What to feed a cat with kidney failure?

Veterinary cat food is used to reduce the load on diseased organs during therapy and in the presence of chronic diseases in animals. Specialized nutrition in most cases does not eliminate the pathology by itself, but helps speed up treatment and prolongs remission. It is important to choose the right food, since an unsuitable diet can worsen your pet’s condition.

2 Types of medicinal food for cats
3 Table: brands of veterinary feeds
4 Reviews from veterinarians about medicinal foods
5 Reviews from animal owners about veterinary food

Causes

There are acute and chronic renal failure in cats. The course depends on the cause of origin, as well as the speed of development of symptoms. The whole variety of factors leading to the development of the disease is usually divided into two categories: renal and prerenal.

Real reasons:

the action of toxins coming from outside,
allergic effects of certain medications, for example, sulfonamides,
infectious processes affecting the excretory organs.

Prerenal factors are directly related to dehydration of the body and destruction of red blood cells, which, for example, is observed during infection with leptospirosis or blood parasites.

Types of kidney failure

1 :
- acute - with acute renal failure it is possible to restore kidney function;

- chronic - kidney tissue degenerates into connective tissue. The process is irreversible; the kidneys do not restore function.

Classification 2 (according to causes):

- to renal. The cause of kidney dysfunction is impaired blood supply due to severe dehydration or prolonged exposure to anesthesia.

- after renal. It occurs against the background of an abnormal outflow of urine caused by urolithiasis (blockage of the urinary tract).

- actual renal failure. Occurs after poisoning with a toxic substance and is a consequence of chronic diseases (in particular, chronic kidney inflammation).

About nutrition for cats with kidney disease

Kidney failure in cats is the result of pathological processes and leads to a malfunction of the organ and the entire urinary system. With this disease, gradual damage to all organs occurs. Metabolic processes in the body are disrupted.

At the first stage of the disease, the amount of urine excreted decreases. There is a sharp decrease in blood pressure. As the disease develops, urine production ceases completely. The content of nitrogenous metabolites in the blood plasma increases significantly. At the third stage of the development of the disease, urine begins to leave, but it contains only salt and water, and metabolic products settle in the body and over time begin to destroy it.

Timely treatment helps normalize kidney function. Therapy for renal failure is long-term and lasts up to three months.

Kidney failure in cats can be acute or chronic. The first form of the disease is curable and develops intensively. The second occurs slowly and gradually affects the tissue of the kidney organ. This disease is incurable, and cat owners can only partially alleviate the animal’s condition.

Food for cats with renal failure contains minimal amounts of protein. Therefore, when creating a menu, you should limit your meat consumption by 30-50%. It is acceptable to replace meat products with offal, for example, chicken stomachs and hearts. The animal's diet should include yogurt and cottage cheese. To replenish the required calorie content, the menu is filled with cereal porridges and vegetable purees. Your pet can eat plant foods as much as possible.

If you have kidney disease, do not overfeed your cat. In case of renal failure, the menu is drawn up by the doctor, based on the animal’s condition and tests. In some cases, medicated food for cats with renal failure is included in the diet. Dietary food, especially wet food, as well as natural food, can significantly alleviate the animal’s condition. What to choose: natural food or ready-made food - the veterinarian must decide, based on the condition of the animal and the financial capabilities of its owner.

Three important aspects of the diet for cats with kidney disease

It is important for cats with kidney disease to follow a special diet. The key aspects of such a diet are water, the right percentage of animal protein and low phosphate content.

Water

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the kidneys' ability to retain water and concentrate urine is reduced. Therefore, sick cats are at risk of suffering from dehydration. To avoid this, cats need to get enough fluids.

In nature, cats get most of their fluids from food. Animals with chronic kidney disease should not be fed dry food; it contains too little water content (up to 10%). The most suitable food for cats with kidney disease is natural food based on raw meat.

Protein

The food for cats with kidney failure should contain protein that is easily digestible. This protein is found in rabbit and poultry meat. Many of the toxic products that accumulate in the blood during kidney disease are formed during the breakdown of protein. It has been clinically proven that cats with kidney disease absorb protein well, which is found in rabbit, chicken and hare meat.

Lack of protein leads to excessive weight loss, which is bad for the general condition of cats. Low protein foods are not of interest to cats. When animals are fed a raw, high-quality protein diet, their appetite improves markedly.

Low phosphate content

Phosphorus is an important mineral for health. The body of healthy animals regulates the level of phosphorus itself and removes excess through the kidneys. With chronic kidney disease, the body stops removing excess phosphorus, which is why its level in the blood increases markedly. This is called hyperphosphatemia.

Signs of hyperphosphatemia:

lack of appetite,
lack of coordination
weakness,
convulsions.

Cats may sometimes struggle to hold their head up, as if they are too weak to do so.
When you limit phosphate intake, you protect your cat's kidneys from further damage. If hyperphosphatemia does not improve even on a special diet, foods high in phosphates should be completely eliminated from the pet's diet or phosphate binders should be used. These drugs reduce the absorption of phosphates from the gastrointestinal tract.

Foods high in phosphates are not suitable for carnivores. Meat is considered a phosphorus-rich product. Meat phosphorus levels are not high for healthy carnivores, but may be high for carnivores with kidney disease.

It is important to maintain the correct proportions of calcium and phosphorus in food. To ensure that animals receive calcium, raw crushed bones should be added to the meat. SUPERPET knows this, which is why we add bones to our feed. When bones are included in the diet, calcium and phosphorus enter the cat's body in the right ratio. If phosphorus levels in the blood continue to rise, phosphate binders may be used. Medicines should only be given as prescribed by a veterinarian.

Criterias of choice

Specialized stores offer a wide range of medicinal foods for ICD, ranging from economy to holistic class. Since budget foods rarely contain useful substances and microelements, veterinarians strongly advise against purchasing them, since they do not provide any benefit to your pet. The best option is to use products of super-premium class and higher.

Royal Canin Urinary

When choosing food for the treatment of urolithiasis in cats, you should pay attention to the following features:

Each package must have a special mark that the product is intended for animals with ICD, and also indicate what type of stones it is suitable for;
The food must contain retinol (vitamin A) and tocopherol (vitamin E);
Medicinal food should not contain a high content of vitamin C, since ascorbic acid promotes the formation of stones.

