Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

What wet food is best for a cat with kidney disease and pancreatitis?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 13 years and 6 months old

Is Purina Proplan wet food ok for my cat, he has stage 2 kidney disease and pancreatitis?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 5th, 2020

I would opt for a prescription kidney diet (Hill's K/D or Royal Canin renal) instead of any over the counter option if he has kidney disease especially, because the mainstay of treatment for this is the diet alone. This is also ok for his pancreatitis for now and hopefully he will get over this pancreatitis episode soon with the treatment recommendations through your vet. Pancreatitis in cats is often associated with a triaditis (3 disease) condition affecting both their intestines (IBD), pancrease (pancreatitis) and liver (cholangitis), so its imperative to follow your vets instructions on follow-up care as well. Here is more information on this condition in cats --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952234

I do hope that your pet Cat is going to be ok moving forward. Best of luck and take care.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on July 7th, 2017
There are no diets available over-the-counter that are suitable for a cat with diagnosed renal disease. Royal Canin does have a food that is suitable for cats with renal disease and food allergies if that is the issue. This is a prescription food so you will need to get it from your veterinarian. If your cat does not have food allergies, there is no reason to avoid wheat, corn or soy. These ingredients are found in food commonly and are very unlikely to cause a problem. They provide vital nutrients and are safe for most cats to consume.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on November 10th, 2016
Unfortunately there is no hypoallergenic renal food. If he is doing well on the hypoallergenic diet without the need of additional medication then I would advise keeping him on that diet and not switch him to a renal food. The main thing I would recommend to do is to put him on the wet form of that diet only, without dry kibbles.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 13th, 2023
Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Great question.

Typically yes, I would put a cat with any renal changes on blood/urine testing on a prescription diet. If the values are not up very high, there are early renal disease diets that would be good to use.

Be sure to get his blood/urine checked every 8-12 months and if the renal values get worse he may need to go on a more advanced renal diet. These foods are prescription only. They are fairly expensive diets. There are many companies that make these prescription diets. I like Royal Canin and they are typically my first choice.

This is the diet I would suggest to start with.

( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=144440 )

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

What's the best wet food diet for my cat with feline pancreatitis?

Usually I recommend a low fat gastrointestinal food for pancreatitis as it is easily digested with minimum fat content. Royal canin does a feline wet GI food. Hills and specific do a similar option. You can get these from your vet. If your cat also has deficiency in pancreatic enzymes these may need supplemented.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Fussy cat with kidney disease won't eat vet food. Best store wet food?

We always say that it doesn't matter how good a food is if the pet won't eat it. This is especially true with cats. Your goal with a diet for a kidney patient is to avoid foods that are too high in protein, so you will want to avoid any kitten foods. Most non-prescription diets are very similar in their protein levels because they are made for the needs of an average adult cat. If Cricket was previously on a dry food, I found the best way to get my cat to eat canned food was to grind up dry food, then sprinkle it on the top of his canned food to get him eating. I am attaching a link to a handout below with tips to transition a cat onto canned food. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3041 Since Cricket has been a fussy eater, the most important thing will be to find a food that she likes. I have found that cats tend to like Fancy Feast the best, so that might be an option if you can't find something else that she will eat. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Cat with kidney issues: Best food brands & Milk Thistle advice?

Many cats with renal disease get picky with food so you may end up trying all the brands at some point or alternating between them. You need to feed Mercy a prescription diet for the renal disease. The brand Royal Canin tends to be the most palatable. They make 3 varieties of kibble and 3 varieties of canned food that are all for renal disease. They have different smells/textures...etc so just pick a bag (or all 3) and try it. You will need to ask your normal veterinarian about continuing the milk thistle. The renal diets are lower in protein, higher in fat and higher in fatty acids/antioxidants and this can be beneficial for the liver depending on the cause of liver elevations. Your normal vet will best advise you. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My cat has early kidney disease. What food should I feed her?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Paanti. The diet choice for her depends on her current blood work values. Kidney disease has four stages. Depending on where she falls, dictates if she requires protein restriction. If she has very early disease, I would consider a prescription diet such as Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets Early Care Renal. You could also ask your veterinarian for a prescription for a very high potency fatty acid supplement as this can help in cases of renal disease. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My cat has pancreatitis and won't eat z/d. What food can he eat?

I am assuming your vet suspects Henry has a chicken intolerance that may be contributing to the pancreatitis bouts. Hill's z/d and Royal Canin HP are what are called "hydrolyzed protein diets." These diets are designed such that the proteins have been processed to be broken down to such small pieces that the body won't recognize them as something that could mount an allergic or intolerance response. If your cat won't eat these foods THAT'S OK! There are other appropriate foods available, because another possible approach to concerns for allergies and intolerances is to use a different protein altogether; these are called "novel protein diets." There are some high quality foods available that may be very helpful; including this diet-- Royal Canin PR (protein source is peas and rabbit): https://www.royalcanin.com/products/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-feline-selected-protein-adult-pr-dry-cat-food-8.8-lb-bag/762188 Or Hills d/d (rather than z/d): protein source is peas and venison) https://www.hillspet.com/cat-food/pd-dd-feline-venison-and-green-pea-formula-dry If you do decide to cook for him, check out the site balanceit.com which will help you with a recipe. While diet can be a factor with pancreatitis, and we definitely worry about a high fat diet predisposing to the condition, no one knows exactly why some cats develop pancreatitis. Here is some good information on pancreatitis is cats. https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-pancreatitis-serious I hope that helps you!! Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Can I free-feed my cat with pancreatitis wet/dry food & probiotics?

Most cats don't have a set schedule with meal time and that is ok. The most important thing is that Kacey is eating daily and consuming a low fat (calorie) diet if she is at risk for repeat pancreatitis episodes. As long as her body condition score is ideal and she isn't pre-diabetic, I would not worry about trying to get her on a feeding schedule. It is good if she readily converts to a schedule, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Make sure you discuss with your vet what the appropriate amount of food to offer her daily. Also you can use the feeding charts on her food labels to get a rough estimate of how much she needs. Try to only offer her amounts of food that fall within that chart and you should be fine. Most cats typically only need around 1-1.5 cups/cans a day. And the probiotic is always a good daily supplement to keep her stools regulated.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Cat with kidney failure: Can I mix RX food with organic & supplement?

Prescription kidney diets have proven to improve both quality and length of life in pets with poor kidney function. They are formulated to reduce the amount of work required for the kidneys by reducing the amount of waste products produced from food as well as containing tightly balanced mineral, vitamin, omega fatty acid and protein levels and work best in wet forms or where good water intake can be encouraged. The larger proportion of the diet the better, any additional food sources should be highly digestible and suitable for pets in kidney failure, blood tests would be recommended 3-4 weeks after any diet changes to ensure no negative impacts develop

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share