Elderly Cat with Pancreatitis and Kidney Problems
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Eva
Posted on: February 21, 2008

Several months ago our cat was diagnosed with a) a serious bladder infection (it cleared up with antibiotics), b) the beginning of kidney problems and c) mild pancreatitis. I was told by the first vet (traditional one) to decrease his protein. Another vet (a holistic one) told me to feed him mainly a raw food diet with protein, veggies, supplements and NO GRAINS. About a month ago I introduced him to a raw food diet. At this point about 60% of his diet is raw food (raw chicken breasts, grains, supplements and raw veggies) and the rest is Wellness canned food (no grains). I’ve also added cranberry powder to his diet. This past week he vomited liquid on 2 occasions (once even from his anus). This is definitely not a fur ball.

Here are my questions:

1) Do I exclude grains or not? If I do, his protein intake would be very high and everything I’ve read indicates I should decrease his protein.

2) Could the vomiting be related to the food, fish oils, or the kidney problems?

3) Should I put him on slippery elm for the vomiting?

This is a very complex issue and one that is beyond the scope of this forum. However, I will say that whenever dealing with a condition such as this all diet changes must be done slowly and towards a balanced diet, which from my experience should occur as several small meals a day. The food should contain a blend of protein, carbohydrates and fats but the latter can be minimised and yes, grains would be helpful as a source of soluble fibre. Please take a look at Richard Pitcairn’s book, "Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" where has a nice section on pancreatitis. Your holistic vet may also recommend the use of probiotics and digestive enzymes.

The vomiting could be due for any number of reasons and without being there and having a full case history it is hard to say which is the cause. I will also mention that there is an association of qualified practitioners, one of whom may be in your area. Please see the website of the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (www.vbma.org).

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