To select the optimal food, the breeder is recommended to consult with a veterinarian before purchasing a particular product. The doctor will not only help you decide on the choice of food, but will also tell you what the daily dosage should be depending on the condition of the animal.

On a note! It is necessary to select medicinal food taking into account the type of stones formed, which is determined on the basis of laboratory tests.

Urolithiasis in cats: who is to blame and what to do

Urolithiasis in cats is a disease that is becoming more common today. This diagnosis can cause a lot of trouble for owners of furry meowing creatures. Statistics indicate a high probability of death, which forces us to consider this topic with all seriousness. If cats were deputies and could speak, they would definitely pass a law that obliges all cat owners to know and observe the basic preventative measures for this insidious disease.

In the meantime, all responsibility for the future of fluffies rests exclusively with conscientious comrades who, selflessly loving their pets, are simply obliged to protect them from physical torment and mental stress.

Now to the essence of the question. There may be several reasons why urolithiasis occurs in cats. Veterinarians say the most likely causes are poor nutrition, sedentary life of the animal, obesity, and inflammatory diseases. Urolithiasis in cats can also be caused by a lack of water in the daily diet or an increased calcium content in it.

Symptoms of urolithiasis in cats can vary. You need to know them so as not to progress the disease to the stage when nothing can be done. First of all, pay attention to the behavior of your pet. The first alarming symptoms are that blood appears in the urine, the cat constantly tries to urinate, refuses water and food, practically stops moving, screams in pain while urinating, and may try to urinate in unusual places.

A more severe stage of the disease – all of the above symptoms plus vomiting, trembling, convulsions. This is a clear sign that the animal’s kidneys do not excrete urine, it enters the blood, and severe poisoning of the body occurs. If you want to save your cat's life, you need to immediately contact a veterinarian. Here the clock is already counting. Delay can lead to the inevitable death of the cat.

Now a few words about what needs to be done. The best solution to a problem is not to create it. If your cat is at risk (cheap dry food or food in the middle price segment, the cat has already been treated for urolithiasis), a monthly course of special therapeutic and preventive food for the genitourinary system is recommended at least once every six months. It is advisable to visit a veterinarian at least once a year and have a urine test done.

What else needs to be done to prevent urolithiasis from developing in cats: first of all, you need to monitor the water regime - there should always be water, it should be fresh and clean. Pay special attention to nutrition. Symptoms of urolithiasis in cats develop with the constant use of cheap dry food (up to 100 rubles per kilogram).

But that's not the worst thing. Widely advertised cheap cat food leads to metabolic disorders, phosphorus and magnesium salts and other minerals crystallize in the urinary tract, resulting in urolithiasis in cats. You already know the symptoms.

Urolithiasis will not develop in cats if you do not kill your pets with cheap cat food, if you know the symptoms of the disease and pay very little attention to timely prevention.

It is not uncommon for cats suffering from urolithiasis to have no appetite. This occurs due to intoxication of the body by products of the kidneys, which cannot function normally. Loss of appetite is a serious symptom and should prompt a trip to the veterinarian. But before the problem can be fixed, the cat needs to be fed.

The food should be moist (even better if it is pate) and fed through a syringe without a needle or a catheter. You should not assume that a delicious smell and favorite food will correct the situation, and the cat will not have to be force-fed. An animal in this state is physically unable to eat food on its own. That’s why it’s so important not to leave things to chance in the hope that a hungry cat will finally eat. Lack of nutrients and calories causes the animal to eventually fall into lethargy, leading to death.

The problem of loss of appetite poses a threat to overweight pets just as much as it does to thin ones. Putting off treatment with the idea that fasting will help your cat lose weight is dooming her to death.

It is not always easy to care for a sick animal. But attention to the quality of your pet’s nutrition will give him more than one year of a full life.

The cat has lost her appetite: why and what to do?

Kidney disease can be diagnosed using clinical tests. A urine test will show its concentration, the ability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the body, a blood test will show the level of creatinine and urea (high values indicate loss of kidney function), an ultrasound will show changes in kidney size.

High blood pressure, retinal detachment, dental problems, etc., along with diagnostic tests, can be considered symptoms of kidney disease.

Unfortunately, blood and urine tests may not reveal kidney dysfunction until the kidneys have lost more than half of their normal function. For earlier diagnosis, you can use the ratio of creatinine in urine and blood - KFP (concentrating function of the kidneys). In healthy animals, the CFP is greater than or equal to 100%.

For pyelonephritis, urine culture is used to determine the sensitivity of bacteria to a particular antibiotic.

Signs of illness

Acute form

Despite the wide variety of cause-and-effect factors, the symptoms of acute renal failure in a cat are the same. At the beginning of the inflammatory process, signs characteristic of the underlying disease are observed. But soon they are mixed with kidney disorders, which can lead to death.

Thirst in kidney failure

Conventionally, the course of the disease can be divided into four successive stages:

initial,
anuric (cessation of urine excretion or excretion in negligible quantities),
restoration of urination,
recovery.

Let's look at all the stages in more detail.

Stage I. Symptoms of the initial stage may go unnoticed, since during this period the signs of the underlying disease will predominate. But at this time, changes are already taking place that are imperceptible at first glance: blood circulation in the kidneys is disrupted due to shifts in hemodynamics (pressure jumps, heart function speeds up or slows down, etc.). The stage lasts from several hours to several days.

Stage II. The anuric or oliguric stage is the manifestation of typical signs of renal failure in cats; characterized by cessation of diuresis and increasing signs of uremia:

drowsiness,
lethargy,
immobility,
diarrhea,
high blood pressure,
rapid heartbeat,
swelling,
muscle cramps,
the heart may stop.

If urine continues to be released, it is thick, bloody, with visible sediment.

There are two options for further developments: death or transition to the recovery stage.

Chronic form

Symptoms of chronic renal failure in cats increase gradually, which is associated with the slow death of nephrons. Pathology develops against the background of diseases of the urinary system, diabetes mellitus or heart failure.

Drowsiness and lethargy As with the acute form, there are four stages:

hidden - there may not be obvious signs, except that the animal drinks a lot of water, rests often and for a long time;
compensatory - at this stage the amount of urine excreted increases,
oliguric is manifested by an increase in signs of uremia, while the animal may begin to feel much better, and then a deterioration in the condition is observed again.
thermal - the final stage is characterized by lethargy, the appearance of swelling and itching. A gray coating is visible on the tongue, diarrhea is common, the amount of urine produced is very small or does not come out at all. The smell of acetone and urine can be heard from the animal at a distance.

