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Understanding Prescription Cat Meals for Specialised Diets


Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Prescription or therapeutic veterinary diets are particularly formulated to deal with or assist well being points in cats. In some instances, they will be the solely remedy your cat wants. Specialised diets play an vital position within the remedy of many circumstances, together with persistent kidney illness, urinary tract issues, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, gastrointestinal issues, and weight problems.

The stability of vitamins in prescription diets could be very totally different from regular diets – which means they’re often not applicable for wholesome cats. Consequently, they need to be prescribed by a veterinarian and used below their supervision, similar to a drugs.

Learn on for every little thing it’s essential to learn about prescription diets, from how they work to what they’re used for.

What are Prescription Diets?

Prescription diets are specialised therapeutic diets formulated to deal with or handle a sure well being situation. They include particular vitamins in a sure formulation which can be helpful to that medical drawback.

In contrast to regular cat meals, the Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers (AAFCO) doesn’t require prescription diets to be balanced or full for a wholesome cat. It is because cats with particular well being circumstances have totally different dietary wants from wholesome cats, usually requiring increased or decrease ranges of sure vitamins. Therapeutic diets might also include additional vitamins to assist the situation they’re treating.

Some prescription diets work by inflicting a change to your cat’s regular physiology which is useful to their situation. An instance is urinary care diets which alter the traditional pH of your cat’s urine to stop or dissolve bladder stones.

Nevertheless, prescription diets may be inappropriate – and even dangerous – for cats with out that situation. Prescription diets are an vital a part of your cat’s remedy plan. So – similar to a prescription remedy – they should be prescribed by your vet and used below their cautious supervision.

Widespread Prescription Diets for Cats: A Vet Explains

Black White Long Hair Senior Eating Young Again Mature Health Formula Dry Kibble Cat Food

Prescription diets are a mainstay within the remedy of kidney illness, urinary tract issues, weight problems, and meals allergy symptoms in cats. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Acceptable, high-quality vitamin is vital for the administration of any well being subject. Nevertheless, there are particular illnesses and circumstances the place utilizing a specialised prescription food plan is understood to make a major distinction. This part accommodates every little thing it’s essential to learn about the commonest prescription diets I like to recommend as a veterinarian.

1. Power Kidney Illness

Beginning your cat on a specialised kidney food plan is the very best remedy for persistent kidney illness (CKD) – much more so than any remedy. They assist cats reside longer with fewer signs and a greater high quality of life by assembly particular dietary wants.

In comparison with common pet meals, prescription kidney diets include:

  • Decreased protein: Wholesome cats require excessive ranges of protein. However cats with CKD battle to remove the waste merchandise brought on by breaking it down. As an alternative, these waste merchandise construct up within the blood (uremia) and might trigger them to really feel unwell. Kidney diets include decrease quantities of protein to scale back this however use high-quality sources to keep away from muscle wastage.
  • Decreased phosphorous: Extra phosphorous is excreted in urine, however cats with CKD battle to do that, resulting in excessive ranges within the blood, which may worsen the illness. Decreased phosphorous ranges gradual the development of the kidney illness, serving to your cat reside longer with fewer signs.
  • Decreased sodium (salt): An excessive amount of sodium can overwhelm the kidneys in cats with CKD, worsening hypertension and inflicting fluid retention. So, low sodium diets handle fluid stability and blood stress.
  • Elevated fats: kidney diets include elevated fats to assist your cat eat sufficient energy and preserve their weight. It additionally improves the style, as cats with CKD usually battle with poor urge for food.
  • Elevated potassium: Cats with CKD are vulnerable to low potassium (hypokalemia) as a result of elevated loss of their urine and lowered consumption by means of poor urge for food or vomiting. Kidney diets include elevated quantities to compensate for this.

Prescription renal diets for cats additionally include a complete host of additional vitamins, together with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, beta-carotene, acidifiers, buffers, and extra nutritional vitamins and minerals.

