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My cat has kidney issues. Is vet-prescribed food best or supplements?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Female | spayed | 12 years and 11 months old | 9 lbs

My cat had annual blood work done and was diagnosed with SLIGHT increase in kidney values. The vet recommended that I put her on some sort of kidney diet food(Royal Canine or Hills Science Diet) She normally eats Rachael Ray Nutrish dry, and Special Kitty canned. I was looking at the ingredients in the food brands the vet recommended and they have a lot of grains and fillers. I was thinking to keep the foods I normally use for her and buy some sort of kidney support supplement instead. Thoughts?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on April 10th, 2019

There is a lot of misconception when it comes to pet food. Grains are not bad for pets as long as they are the right kind, high-quality and easy to digest. They provide many essential amino acids that are not found in animal products. Royal Canin and Science Diet are both high quality brands with lots of research, data and good quality control. Switching to the recommended diet is the best thing you can do for Mercy. The diet contains controlled protein, controlled phosphorus, controlled potassium and additional omega three fatty acid supplements as well as antioxidants. You can certainly supplement her as it is not likely to hurt but the main control for kidney disease will be found with the protein and phosphorus. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 17th, 2018

    That’s good that Isabella is eating the diet and doing well. I am not aware of any treats specifically for renal disease but Royal Canin makes a cat treat that has a low phosphorus and can be given as a treat. Most vets would agree that Isabella could have a single normal cat treat here and there. You do want any ‘normal’ treats to be minimal (like 3 treats in a week) and even the Royal Canin treats should not be more than 5% of her daily calorie intake. Whenever you look at treats, you want a low phosphorus and ideally a lower protein. I would avoid human food as treats. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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