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In the last stage, other organs often malfunction: heart, lungs, endocrine glands.

Symptoms

If we are not talking about an acute form of renal failure, then for a long period the pathology occurs in a latent form. Gradually the cells die, but the kidneys continue to work. Characteristic signs of renal failure appear when the volume of damaged tissue is more than 70%.

A cheerful and active pet becomes lethargic, sleepy, gets tired quickly and lies down most of the time. His appetite disappears, and his thirst, on the contrary, increases. Despite drinking a lot of water, the cat rarely goes to the toilet. Even if he manages to pee, the amount of urine is insignificant. The owner notices that the fluffy is constantly licking the genitals.

Then there are digestive disorders - nausea, diarrhea, constipation.

The appearance of a sharp unpleasant odor from the body and mouth of a four-legged pet is typical.

In severe cases, the animal experiences epileptic seizures, convulsions, fever, hypertension, which results in rupture of blood vessels in the eyeball and loss of vision. Intoxication of the body increases, the cat’s condition rapidly deteriorates. The kidneys do not work, causing the pet to fall into a coma and die.

How insidious kidney diseases are:

Late detection Many kidney diseases can proceed for a long time in a latent or erased form and make themselves known late, no, very late, and sometimes too late... Disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys do not cause pain in the animal (probably in vain!) and do not give anything away itself, since the healthy part can easily withstand the additional load. Until a certain point.

It often happens like this: 10% of nephrons die - nothing happens, 20% die - nothing happens, 40% - again nothing, 50% - the cat is a little “sad”, didn’t eat well, well, it happens, 60% - the cat is a few days old lethargic, barely ate my favorite food, vomited once, loose stools - perhaps I should see a doctor.

Thus, kidney diseases often make themselves felt only when a significant part of them has already died irrevocably!

Vague symptoms Symptoms of kidney disease are also typical for other diseases, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Increased thirst, excessive urination, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, anemia (pale mucous membranes), dental problems (ulcers on the gums and tongue, tartar, dental disease), drooling, mouth odor (sometimes ammonia), deterioration wool, retinal detachment, high blood pressure. With nephritis, there may be increased temperature and pain when palpated.

A little more detail:

If the ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine (filter harmful substances there) and pass water back into the body is impaired, urine becomes abundant, almost colorless and odorless. Diarrhea is also possible. Therefore, the cat begins to drink a lot, but at the same time becomes dehydrated. The degree of dehydration can be determined by pulling back the skin on the cat's neck. If, after being released, it does not return to its previous state immediately, but straightens only after a few seconds, then this indicates significant dehydration.
Since harmful substances, protein breakdown products (creatinine, urea), nitrogenous metabolic products, which are poison for the body, are not excreted by diseased kidneys as they should, but accumulate in the body, poisoning occurs. The result is decreased appetite, weight loss, vomiting, and a nitrogenous odor from the mouth.
Since the level of urea in the blood increases with kidney disease, it also increases in the saliva. And there, under the influence of microorganisms, it decomposes to ammonia, causing damage to the oral mucosa. The result is ulcers, gingivitis and stomatitis, damage to tooth enamel.
One of the functions of the kidneys is to produce chymosin, an enzyme that controls blood pressure. In turn, high blood pressure also harms the kidneys, forcing the nephrons to work harder, which leads to increased destruction.
There is a decrease in hemoglobin and the number of circulating red blood cells in the blood, the result is anemia, the animal’s mucous membranes (nose, gums) turn white.
Kidney disease is characterized by eye damage: intraocular hemorrhage - the eye is cloudy, with blood inside, and can be increased in size. Hemorrhage can occur in both eyes at the same time. Retinal detachment - the pupils are dilated, do not react to light, the cat bumps into objects, loses orientation. With extensive retinal detachment, there may be bubble-like formations behind the pupil, and dilated vessels and hemorrhages on the retina.

List of the best dry cat food

Food for cats with kidney failure is produced by many well-known manufacturers. It can be either dry or wet. Do not forget that when eating dry food, the cat must drink a lot of water. Therapeutic food for cats with kidney failure has a positive effect on the animal’s condition. The best are considered:

Eukanuba Renal. Food can be dry or wet. Balanced. Contains essential vitamins and microelements, as well as a small amount of protein and a low concentration of phosphorus. Can be taken for up to six months. One package of wet food 85 g costs about 50 rubles, a package of 2 kg costs 1 thousand rubles, 12 kg costs 5 thousand rubles. Made in the Netherlands.
Royal Canin Renal. Designed specifically to support kidney function. This is a product with a small amount of phosphorus, fatty acids, and antioxidants. The fish oil content here is normalized, which helps to increase glomerular filtration, and the amount of protein is kept to a minimum. The price of 4 kg is 2.5 thousand rubles, 2 kg is 1.5 thousand rubles, and 0.5 kg is 500 rubles. The food is made in France.
Hills Prescription Diet K/D Feline Renal Health. Improves the pet's quality of life. Prevents the progression of the disease. Contains Omega-3. Neutralizes the negative effects of free radicals. It has an excellent taste and is liked by animals. The cost of 1.5 kg of feed is 1,500 rubles, 400 g is about 350 rubles. Made in the USA.
Farmina Vet Life Renal. The food contains about 26% crude protein, which meets all standards for medicinal feed. Contains carbohydrates and fatty acids. Easy to digest. After 3-4 weeks of its use, pets feel significantly better. Price: 2 kg - 1500 rubles, 5 kg -3500 rubles, 0.4 kg - 400 rubles. Factories producing these feeds are located in Italy, Serbia and Brazil.
Monge Grain Free Vetsolution Renal Feline. The food does not contain grains. It is based on freeze-dried chicken. Contains up to 24% protein. They are recommended for cats not only for diseases of the renal system, but also for exhaustion, anorexia and metabolic acidosis. Sold only in veterinary institutions. Packaged in 0.4 and 1.5 kg. The price of 400 g is 350 rubles, 1.5 kg is 1100 rubles. Made in Italy.
Purina Veterinary Diets NF. The food has excellent taste. All cats eat it without exception. The composition includes rice, corn and wheat flour. There are animal fats, minerals and powdered eggs. The protein content reaches 26%. The cost of 350 g is 300 rubles, 850 g is 650 rubles, 1.5 kg is 1000 rubles. Product made in France.

