My cat has kidney issues and no appetite. Can I give human B vitamins?

I don’t typically worry about Vitamin B deficiency in cats with CKD. It is common in cats with GI disease or diarrhea. B vitamins are safe in appropriate amounts, but I would recommend that you consult with your vet about any supplements. The kidneys are responsible for excreting excess b vitamins, and if they are severely impaired, there could be negative side effects.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Appetite stimulants sometimes do not help so it is not uncommon to be in this spot especially if there is significant underlying disease. I would recommend you contact your veterinarian who knows the entire medical history to make further recommendations. There are other appetite stimulants that can be tried such as Entyce. Good luck and have a great day!

Usually we do end up giving some sort of supplementation to cats with severe IBD. However if their intestines are not absorbing things normally often we have to get the supplementation as injections. This is something your veterinarian could do or even teach you how to do. I recommend contacting them to set this up.

I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Cat is so sick! You can certainly give vitamin B12 injections at home if your vet agrees that this may be helpful for your kitty - this is a very common part of treatment for a variety of different problems, and is quite easy to do. Your vet will need to order it for you, since it isn't normally available over the counter. I'm not sure if you had any other questions about your cat's illness, but if so, feel free to post again and we will do our best to answer.

Good question. They are both appetitive stimulants but are a different class of drug so they work in different ways. I think it is worth a shot trying to the Entyce. I would also highly recommend informing your veterinarian about this continued issue because often times the pets kidney values are really high, causing appetite suppression alone. Also ask your vet about getting Tony on Cerenia (anti-nausea) medication long term (can be given every other day in renal failure cats ) to help with his appetite. Often cats won’t eat because they are nauseous due to elevated toxins in their blood stream from the kidney disease. Also a product called Azodyl can help reduce kidney values more naturally. I hope these suggestions help you get Tony’s appetite back to what it used to be. Best wishes and take care!

Try warming his food slightly or mix in a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite. The Ecuvit is a vitamin supplement and should be safe to give, however it may be best to wait until Kiki is eating regularly as vitamins given on an empty stomach may cause gastrointestinal upset. If he is not eating after 2 days, have him rechecked by your veterinarian. Cats who do not eat for 2+ days are at serious risk of developing liver related complications.

I would recommend checking with his vet for confirmation that he needs the lysine supplement at all. However, I'm not aware of any drug interactions. There are lysine treats that he might like, I'm not sure what the powder tastes like.