2. Feline Decrease Urinary Tract Illness

Box with multiple cans of Hill's urinary veterinary diet

Prescription urinary care diets are formulated to scale back the danger of Feline Decrease Urinary Tract Illness. Yaya Images / Shutterstock.com

Cats are vulnerable to decrease urinary tract issues, from urinary tract infections (UTIs) to stress cystitis and uroliths (bladder stones) – which may result in a blocked bladder, a life-threatening situation. Collectively, these are referred to as ‘Feline Decrease Urinary Tract Illness’, or FLUTD. There are various industrial diets aimed toward decreasing FLUTD in cats. Whereas they differ relying on what situation they’re treating, they’ve some frequent objectives:

  • Dilute the urine: Cats naturally have concentrated urine, however we all know this places them vulnerable to urolith formation and will increase irritation of their urinary tract. Diets that dilute the urine considerably scale back the danger of FLUTD.
  • Cut back uroliths: Prescription diets management the pH of the urine to stop sure varieties of uroliths from forming (some diets may even dissolve them). Additionally they promote the exercise of your cat’s pure urolith inhibitors. The nutritional vitamins and minerals (corresponding to calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D) are balanced to scale back the danger of sure uroliths, particularly calcium oxalate.
  • Cut back stress: We all know stress performs a major position for a lot of cats who are suffering from recurrent FLUTD. Latest prescription FLUTD diets include substances corresponding to alpha-casozepine and tryptophan that may assist scale back stress, and subsequently FLUTD.

Many prescription diets for recurring FLUTD are designed to be fed long-term. Nevertheless, diets designed particularly to interrupt down a sure kind of urolith (corresponding to struvite) are for short-term use solely.

3. Weight Management

Serving to your cat attain a wholesome weight can add years to their life – however it’s usually simpler mentioned than accomplished! Weight management diets are formulated to scale back your cat’s calorie consumption by containing lowered energy and fats. This encourages their physique to make use of their fats shops for power, serving to them to shed weight.

Nevertheless, cats usually battle with starvation between meals on a calorie-restricted food plan. Satiety diets include elevated fiber to assist them really feel full between meals, decreasing starvation and attention-seeking habits. This makes the weight-loss course of simpler for each of you.

Importantly, satiety diets include excessive ranges of high-quality protein to assist your cat preserve muscle mass whereas losing a few pounds. Additionally they have a excessive focus of nutritional vitamins and minerals, so your cat nonetheless will get every little thing they want, regardless of consuming fewer energy – which may be a problem in case you merely feed them much less of their regular meals.

4. Allergy symptoms

cat eating Wellness Core Indoor Deboned Chicken Turkey & Chicken Meals Recipe

Prescription hypoallergenic diets can be utilized to each diagnose and deal with meals allergy symptoms in cats. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

A food plan trial is the simplest option to diagnose (or rule out) a meals allergy in your cat. The most typical meals allergens are proteins – often the meat aspect. So, prescription hypoallergenic diets include proteins which were processed (hydrolyzed) so the physique doesn’t react to them. They’re totally different from non-prescription or ‘over-the-counter’ diets which can use the phrase ‘hypoallergenic’ however wouldn’t be appropriate for a food plan trial.

Some prescription hypoallergenic diets are designed solely to be fed for the food plan trial to check in case your cat’s signs resolve. Nevertheless, some hypoallergenic diets are full and may be fed long-term to delicate cats.

They might additionally include different substances that assist cats with meals sensitivities, corresponding to fatty acids to strengthen the pores and skin barrier or probiotics for intestine well being.

How To Feed Prescription Diets

Prescription diets are vital to your cat’s remedy plan. It may be useful to think about them as a type of remedy. Like remedy, they should be prescribed by your veterinarian and used below their steerage.

Beginning a Prescription Food plan

Your veterinarian will advocate a food plan particularly tailor-made to your cat’s wants. However for a lot of prescription diets, there are a number of totally different manufacturers, textures, and flavors obtainable. So, strive a number of to see which your cat likes finest. You should buy prescription diets immediately out of your veterinarian, however you might also have the ability to discover them on-line or in pet shops.