The composition of medicinal feeds is carefully developed. For their production, only fresh, first-class raw materials are used. And the effectiveness of the products has been confirmed by the World Association of Veterinarians.

Royal Canin food for cats with kidney failure is often recommended by veterinarians. The main indication for switching a cat to this food is chronic renal failure. In addition, nutrition from the Renal line helps prevent the formation of kidney stones and relapses of diseases such as cystitis and urate.

During treatment, the pet should be on this food for about 6 months. If after this the laboratory tests do not return to normal, then the food is prescribed to the pet for life.

The food has excellent taste and a special particle structure, croquette, which makes it possible to chew them without difficulty. Cat food is enriched with antioxidants. They neutralize the negative effects of free radicals.

This food should not be given to animals during pregnancy, when feeding kittens with milk, or to animals at a young age.

Renal food for cats with renal failure contains a minimum phosphorus content. Its contents include flavones, which have a positive effect on blood circulation and oxidative processes. The food contains Omega 3 fatty acids. They support normal glomerular filtration in the kidney organ.

Among the main ingredients of the food:

corn flour;
rice;
animal fats;
vegetable fiber;
gluten;
fish fat;
soy protein isolate;
calcium carbonate;
mineral elements,
beet pulp.

Nutritional value of the product:

carbohydrates – 37%;
proteins - 23%;
fats - 17%;
fiber - 10%.

Renal food for cats with kidney failure has confirmed its effectiveness. Many reviews say that this food restored the health of their pets, and extended the lives of some.

There is an opinion that cats with kidney disease should not be fed dry food, because this will force the animals to drink a lot, and the kidneys will not be able to cope with the load. In fact, properly selected high-quality holistic or premium dry food can significantly improve the animal’s condition.

Eukanuba Renal
Royal Canin Renal RF23
Hill's Prescription Diet K/D Feline Renal Health
Farmina Vet Life Renal
Monge Grain Free Vetsolution Renal Feline
Purina Veterinary Diets NF

Eukanuba Renal

Complete food designed to support kidney function in cases of diagnosed renal failure. Contraindications are pregnancy of the cat, the period of feeding the cubs. These contraindications, by the way, are common to all medicinal feeds listed in this article.

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The granules are based on corn grits and soy protein isolate. In case of kidney diseases, animal proteins are a real poison for animals. The nutritional value of the feed is provided by animal fat, and the body is provided with vitamins, micro- and macroelements by corn gluten meal, sugar beet pulp, fish oil, chicken extract and other components. Among the shortcomings of the composition, it should be noted the presence of salt in the food, indicated on the packaging as sodium chloride.

Only a doctor can prescribe the right diet. All experiments with recipes usually end very sadly. General recommendations for feeding natural food to cats with chronic or temporary renal failure are as follows.

Cats are carnivores; protein and the amino acids it contains are vital for them. A purr with kidney problems can be given raw chicken or veal, previously frozen for a week in the freezer, and then thawed in the refrigerator and scalded with boiling water. This preparation of meat will minimize the risk of parasite infestation. Several times a week you can give offal, for example, chicken hearts, liver.

Excess calcium and phosphorus worsens the condition of already unhealthy kidneys, but you cannot do without them altogether, as problems with bones and teeth will appear.

Dairy products are contraindicated in cats with kidney disease.

If you have kidney disease, you should not give any fish (even sea fish), as it contains too much phosphorus. It is recommended to add ground raw sesame seeds to the meat.

You will have to exclude porridge, bread and other carbohydrates from the diet of a sick animal, but add vegetables. Unfortunately, cats, due to their predatory nature, are unlikely to be happy with carrots or cabbage. The solution may be to chop vegetables in a blender. The mixture can be diluted in chicken broth.

Even vitamins and dietary supplements that caring owners generously give to their four-legged pets without consulting a specialist can be harmful.

As you can see, practically nothing can be done for a sick animal. If he eats natural food, his condition may deteriorate quite sharply, and the doctors will only have time to throw up their hands.

If you don’t want to say goodbye to your pet, do not experiment with recipes and products, but trust veterinarians who will prescribe medicinal food in accordance with the biochemical composition of your pet’s blood and urine, its age and general well-being.

Natural nutrition for kidney failure

Typically, veterinarians prescribe the following diet for cats with CPZ:

reduce the level of protein, phosphorus, sodium,
increase levels of omega-3 fatty acids,
give B vitamins and antioxidants.

There are different ways to lower your protein levels. You can't just eliminate protein from a cat's diet. It is better to feed them foods containing high-quality protein that is easily digestible. This protein will not harm the cat’s body. Protein that is suitable for cats is found in rabbit, hare and poultry meat.

Vegetable protein is poorly absorbed in the body of cats. Therefore, you should not feed them food that contains chicken, fish or corn meal. Dry food and many canned foods are made from flour.

Eating raw meat does not lead to an excess of protein in the cat's body. This is the natural diet of carnivores. No studies have shown that strictly limiting protein in cats' diets prevents complications from kidney disease.

Doctors usually advise reducing the amount of protein, phosphorus and salt consumed. New research shows that it is more important to reduce the concentration of phosphorus in the blood of sick animals. This is explained by the fact that cats are obligate carnivores and have a naturally high need for protein. It is recommended to supplement the diet of cats with unhealthy kidneys with potassium, B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

A natural diet is great for cats with kidney failure. Game meat is highly digestible, contains the right type of protein and many natural essential fatty acids. Organ meats maintain levels of B vitamins. Raw meaty bones contain less phosphate than grain-based foods.

All these components are contained in natural food SUPERPET. Therefore, the food is suitable for both healthy cats and animals with kidney disease.

A raw meat diet is ideal for any cat because it meets the natural requirements of a true carnivore. Most cats that eat dry food are chronically dehydrated. Therefore, older animals are prone to kidney failure. For such animals, switching to a natural diet that contains the right type of protein and sufficient fluid can be a real salvation.

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Natural diet

Kidney disease is a serious challenge for cats. Not only does their general condition deteriorate, but their owners also begin to limit them excessively in their diet. However, there is nothing to be done: the daily dietary menu is of the same great importance as the list of medications that cats must take.

