Best Cat Food for Kidney Disease (2024): 8 Low Phosphorus Recipes (2024)

Pets with specific health problems often need a unique diet. Whether it's pancreatitis, heart disease, or chronic kidney disease, your veterinarian will often recommend a certain kind of food to help minimize the symptoms of the issue and provide your cat with the support they need.

If your cat has kidney disease (or renal problems), it will need a diet low in phosphorus, sodium, and even certain forms and levels of protein. On the other hand, you'll need to find a food high in certain ingredients, like antioxidants and vitamins.

Although our overall top rated kidney care cat food is a wet food, we also looked into a host of other options, both dry and wet.

From our testing and research we've picked eight that will provide your cat with kidney disease the right symptom control and health maintenance.

Our top three cat foods for kidney disease are chosen based on their unique composition, price points, and kitty appeal.

Read this next: 12 Best Urinary Cat Foods of 2022

Kidney disease in cats is exactly what it sounds like – a condition that involves the deterioration of the kidneys. Kidney disease happens when a cat's kidneys stop filtering through various substances the way they're supposed to eliminate waste products from the blood.

Healthy kidneys are responsible for regulating hydration and calcium, stimulating the production of red blood cells, and managing blood pressure. However, if your cat's kidneys stop working as they should, this can lead to a range of symptoms, such as:

• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Lethargy
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Poor coat management
• Hypertension (or high blood pressure)
• Vomiting
• Bad breath
• Anemia

Read this next: How to Tell if Your Cat is Sick

There are several issues that can cause kidney problems in cats, including infections, tumors forming in the kidneys, and exposure to various toxins.

While there's no "cure" for kidney disease, there are various steps your vet can take with you to help stop the disease from progressing into full-blown kidney failure. Depending on the stage of your cat's kidney failure, treatment might include everything from vitamin injections and intravenous fluids to medication to manage nausea and supplements.

The most common way to start treatment when the condition isn't too severe is to adjust a cat's diet.

While changing your cat's diet won't necessarily cure kidney disease, it will ensure they have more of the support they need to process food correctly and stay as healthy as possible.

The best option is to feed your cat prescription food. Specifically suggested by your vet. Prescription foods are designed just to target the needs of a cat with kidney disease. Most prescription foods will include:

• Low phosphorus and sodium levels
• Increased B vitamins and other minerals
• Fatty acids like Omega-3
• High caloric density for better weight management
• High quality and restricted protein

Many cats with kidney disease will suffer from inflammation of the kidneys, and other forms of inflammation. Alongside other anti-inflammatory substances, it's worth considering a food with a lot of omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA, which are well-documented to reduce inflammation.

While it is possible to find omega-3 derived from plant sources, cats need the substances found in animal fat. Good sources include sardine oil, tuna and salmon oil. Alternatively, you can consider giving your cat an extra dose of omega-3 with a supplement.

As your cat's kidney workload begins to decline, phosphorus is one of the substances which won't be easily filtered out from the bloodstream. If this substance is allowed to build up over time, it can cause a range of negative side effects for your cat, causing them to feel ill and worsening kidney function.

The best way to counteract the effects of phosphorus in the bloodstream is to reduce the amount you give your cat in their diet. Usually, the best prescription cat foods will come with lower levels of phosphorus and sodium. Sodium is important to minimize because it can increase blood pressure and make kidney damage worse.

Cats with kidney disease are likely to urinate more often, which means they're also more likely to lose out on crucial B vitamins in the litterbox. A deficiency in B vitamins is often associated with a loss of appetite and poor health for your cat.

Therapeutic and prescription diets are usually fortified with further B-complex vitamins to help keep your cat in better health. You can also consider asking your vet about B12 shots to provide your cat with a bonus boost of positive vitamins.

Keep in mind, kidney disease causes your cat to urinate more often, as well as losing their appetites, so they're more likely to struggle with dehydration. Some cats with kidney failure may even need to get fluid injections under their skin to help them stay hydrated.

You can improve your cat's hydration in a number of different ways, starting by making sure they always have access to fresh water. Some cats prefer flowing water from a fountain to a bowl, so consider experimenting with different options.

Wet food is also made up of around 70% water or more. This means if your cat is struggling with hydration, you might want to consider a wet food instead of a dry food.

Read this next: Should You Get a Cat Water Fountain?

Finding the right diet for your cat can be complicated, particularly when you're dealing with something as complicated as kidney disease. However, the most important factor of all is making sure your cat is eating.

When your cat is no longer interested in food, the most important thing you can do is get them to eat any way you can – even if this means feeding them more fat and unhealthy substances than usual in a therapeutic diet.

You can even consider adding supplements and probiotics into the mix if you're concerned your cat isn't getting enough of the substances they need.