My cat has liver disease. What safe foods and treats can they eat?

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

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.

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.

If your cat has problems eating his dry food, then he likely has bad teeth, excess tartar and/or severe gingivitis. He does not need his fangs for chewing. So I strongly suggest you have Bud's teeth checked by your veterinarian. He may need a dental cleaning and removal of any bad teeth. You can give him the baby food provided there is no xylitol in it (checck the label) as an interim feed. Unfortunately baby food does not fit the nutritional profile of a senior cat, so is not suitable as permanent food. You may want to try other canned kidney diets for your kitty.

Hi! Thanks for letting us take care of you today! Usually you want a diet with low to moderate amounts of a high quality protein. There are several excellent diets for liver disease in the market from Hills, Purina and Royal canin, among others. It should not matter if canned or dry. I would just choose whatever Tanner prefers. Good luck!

Hello, thank you for your question about Ammosh. Ideally Ammosh should be eating a diet that is designed to help with the management of renal disease. Renal diets are generally low in protein which is helpful in management of progression of kidney disease. Kidney disease, however, can also make pet's nauseous, which could be contributing to Ammosh's symptoms. If Ammosh does not like this renal food (they are known to not be very palatable diets) you could try offering him other diets or forms of food as the ultimate goal is for him to continue eating. Liver has not been shown to be beneficial in renal disease, but you could try other things such as boiled chicken or hamburger. Hope this helps, good luck!