Are there any non prescription alternatives to Hills Prescription Diet Feline k/d with no by-products? or tips

Question

My old lady cat MOCA, 16 =^./.^= was just tested & the vet wants me to buy her the Hills k/d products only available at the vet. I do not agree with by-products in my pet products & also do not agree with a product that you can only buy at the vets office.
Are there any suggestions as alternatives to foods that would support kidney failure? It is lower in protein & there must be some other ingredients that support kidney function.
Are there any recommended products to increase the longevity of older cats? She is living with 2-3 other (1 lives at 2 houses) cats who are young, 1 1/2 , so I am also not sure how I will be able to keep their food separate.
Any cat tips would be appreciated too.
Peace!

Answer 1

Hi Peace!

There is a Yahoo group that specializes on taking car of kitties with CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) and related issues. I think there are alos several on-line blogs groups that do the same. You may benefit greatly from their combined experiences with kitties with kidney and bladder issues. You'll get first hand anecdotal experience, tips, guidelines, alerts, etc. Here are some links that discuss CRF:
www.holisticat.com/crf
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_chronic_renal_failure


Sorry about your kitty, but I hear CRF can be managed with proper diet and vigilance.

Answer 2

Why don't you agree with food only available at vets? This isn't a money spinning thing - they are prescription foods. This means, like prescription drugs, the use of them needs to be controlled, they cannot just be available generally to the public. If kidney diets were available in pet shops you'd have people self-diagnosing their pets (and getting it wrong) all over the place!

Also, k/d is not full of by-products. It is low in phosphorus and protein and this is why it is helpful in managing kidney disease. It is currently the best product available to support kidney problems, this is why your vet recommended it to you.

There are products available in pet shops that support old age generally, but your cat has a specific condition that needs managing. I daresay there are 'herbal' remedies that have been developed for this condition, but the fact of the matter is that as far as dietary management goes, a specially developed prescription diet is your best bet.

If you feed your cats at specific mealtimes and keep the 'kidney cat!' in a separate room you should be able to keep them on their individual foods. Bear in mind it will not hurt the other cats to get s bit of k/d, although of course old lady should be on the kidney diet exclusively - not a major disaster if she sometimes steals bites of regular food!

Chalice

Answer 3

Check out for yourself what compares:
http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/cat_food_comparisons.htm