My cat has kidney disease and won't eat. Can he eat chicken liver?

Renal diets are very effective for cats with kidney disease -by reducing the amount of toxins the kidneys are required to excrete many of the symptoms can be reduced; they are also naturally antiinflammatory and enriched with vitamins etc and are proven both to extend life expectancy and quality of life. The larger proportion of the diet that is made of of kidney food, the more effective it is however calorie intake is very important and tempting or supplementing the diet with easy to digest protein sources such as egg, boiled chicken or fish is ok (for some clinical diets this is not appropriate but for kidney patients it is better than not eating the special diet)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry to hear about Anano. Although the royal Canin renal diet is ideal, it’s more important that he eats SOMETHING. So go ahead and feed him the meat. Then contact your vet to see if he or she has any other testing or treatments to try. Best wishes to you and Anano.

Liver issues can be tricky to treat, and cats with liver issues may be more picky about what they eat. The first suggestion to try is if your cat had a dry (or wet) version of a prescription diet is to try the opposite dry or wet version. (IE if you try Hill's l/d dry, try a can of the l/d wet). Some cats may find the change in consistency and flavor more palatable and may begin to eat without having to completely change foods. If your cat was on a dry diet, a wet food may also be easier for your cat's liver to process. Another suggestion to try is to add a few kibbles of a food or a teaspoon of wet food your cat really likes to his prescription food. While some cats may figure out and pick out the good bits, many cats will begin to eat the whole meal and thus get the nutritional benefit from it. Your vet can let you know if it's safe to try this method depending on the severity of your cat's condition. For over the counter foods, a diet that has a similar nutrient makeup to prescription foods (you can check the nutrition label of l/d or NF if you have a bag handy) may help your cat with his liver issues while still being palatable. This is usually higher protein, contains L-carnitine to promote fat metabolism are low in sodium and have vitamins E and C to support the immune system and liver function. Your vet may also wish to recommend a supplement such as milk thistle which can also help promote liver function without a major change in food.

If he won't eat the Royal Canin renal diet then you should try a different brand like Hill's k/d. The Hill's diet has an appetite stimulant in it which helps with palatability. If he won't eat that either then all you can do is feed him what he will eat. It may shorten his life span but you cannot let him starve to death. If he is anemic that is called anemia of chronic disease. The only thing to help that is injections of EPO (erythropoeitin). Feeding organ meet is not going to help. ( https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_anemia_chronic_kidney_disease )

Most veterinary clinics will carry prescription liver diets such as Hill's l/d that are designed specifically to help cats with liver issues. Some vets may also recommend supplements to help support liver health, however it is best to check with your vet first to make sure they do not interact with any medications Dash is on. Cats tend to be enticed by warm or smelly food, so if he is having trouble eating, moistening dry food, or using wet food and then heating it up for 3-5 seconds to get it smelly may encourage him to eat. If he refuses to eat completely, it is best to seek veterinary care to help get him eating again and prevent further stress to his body.

I’m sorry to hear fluffy is dealing with this. A small amount of chicken or chicken baby food is likely ok to offer her, as of course it is important to get her eating. Without knowing the details of her lab work it is hard to give specific nutritional information. So I would suggest getting in touch with her vet when you can. If her liver is failing we do need to be more careful about the amount of protein they are consuming.

I would recommend feeding a specialist diet formulated for cats with liver disease such as royal canin hepatic or hills l/d. These are high calorie, easily digestible with limited liver function and supplemented with antioxidants and liver protectants. These can be diluted and syringe fed if necessary