all my clients to use this site for a full understand ing of the problem. We then discuss the most holistic methods to optimize their cat's health.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Sara

 

[BarbaraPB]

Dear Barbara,
This site

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat

www.felinecrf.org

contains a wealth of high quality, well researched and documented information about chronic renal disease in cats. This is such a multi-faceted topic that I encourage all my clients to use this site for a full understand ing of the problem. We then discuss the most holistic methods to optimize their cat's health.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Sara

Dear Dr. Sara,

Thank you for sharing the site with all the researched info about kidney disease. I’m sure it will be helpful.
Barbara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I have one additional question about L-lysine.... I was previously giving to Misty as it was recommended for respiratory symptoms. Is there any downside with her kidney status

No problems that I'm aware of. In fact a 2022 study provides some evidence that it may be a good thing:

Intake of lysine prevents hypertensive kidney disease in animal models

Can you eat your way out of a kidney disease? Perhaps you can – according to a new study from Aarhus University.

www.news-medical.net

Which exact lysine product are you giving?

 

[BarbaraPB]

Thank you Dr. Jeff. I use vimergy. The one Anthony William recommends.

 

[GinnyW]

This discussion drove me to Wikipedia, in which I found that there is nothing very complex or critical as far as supplementation of lysine. It is an essential amino acid, which means humans cannot synthesize it from other dietary components. We and our pets can get adequate amounts from a properly structured diet which includes eggs, meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, cheese (particularly Parmesan), soy, beans, and peas, and certain fish such as cod and sardines.

This leaves the door wide open as far as a prototypical raw food diet goes. We do not eat soy, beans, or peas here, but a varied raw meat, etc. diet should obviate the need for supplementation.

A lack of lysine can lead to several disease states including defective connective tissues, impaired fatty acid metabolism, anaemia, and systemic protein-energy deficiency. In contrast, an overabundance of lysine, caused by ineffective catabolism, can cause severe neurological disorders.

The article also casts some doubt on lysine's efficacy or usefulness in treating diseases, with any such effectiveness possibly linked to marked deficiency - again, something a well-constructed diet would render unlikely.

So, maybe, don't waste your money - and buy good food with it instead.

 

[BarbaraPB]

thank you, @GinnyW for your insight.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for your informative and helpful post Ginny!

 

[BarbaraPB]

Hi All,

I am writing to give you an update and to ask for your help with Misty. Overall, she is doing well. Her energy, demeanor and overall well being are close to pre-hospitalization. She is loving and affection and seems very happy. her appetite is good with a little help from an appetite stimulator -- mirataz transdermal. And my husband and I are giving her SUBq fludis every other day. We are giving her about 75 or as much as she will tolerate. We let her be the guide.

Question 1 ---- I have found a local holistic doctor and she started Misty on Aminivast and Petsiac. The aminivast I sprinkle on her food. The suggestion for the Petsiac was to add it to broth. Unfortunately, Misty is very finicky and at this time is not interested in any of the broth I have attempted to introduce. Including homemade and pre packaged kitty broth. If anyone has suggestions I would love to hear them.

Question 2 ---- In addition, now that Misty seems to have gotten through the trauma of being hospitalized, she is fighting me with her blood pressure pill. She is supposed to take 1/4 tablet of amlodipine (the whole pill is .25). I would love to know if anyone has suggestions. My conventional vet checked her pressure in October and felt her readings were at a point where she needed the pill. That being said, I can't underestimate the level of truama she was experience at that time from the hospitalization and the vet visit. I cant imagine having her blood pressure taken was fun.

I have tried putting the pill in a variety of kitty snacks. It may work for a day or two and then she realizes theres a pill and wont touch the snack. At times I can manually give her the pill. Although It can be a challenge and I'm not thrilled if I have to hold her neck area.

Many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions,
Barbara Pleshko-Berger

 

[Dr. Christina]

Most important would be to be working as a client of a homeopathic veterinarian.
Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Barbara-

I'm very glad to hear that Misty is doing well!

Unfortunately, Misty is very finicky and at this time is not interested in any of the broth I have attempted to introduce.
If anyone has suggestions I would love to hear them.

Is there anything that Misty loves to eat? If there is, perhaps you can start by mixing a tiny bit of the Petsiac in with it (and work up as she will tolerate). Foods like ice cream, whipped cream, sardine juice, etc. work well.

I bet @Dr. Jean Hofve has other suggestions.

My conventional vet checked her pressure in October and felt her readings were at a point where she needed the pill. That being said, I can't underestimate the level of truama she was experience at that time from the hospitalization and the vet visit.

Oy, I'm super sorry to hear that for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, I agree that the readings were likely to be falsely elevated due to stress and secondly because stress worsens internal energetic balance. It also lowers cellular energy and her ability to heal.

Promote happiness and relaxation and try to avoid stress.

she is fighting me with her blood pressure pill. She is supposed to take 1/4 tablet of amlodipine (the whole pill is .25). I would love to know if anyone has suggestions.

If you find something she loves for the Petsiac, you may find that it also works for the pill.

However, my replies are based on the conventional vet model of care which is based in the physical and physiological paradigm.

IMHO this paradigm is only a piece of the bigger picture. I believe the answer for Misty lies in the energetic, and not the physical piece.

The very best way I know that allows integration of both is by working with a trained and experienced vet homeopath as Dr. Christina advised.

Here's a few great vet homeopaths who can work virtually with you along with your local vet:

Animal Wellness Center

At Animal Wellness Center, our primary modality of treatment is homeopathy. We also use nutritional supplements, western and eastern herbs, Bach flower essences, and conventional medicines where deemed appropriate.

www.judithhermandvm.com

Natural Pet Care - Metairie / New Orleans, Louisiana - Dr. Adriana Sagrera, DVM

Dr. Sagrera is committed to alternative medicine as a way to improve the health of her patients by the most natural and non-invasive means possible.

drsagrera.com

About Dr. Todd Cooney | Natural Animal Consulting

About Dr. Todd Cooney | Natural Animal Consulting

www.naturalanimalconsulting.com

 

[LaurenHW]

wow, great post with some helpful references/resources. I have been listening to Dr. Judy Morgan another Holistic Vet that has recipes on her website.