As all the time with any change in food plan, you must transition your cat steadily onto their new meals, mixing in somewhat extra every day, over 10-14 days. Contact your vet in case your cat reveals worrying signs on their new meals, corresponding to diarrhea.

Feeding as a Sole Food plan

As prescription pet meals are calculated to include a exact stability of vitamins in your cat’s situation, they need to be given as your cat’s sole food plan. Sadly, this implies no additional treats or titbits! Nevertheless, some frequent prescription diets may have a spread of treats obtainable which can be protected to make use of on the identical time.

Feeding Prescription Diets With Different Cats at House

Black Short Hair Cats Eating Feline Natural Chicken & Lamb Feast Pate Wet Canned Cat Food

Feeding a specialised food plan may be difficult when you have multiple cat, you could must feed them at totally different instances in several rooms. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

When you have multiple cat, you could be anxious about feeding totally different diets. Nevertheless, some prescription diets are protected (if somewhat costly!) to feed a wholesome cat too. For example, most prescription gastrointestinal diets will meet the dietary wants of a wholesome cat however be additional digestible and simple on the heart. So, examine along with your veterinarian in case you can feed all of your cats the identical food plan.

However don’t fear, even when the prescription food plan shouldn’t be applicable in your different cats, consuming some often gained’t trigger any points.

Lengthy Time period vs Brief Time period Diets

Verify along with your veterinarian if the food plan is meant for brief or long-term use. Cats with persistent well being circumstances, corresponding to CKD or hyperthyroidism will probably want a specialised food plan for the remainder of their life. However different diets are solely designed for use for a short while and gained’t meet your cat’s dietary wants long-term.

Monitoring Cats on Prescription Diets

Your cat will probably want some ongoing monitoring for his or her well being situation. So, monitoring as soon as they’ve began their new food plan will type a part of this. Relying on their situation, they could want common check-ups, or blood or urine exams, to see how the food plan is working.

Often Requested Questions

Can I get prescription cat meals and not using a vet’s prescription?

Sure, you should purchase some prescription pet meals and not using a prescription. Prescription meals don’t include remedy and aren’t topic to the identical laws.

Nevertheless, they will nonetheless be very dangerous (or at finest, ineffective) if used incorrectly. So, you must solely ever use a prescription food plan on advice out of your veterinarian, and with their supervision.

What if my cat will not eat prescription meals?

Sadly, not all cats will eat prescription meals. Particularly in instances the place the therapeutic food plan shouldn’t be as tasty as common pet meals, corresponding to meals that include low salt or fats.

It’s price attempting totally different manufacturers, flavors, and textures, to see if there may be one your cat can take pleasure in. But when they actually will not eat it, you must talk about different administration choices along with your veterinarian.

What if my cat has multiple well being situation?

It’s best to seek the advice of your veterinarian in case your cat has multiple well being situation, as their dietary wants could also be advanced. Your veterinarian will show you how to select a meals that finest meets your cat’s particular wants.

Cats.com makes use of high-quality, credible sources, together with peer-reviewed research, to assist the claims in our articles. This content material is frequently reviewed and up to date for accuracy. Go to our About Us web page to study our requirements and meet our veterinary evaluation board.

  1. Branam, E., DVM. (2022, February 13). Nutritionists’ view: Over-the-Counter versus Therapeutic Veterinary Diets. At this time’s Veterinary Follow. https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/vitamin/focus-nutrition-nutritionists-view-counter-versus-therapeutic-veterinary-diets/

  2. Scientific Proof Report. (n.d.). Managing the commonest causes of feline decrease urinary tract indicators with vitamin. https://www.vetspecialty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hills-Feline-Urinary-CER.pdf

  3. Kerry Rolph, BVM&S, CertVC, PhD, FANZCVS (feline chapter), DipECVIM-Ca, MRCVS. (2021, January 4). Meals for thought: Dietary issues in feline decrease urinary tract illnesses. Veterinary Follow Information. https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/flutd-august-2020/

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