Many owners do not want to buy industrial feed. It is quite possible to create a diet using only natural products. However, be prepared for the fact that you will have to change your pet’s diet once and for all.

Cats are domestic carnivores, so they cannot live without consuming proteins and the amino acids they contain. You can give your pet raw chicken or veal, but first keep the meat in the freezer for several days to destroy all harmful bacteria and microorganisms. By-products (liver, chicken hearts) can be fed to the cat, but no more than 2-3 times a week.

What your cat will have to give up forever if she has kidney failure is dairy products. They are strictly contraindicated for this disease. Fish, any kind, should also be included in the category of prohibited ingredients. The thing is that it contains a lot of phosphorus, and its excess is harmful for cats in such a situation. Porridge, bread - any carbohydrates are recommended to be removed from the daily menu of a sick cat. But it’s worth including vegetables in it.

If you previously gave your furry creature vitamins and various dietary supplements, do not rush to feed them to your cat yourself now. Consult your veterinarian first. Believe me, sometimes even vitamins, if they are given in the wrong composition or volume, can harm the animal.

Natural nutrition

As we said earlier, the diet for domestic cats with kidney failure should contain a minimum amount of protein, as well as phosphorus and calcium. However, there must be a certain amount of these substances, otherwise problems with bone tissue may appear. Calcium should come from dairy products, but in chronic cases of the disease they are contraindicated, since the gastrointestinal tract cannot cope with such a load. There is a solution: sesame seeds. They are ground and mixed into food.

Please note that vitamin A is contraindicated in chronic renal failure, so exclude fish oil and foods rich in vitamin A. As for carbohydrates, their amount should be minimal. Porridge and crackers should not be given, but there should be a decent amount of vegetables in the diet. But a cat is a predator, so persuading it to eat vegetables is not always easy. Try grinding boiled vegetables in a blender and seasoning them with chicken broth, then you will have a chance to “persuade” your little one to this healthy dish.

If the condition of a sick pet worsens even slightly, then meat should be removed from the diet immediately. Keep in mind that cats suffering from kidney failure should not be given fish, especially sea fish, as it contains a lot of phosphorus.

Diagnostic issues

Despite such serious changes occurring in the body, recognizing the disease can be problematic even for an experienced specialist, not to mention the average person. To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to collect as complete an anamnesis as possible. Next, his data is compared with the clinic and the results of biochemical studies of urine and blood.

Establishing diagnosis

During the survey they find out:

Does the animal have kidney problems and what kind?
was it possible that there was poisoning?
When did the decrease in urination begin?

They also evaluate edema and its nature, listen to the heart to identify murmurs.

The laboratory must carry out:

general urine analysis,
analysis for protein, urea, chlorides and sugar in urine,
investigate the composition of the sediment,
blood is checked for acid-base balance.

Only based on the entire range of studies conducted can we draw a conclusion about existing kidney problems.

Treatment

Kidney failure is one of the incurable pathologies. However, with the help of a well-designed treatment regimen, it is possible to maintain the animal’s quality of life and achieve some improvement in kidney function.

The cat will be under the supervision of a veterinarian for life and will undergo regular examinations, including urine and blood tests. In addition, the animal will have to follow a therapeutic diet and take certain medications for the rest of its life.

Treatment depends on the form of renal failure, the general condition and age of the animal.

The acute form is treated according to a regimen that includes:

elimination of the factor that provoked the deficiency;
restoration of water balance;
hemodialysis (artificial blood purification);
removal of intoxication;
decreased blood pressure;
special medical nutrition.

In case of chronic insufficiency, therapeutic measures are aimed at restoring the acid-base, water-salt balance, and stabilizing blood pressure. Elimination of signs of anemia. It is necessary to undergo hemodialysis and use a strict but nutritious and balanced diet.

To improve immunity, it is advisable to use vitamin and mineral complexes.

Food for older cats with kidney disease

Cats, like all living things, age. After 10 years of life, they begin to develop a variety of diseases. These cats move less and sleep more. Therefore, there must be a special approach to feeding such a pet.

Food for aging cats with renal failure should be selected according to the age of the animal. In this case, more vitamins and minerals are required, but fewer calories. If your cat eats dry food, she should drink a lot of water. The ideal ratio is 3/1. The amount of magnesium and phosphorus in ready-made food for old animals is reduced. Ash content is balanced. Such food should be considered holistic or premium. Contain high-quality and safe ingredients.

It is better to choose wet food for aging cats with kidney failure. Dry food can aggravate the problem. Due to the increased carbohydrate content, dehydration and hyperglycemia can occur. Wet food should have a minimum amount of phosphorus, various food additives and potassium. Veterinarians prescribe such food for old cats along with medications for anemia and hypertension.

You should not put an old cat on a low protein diet, as this will hinder the natural reproduction of muscle mass and the pet will begin to lose weight, which will worsen its health.

In the initial stages of the development of renal failure, you need to transfer the old cat to wet food with a normal, rather than reduced, protein content. The animal should be protected from stress as much as possible and ensure a comfortable existence.

What should be the food for cats with chronic renal failure?

In this case, it is very important that the food for your pet meets the following parameters of a therapeutic diet.

Humidity

The approximate moisture content in canned food is 70–80%, while in dry food this figure does not exceed 10–20%. It is vital that medicinal cat food for kidney failure includes additional moisture to facilitate kidney function.

This is necessary to maintain normal blood pressure, an increase in which is also one of the indirect signs of chronic renal failure. The recommended sodium content in the diet is 0.1 to 0.5% sodium in dry matter.

Much has already been written about the benefits of fatty acids; they are necessary to maintain the proper functioning of almost all organs and systems of the animal’s body, including the kidneys. This directly concerns our suffering pets: the natural diet of cats with kidney failure requires the presence of foods with fatty acids in the diet.

These vitamins are water soluble and large amounts are washed out in the urine. An increased dosage of these substances in the diet helps compensate for losses.

Antioxidants

These substances will reduce cell damage and support immunity. Vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene and lutein are commonly added to dietary foods for cats with kidney failure.

This limitation deserves a separate discussion. The question of what is the ideal content of animal protein in a diet for cats with chronic renal failure is the subject of the most heated debate in certain circles; there is no consensus on scientific opinion.

