What's the best high-protein wet food for my senior cat with kidney issues?

Cats that are losing protein through their kidneys can lose weight. With your cat's medical history, I would recommend having him examined by the vet. Blood work will check the kidneys and urinalysis will look for extra protein in the urine. The blood work can also screen for other issues that can cause weight loss.

My concern with Menie is that he can have one of a few different things going on. As cats age they can become diabetic, have chronic kidney disease or even become hyperthyroid. With all these diseases you will see an increase in drinking and weight loss. I would recommend taking Menie to the veterinarian and having blood work and a urinalysis performed to see exactly what is going on with him. The urine will also show if there is a urinary tract infection, which they can have if they have diabetics, kidney disease or even if they don't have another disease going on. I hope Menie feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Drinking a lot more means that she is also urinating a lot more. This is called Polydipsia and polyuria or PU PD. There are various reasons for PU PD and they need to be investigated by a veterinarian, especially in an older cat. Blood work can rule out any of those. 1) diabetes---a urinalysis and blood test will be able to rule it in or out. Diabetes is usually treated with diet and insulin. Weight loss is a cardinal sign. 2) Kidney disease, treated with diet and supportive treatment 3)diabetes insipidus, usually tested with a water deprivation test and treated with a medication called Minirin. You will need to make an appointment with your vet for an exam and blood tests. I am sure your vet will find the cause of the PU PD. Apart from that feeding your kitty pate-style wet food is usually better than the food with gravy as cats tend to lick the gravy off, which they cannot do with pate style wet food.

I recommend to play it safe and have some lab work run. Given their age, it's better to play it safe. Catching kidney disease early means you can start treatment (which is usually just a diet change) and this can increase the length of quality life after diagnosis. I hope this helps.

Older cats are prone to many diseases, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, infections, cancer, etc. He should be examined by a vet for a work-up with blood-work and a urinalysis to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat and manage his problems.

White gums are a sign of anemia, and in a cat Tommy's age, kidney disease is common. Signs of it include excessive drinking and urination, but that can also be caused by diabetes or hyperthyroidism. From your description, it doesn't sound like he's in good shape at the moment, and I strong encourage an immediate vet visit for him. It's not fair to leave him in this condition, and he needs to be seen by a vet to determine if his symptoms can be treated. Please take him into a vet now.

This is very concerning and may not related to progressing kidney, thyroid disease or diabetes. An urgent vet check and urine and blood tests is recommended. Do not delay investigation as early treatment is required