Is my cat's dark, dry poop normal after starting a kidney diet?

Hi there! That stool appears within the realm of normal. It does look a touch dry, so I'd monitor the cats for any signs of constipation and make sure they're both defecating regularly (at least once daily) and eating well. But I suspect it's normal. :-)

This is unusual but nothing to be overly concerned about. I would give the tablespoon of pumpkin twice a day. Often cats with kidney failure do get constipated. I recommend a kidney function test if you’re worried. That would give you a baseline level to refer to as he ages. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kasper.

As long as she is defecating regularly and not straining the firm stool may not be a concern. It is a little unusual for a/d to be recommended as a maintenance diet - you may want to check with your vet and see if there is another diet that would be recommended for Hopper given her constipation. This diet is very nutritionally dense, so it's possible that she's just not making much stool. If she has been straining, or you feel her stool looks black and tarry I would recommend making a recheck appointment with your veterinarian.

I'm so very sorry to hear this. Sometimes cats in renal failure start to develop other issues concurrently, his guts are likely upset leading to diarrhoea. Depending on the cause the vet may be able to treat it with antibiotics and probiotics if an infection or inflammation is present. I think it certainly would be worth giving treatment a try for a few days. Unfortunately renal failure can be very hard on cats and you both have my utmost sympathy.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend getting Tiga on a prescription kidney diet like Hill's k/d. I would add some non-flavored powder metamusil to the food daily (1/4 tsp to start). The prescription diets have proven to extend the life span of cats with kidney disease. If adding metamusil doesn't help I would ask your Vet about prescribing lactulose to help with the stools. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What you describe is actually a common issue. There are a few things you can try. This is likely to resolve just by increasing the amount of liquid he consumes and an easy way of doing this is by increasing the amount of wet food and decreasing the amount of dry food or just switching to a wet food diet. You could consider feeding him canned Science Diet metabolic weight management to achieve weight loss. Good luck!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. What you are describing (hard feces despite drinking and peeing, and drinking a lot of water) can definitely be caused by kidney disease, and that would be the number one concern. Other concerns would be diabetes, hyperthyroidism, megacolon, or possibly cancer. In terms of your medications comment, all medications have different times for how long they take to kick in, and how long they last. This can be changed based on hydration, age, kidney and liver function, and overall health status. It sounds like Jay might need to see a vet, based on your questions. Best of luck with Jay!