In the wild, cats eat exclusively meat—they are also called “absolute carnivores.” The typical requirement of an adult healthy cat for animal proteins is 25–30% of dry matter. This is two to four times more than a dog needs, for example.

But what to feed a cat with kidney failure at home? Studies have not proven that reducing animal protein intake in the early stages of chronic kidney disease slows down the disease process. But this can lead to loss of muscle mass and have a negative impact on the overall health of the animal. Therefore, reducing protein levels in the early stages simply does not make any sense.

But in the later stages, this is simply necessary. And all because of phosphorus. Studies have proven with complete certainty that if food for cats with renal failure contains a lower proportion of phosphorus, the disease develops more slowly, and at stages 3 and 4 animals should receive no more than 0.2-0.5% phosphorus from food.

Since the main source of phosphorus is animal proteins, these indicators are easily achieved by reducing its consumption. Taking these requirements into account, try to balance the cat’s diet in case of kidney failure with natural food, or, if you cannot prepare food for your pets, you can buy special medicinal food.

We need food with the correct composition, which is a preventive measure against recurrent kidney stones. A pet with weakened kidney function must be kept on a special diet.

However, this does not mean that the kitten is doomed. If you feed him correctly, he will be just as active, cheerful and sociable. Food manufacturers offer pet breeders the optimal composition that will not cause complications and will prolong the cat’s life.

Treatment of chronic renal failure in cats - my experience.

Hello, I have an old 14-year-old cat with chronic renal failure, over the last month I have given a huge amount to veterinarians, but the prescriptions did not always help and it was not entirely clear what to do next, so I decided that this could no longer be done and began to study this question in English-language sources itself. Below I will briefly describe the drugs and dosages used according to the standard of treatment. Perhaps this will also help those who are unable to take their cat to the doctor for financial reasons. Link to the original guide in English https://catvets.com/public/PDFs/PracticeGuidelines/Guideline.

So, if you have an older cat and he begins to lose weight, eats poorly, vomits frequently, or staggers when walking, this is most likely chronic renal failure. Unsteadiness occurs due to high blood pressure and its effect on vision, including vomiting - due to uremic toxins, substances which the kidneys cannot remove.

What should I check? Donate blood for biochemistry and phosphorus (in Chronic Kidney Failure there will be high levels of urea, creatine and phosphorus), urine (if everything is bad, there will be protein and crystals), a clinical blood test to assess the level of iron (hemoglobin in the blood) and ask the doctor to measure cat pressure.

How to live with it.

1. Food and drink. The cat needs to be switched to renal food, because it contains a balanced amount of phosphorus and salt. If the kidneys are almost no longer working (creatine is above 400), the cat needs to be fed it constantly. It is important that the cat drinks! Place bowls of clean water around the apartment, including on elevated surfaces (window sills), and change the water to fresh water every day. If your cat is very picky (like mine), you can strongly dilute Renal canned food with water in addition to dry food, but it is better to switch to wet food altogether.

Principles of nutrition for kidney disease

The goal of the diet is to reduce the load on the kidneys and improve metabolism. Simple, proven rules will help you achieve this:

Protein restriction. What protein products should be included in feed for chronic renal failure? First of all, they should be easy to digest. The best sources are dietary chicken, rabbit or lamb. Pork is acceptable, but it is better to avoid beef. It is impossible to completely eliminate animal protein, otherwise the sick pet will begin to lose weight, which will only worsen its condition.
Minimum phosphorus. Since an excess of this substance is excreted through the kidneys, with chronic renal failure there is a risk of developing hyperphosphatemia. Controlling the phosphate content in the diet is a basic rule, since a sharp increase in their level in the blood leads to fatal consequences.
Drinking enough. To eliminate the risk of dehydration, your cat should always have access to clean drinking water. It is important to monitor the quality of water; the fewer harmful impurities it contains, the better. Make the best use of filters. You need to change the water in the drinking bowl at least once a day. It’s better to do it twice so that it doesn’t stagnate and accumulate contaminants settling from the air.
High-calorie nutrition with a balance of beneficial microelements (calcium, omega fatty acids, potassium citrate, antioxidants, vitamins C, E, A, D3, iron, plant fiber). If the weight dynamics are negative, then there are not enough calories (the average norm is at least 3500 kcal per day).
Accurate calculation. Food portions must be measured every day, adhering to the prescribed therapeutic norm. It is not recommended to overfeed or underfeed cats with chronic renal failure. They need to eat at least 5 times a day, in small portions. Sick pets often have decreased appetite. To prevent them from starving, you can try feeding them by hand or in a playful way. Another way is to slightly warm up the food in the microwave until it is at a comfortable temperature for your cat. Of course, you shouldn't force feed. This will lead to unwanted stress.

If possible, exclude:

fat meat,
dairy products,
seafood,
salt,
grain crops.

Therapeutic measures

Naturally, with kidney failure in cats, the question comes to the fore: how to save the animal? In fact, the answer is not so simple. All treatment and its result will depend on the cause of the disease, its severity and the presence of concomitant diseases, as well as possible complications.

Drugs for deficiency

As for the therapeutic scheme, it has two directions:

relief of the underlying disease,
eliminating signs of deficiency.

The owner is required to provide the animal with peace. It is important that the room is warm and well ventilated, which will facilitate the work of the heart, reduce the breakdown of proteins and eliminate vascular spasm.

It is equally important what to feed a cat with kidney failure. The feeding regimen should be dietary, and salts and liquids should be excluded from the diet in the presence of edema.

DETAILS: Chronic liver and kidney failure

The complex of all measures should be aimed at stimulating kidney function and eliminating symptoms:

The use of antibiotics is indicated, against which a novocaine perinephric blockade is performed.
To restore diuresis and replenish fluid, droppers with sodium chloride based on glucose are placed. Glucose has beneficial properties: improves metabolism, relieves intoxication and increases the antitoxic function of the liver, helps normalize heart function, and improves diuresis.
They also eliminate the symptoms of cardiovascular diseases and direct all efforts to restore kidney function.
In particularly severe cases of the disease, it is necessary to resort to peritoneal dialysis.

Drugs that can improve a pet’s condition during the treatment of kidney failure in cats include vitamins, especially A, D and E:

vitamin A - restores capillaries and the functioning of the endocrine glands, increases the body’s resistance, forcing it to work independently,
Vitamin D restores mineral metabolism, which is very important in such conditions,
Vitamin E - increases protein utilization.

