Can Hills Science Diet 11+ be a safe topper for kidney cats?

Hello, thank you for using Pet Coach. Unfortunately there are no food toppers that I am aware of that will be suitable for a cat with kidney disease. Sticking to a strict prescription kidney diet is the BEST treatment for kidney disease and I don't suggest you stray from that. I don't know if you are only feeding Tony the dry formula but most come also as canned food so you could always top off with the canned food. You could even puree it into a gravy if you wish. Hope this helps. Happy holidays!

Hello, thank you for your question about Tony. I am sorry to hear that Tony does not seem to love the kidney diet; these are known to have a bland taste so many animals do not like them. The freeze dried morsels have a high protein content; most veterinarians recommend minimizing protein ingestion in patients with kidney disease. However with that being said, the main goal in any patient with kidney disease is to ensure that they eat. If this helps Tony eat his food regularly I think it is ok to add this as a meal topper. One other thing you could try (if you are using dry kibble) is to add a small amount of low sodium chicken broth to moisten the food and help improve the taste. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello, & thank you using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The most important thing for you to consider is the palatability of food for Tony. The best food for the kidneys will do him no good if he will not eat it. That being said, I think the Sci. Diet Adult 7+ is an excellent choice. The phosphorous level is actually a bit lower or about the same than in some of the Royal Canin renal diets. He should do quite well on this. Take care.

Yes, it is ok to eat renal food, but only as a treat or supplement to the main diet of Hills Rx Senior. Renal food is lower in protein than normal cat food since the kidneys can't handle excess protein when they are failing. So it would be best for long-term health if Tony gets plenty of protein, which is in the senior diet!

Royal Canin carries a diet called Senior Consult which has restricted Phos but not as low as the renal diets so it is not appropriate to feed instead of the renal diets. I recommend to discuss this option with your vet before making any diet changes since they are the most familiar with Tony's history. You may ask your vet about an appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine. Many renal cats want variety. Many owners will keep several renal food options and will switch the kibble every week to keep it interesting. Most cats will go back to eating a diet that they had previously stopped eating so you may try circling back. You should also ask about the return policy when purchasing the food in case Tony won't eat the food. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The key here is to go VERY slow. I saw a presentation by Hill’s that said over 90% of cars will eventually transition into a kidney diet- but it can take up to two months. I’d say go back to whatever Tony was eating well and try one of the following: 1) If he eats dry food, mix in a few kibbles of the kidney food at each meal. As he begins to finish all the food, very slowly creep up on the prescription food and back off on the regular food. 2) If he eats dry food but is interested in wet - or eats a mix of wet and dry: top dry food with a tiny dollop of canned kidney food. As he begins to eat this, replace more and more kibbles with wet kidney food. OR, if you want to keep him on a mix of both, start slowly replacing the kibbles as described in option 1. 3) If he eats only canned, mix a tiny bit of canned kidney diet in with it. Same as for the dry food, slowly increase the kidney diet and decrease the regular stuff. Again, this could take a month or two so be slow and patient. Best wishes to you and Tony.

Great question! One of the benefits of Royal Canin aging 12+ is that helps support renal health by having reduced phosphorus. It doesn't say if it's lower in sodium, but it is an excellent food for older cats and has the reduced phosphorus which is important given the prevalence of kidney disease in older cats. I recommend it as a food option for Tony. I hope this helps!