Treatment of the primary disease

Determination and treatment of the underlying disease causing kidney failure. It is not always possible to identify the root cause. Not all kidney diseases have a cure.

Most often, renal failure is caused by pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis.

Antibiotics are used to treat pyelonephritis in cats, and in the stage of renal failure, ciprofloxacin and its analogues are best suited. Therapeutic plasmapheresis has a positive effect.

To treat glomerulonephritis, agents that inhibit immune reactions are used: glucocorticoids and cytostatics. Plasmapheresis has a direct therapeutic effect.

Choosing the right diet

Medicinal food for cats with kidney failure has long appeared on the shelves. Perhaps they really correspond to the diet that should be followed for this disease.

Diet for kidney failure

A diet for a cat with kidney failure can only be selected with the help of a veterinarian. Its main principles:

reducing protein intake - its amount should not exceed the minimum requirement,
Dry food, especially cheap economy food, is excluded from the diet,
Canned fish should also be excluded - they are rich in phosphorus, which is contraindicated in large quantities for this disease,
Naturally, there can be no question of food from the table, especially smoked and pickled foods.

It is clear that selecting the components of the diet is problematic, so many experts advise the owners of their patients to use Renal food.

It is designed specifically for sick cats with kidney disease and renal failure and has proven itself to be one of the best. According to the manufacturer, the medicinal food contains an optimal set of essential substances and is also enriched with antioxidants that help neutralize and eliminate harmful metabolic products.

A diet for kidney failure should only be prescribed by a doctor. Making your own menu for this disease is unacceptable. For your reference, below is an approximate daily diet:

Breakfast. A tablespoon of boiled chopped buckwheat or oatmeal without milk, plus minced rabbit or beef - 8 g. Also add a little finely chopped lettuce or a small piece of grated boiled beets.
Dinner. Boiled and pureed vegetables in the amount of 50 g. Add two tablespoons of minced meat and a teaspoon of porridge to them. The combination of porridge and minced meat is the same as for breakfast.
Dinner. Boiled vermicelli (50 g), mashed with a fork. Add minced meat and broth (10 g) in which the minced meat was cooked.
Before bedtime. A dessert spoon of noodles mixed with two spoons of baby meat food or a teaspoon of porridge mixed with the same amount of minced meat.

Once every seven days, the cat is given a little milk and three quail eggs. Twice a week, minced meat can be replaced with liver.

If the cat does not want to eat, then in case of kidney failure, veterinarians recommend force-feeding it from a syringe. It should be remembered that pets with kidney disease should not starve.

Boiled chicken feet, chopped in a blender, are most suitable for syringe feeding. Infrequent introduction of children's cottage cheese "Agusha" or "Tema" and yogurt into the diet is allowed.

The diet for kidney failure is long-term. Due to the intake of a small amount of protein, there is a possibility of developing degeneration of tissues and organs. To prevent this from happening, veterinarians prescribe the drug “Ketosteril” in parallel.

Natural products

If the cat is already accustomed to natural products, then there is no need to change them to specialized food. This can cause stress, food refusal, and metabolic disorders. Therefore, natural products remain on the menu, but some of them are removed from the diet.

Authorized Products	Positive effect on the body
Sesame seeds	They are given in ground form to compensate for calcium deficiency.
Vegetables (carrots, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, beets)	Cats do not like them and rarely eat them raw. Therefore, it is better to grind vegetables in a blender and add them to other foods. Or mix vegetable puree with minced meat.
Raw chicken, rabbit, beef and offal based on them	They contain protein that the body needs. But you can’t give your cat a lot of chicken, so as not to exceed the maximum allowed amount.
Porridge (not boiled)	The allowed cereals are barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn and rice.

Prohibited Products	What is the negative impact?
Products with vitamin A (fish oil, cheese, full-fat cottage cheese, butter, liver)	Vitamin A accelerates the progression of the disease. For example, it is found in fish oil. Therefore, other products are taken to eliminate calcium deficiency. In other cases, the amount of fish oil is kept to a minimum. It is also necessary to replace other prohibited products.
Fast carbohydrates (cereals, sweets, pastries, pasta, baked goods), potatoes	Their number is reduced to a minimum. Therefore, cats should not be fed baked goods. If you give your pet even a piece of baked goods, it can provoke a violation of the diet and a deterioration of the condition, which will take at least a week to recover.
Fatty meat, fish (especially sea fish), lard, pork	The diet excludes fatty foods, excess phosphorus and proteins.
Pineapple, citrus, raisins, grapes, avocado, kiwi	They have a lot of sugar. They are contraindicated when dieting and can also cause allergies.

Daily menu option:

Breakfast - a tablespoon of grated buckwheat (or oatmeal) with 8 g of minced meat and chopped lettuce (or a piece of grated beetroot).

Lunch – vegetable puree (50 g) plus 2 tbsp. l. minced meat and 1 tsp. porridge.

Feeding cats for constipation

Feeding for kidney failure

Feeding cats with inflammation of the paraanal glands

Dinner – boiled crushed vermicelli (50 g). Additionally, 10 g of chicken broth with a spoonful of boiled minced meat.

Before going to bed, the pet is given a slightly smaller portion of noodles, but mixed with meat baby food and porridge with minced meat.

How to make a cat drink

To restore your cat's interest in water, first change the bowl . Animals usually prefer a bucket, pan, or vase. You can place different containers of water in different places.

You can add a little milk or broth to clean water. But such a drink should be changed often, as it quickly deteriorates, especially in a hot room.

You can offer your cat to drink water from the tap or install a special drinking fountain.

If the recommendations listed do not help, the cat must be force-fed using a syringe. This method is also often used for stress or toothache.

Prevention

Animal lovers are often confused when they discover that their cat has kidney failure. What to do in this situation? You need to treat your pet without wasting a minute and follow all the veterinarian’s recommendations.

But the disease is easier to prevent than to treat. To prevent kidney diseases, Royal Canin, Purina, Hill's, Brit Care, and Bosch Sanabelle have created special foods. Such food is available for sterilized and elderly cats. They are created taking into account the predisposition of such pets to kidney diseases.

But if your cat has problems urinating, blood in the urine, weight loss, or lack of appetite, you should get tested immediately. Start treatment in a timely manner. In such a situation, only medicated feeds are used, which are selected in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.

The best food for cats with kidney failure is one that treats, helps pets with kidney failure live comfortably and prolongs their life.

Medicinal feed

Sick pets have a weak appetite and fatigue. While medicinal foods in this category improve appetite. With therapeutic nutrition in animals, after a few weeks, weight gain is observed. The correct composition of food improves the quality of life of a sick cat.

Sometimes it is very difficult to choose the right nutrition on your own. The right diet will meet the needs of a cat with kidney failure.

The most popular in the segment of food for problem cats are Royal Canin and Purina.

Royal Canin

A series for cats with kidney failure improves the condition of a sick pet. It contains corn flour, animal fats, fiber, and soy protein.

The assortment includes dry food with chicken, assorted food, tuna and canned food. Dietary food in this series reduces the load on the kidneys, restores metabolic balance, and is palatable.

Purina

Manufacturers of dietary and therapeutic food for cats Purina are highly appreciated by veterinarians. Even picky cats prefer the products in this series; they fall in love with this taste from the first plate.

The composition contains flour of different types of grain crops, fiber, minerals, egg powder, fatty acids, and vitamins. The composition is optimally balanced for cats with kidney disease, does not harm them, and improves their health.

Feeding with special foods

As a rule, it is the veterinarian who draws up a treatment menu for cats suffering from kidney failure. In this case, it is very important to rely on individual aspects: the course and stage of the disease, the condition of the animal, its food preferences, etc. Keep in mind that with such an illness, you should never overfeed your pet.

As for the nutrition itself, most often experts advise switching animals to dietary industrial feed. They can be wet or dry, but keep in mind that there should always be water in the bowl.

Food purchased for cats with kidney problems can significantly improve the overall condition of your pet. Among the most popular brands it is worth highlighting: Eukanuba Renal, Royal Canin Renal and Farmina Vet Life Renal.

All these compounds are medicinal and are intended specifically for cats that need to be put on a special diet. These mixtures include only first-class natural raw materials, therefore they are considered very useful for animals.

Special foods in the diet

There is an opinion that with such a disease the animal should not be fed dry food, since in this case the pet must drink a lot of water, and the kidneys may not be able to cope with the load. This opinion is erroneous, since if you choose a high-quality super-premium or holistic diet, the cat’s well-being can significantly improve.

However, there are several important points here. First of all, medicinal food must satisfy all the characteristics of the cat’s body (weight, size, breed, age, physiological condition). If these requirements are not met, then feeding with specialized foods can only aggravate the problem.

Food for domestic cats with kidney disease should contain a minimum amount of protein and phosphates, and a certain amount of minerals.

For example, Hill's brand diet food contains antioxidants and has good taste, so you won't have to deal with your pet's lack of appetite. The diets of this company include turkey and chicken meat, as well as rice flour and corn. The diets have a reduced content of phosphorus and calcium. These special foods reduce the amount of protein in the urine and stabilize the amount of magnesium in the body, preventing its excretion in urine.

“Purina” is the best food from the “veterinary diet” line.

It normalizes the acidity level of urine, prevents the formation of stones, and has a low protein and phosphate content.

The veterinarian often prescribes these foods as a therapeutic course for six months.

Natural food alternative

Despite the fact that the use of industrial products makes life easier for the owner and helps save time, many breeders prefer to feed their pets with ICD natural food.

This is due to the fact that by preparing food on their own, the owner will know what foods the cat eats. It is quite difficult to independently choose a suitable diet for a cat with urolithiasis.

To play it safe, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian who, depending on the stage of the disease and the general condition of the pet, will tell you what is best to feed the animal in a particular case. It is impossible to fully describe the diet for ICD, since nutrition is selected individually for each cat. Most often, the basis of the diet consists of the following products:

rolled oats porridge and rice;
boiled vegetables: beets, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, cauliflower, potatoes;
boiled sea fish (low-fat varieties);
meat broths and soups.

To speed up the recovery process, experts also advise giving your cat vitamin supplements that will help normalize the functioning of the urinary system and the entire body as a whole.

Hercules porridge

Important! For cats with urolithiasis, it is recommended to feed them 5-6 times a day, in small portions.

Things to remember

Regardless of what type of diet was chosen, several simple rules must be followed.

Firstly, at the initial stage of nutrition selection, you can try different diet options. But once a suitable one is found, it is not recommended to change it. That is, if one specific brand of food was chosen, then it should be purchased in the future. If one dietary menu is compiled from natural products, then it must be adhered to all the time.
Secondly, regular monitoring by a veterinarian is necessary. Even with an ideally selected diet, no one could cancel the malfunctions of the body. Therefore, it is necessary from time to time to make sure that the cat can continue to eat according to the established scheme.
Thirdly, in addition to proper nutrition, it is important to provide the animal with enough water. With kidney failure, the rate of water excretion from the body increases. The urge to urinate becomes more frequent, which leads to severe dehydration. Therefore, there should always be fresh water in your pet’s drinking bowl - cats will not drink what has been sitting idle for the second day.
Fourthly, if a cat eats specialized food, it is better if it is wet. This is related to the previous point: when feeding dry food, you need to consume more liquid. In addition, it is easier to add medications and strengthening additives to wet food, which cats often refuse to swallow in their pure form.
Fifthly, if before the diagnosis of urolithiasis the cat was using vitamin complexes and supplements, now it is worth consulting with a veterinarian before continuing to take them. In the current state, the pet's metabolism is different from normal, and an excess of any vitamin can lead to loss of fluid in the body and other negative effects.
Sixthly, a certain diet must be developed. The animal should be fed 4 times a day at the same time, and food should be given in small portions. There are cases when, with kidney failure, an animal experiences nausea for most of the day. In such a situation, the contents of the bowl should not have a strong odor. The smallest bones must be removed from the meat.

Can cats be given shrimp?

Often it is not possible to accurately determine the causes of the disease. The most typical are: age, genetic predisposition or congenital anomaly, ecology, infectious and systemic diseases (for example, diabetes), poisoning, trauma, unbalanced nutrition.

All animals over 7 years of age are at risk. They should be examined annually by a veterinarian, have blood tests, urine tests, ultrasounds and blood pressure checked.