your cat can thrive with ckd
You and Kitty have been together for a long, long time now. Morning rituals, favorite meals, and reserved spots on the couch for movie nights (couch cuddles have BEEN happening before “Netflix n’ Chill”) are some of the many things you both look forward to with each other everyday.
In fact, you know your cat so well you solve the problem before they know what’s going on — because a good pet parent’s gotta do, what a good pet parent’s gotta do! We also know you’re the #bestpetparentever because you’re reading this post and wondering if the signs you’re seeing — even sensing — are the ones for CKD.
definition, causes, and diagnosis
According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is “the persistent loss of kidney function over time.” Aside from making urine, kidneys are part of the renal system, the body’s process of filtering impurities out of the blood.
Cats going through CKD experience waste building up in their bloodstream, and to pet parents, the signs include (but aren’t limited to) lethargy, an unkempt coat, and urinating more often. Loss of appetite, high blood pressure, anemia and acidosis are other conditions that result from CKD, and they affect the body’s vision, heart and brain systems.
Vets may use a blood or urine test for making an official CKD diagnosis, both of which show the amount of waste products in the blood, as well as if proteins and red blood cells show up in kitty’s urine - where they aren’t meant to be - respectively.
The most heartbreaking facts about CKD is that it’s a disease that affects older cats, and there is no cure.
Before we go any further, CKD is not your fault. We repeat: CKD is not your fault!
What Now?
A change in diet — foods that lower the amount of waste in the bloodstream and are high in Vitamin B and Vitamin C, along with any therapies and medication recommended by your vet, and chews packed with ingredients that fight CKD are everything kitty needs to live healthy and happy, which definitely means more movie nights together.
scruffy paws to the rescue!
The Scruffy Paws Kidney Vitalize chews help keep your cat’s kidneys in fighting shape — whether or not they have CKD. Made locally in the United States with science-backed ingredients (Astragalus extract and Rhemannia root extract specifically, but more on that later), these chews support good kidney health and relieves effects of CKD.
Plus, it also comes in a great chicken flavor - and healthy things are always easier to eat when they taste good!
the healthy stuff
Astragalus extract and Rhemannia root extract together make a super ingredient that fights CKD. The study we worked with found it was especially great for proteinuria (when kidneys have trouble putting good proteins back into the bloodstream), hematuria (when you see blood in the urine), and improving renal function.
These ingredients have no side effects in animals, which means vital functions — the liver, heart, and gastro-intestinal tract — are protected.
We got you and kitty covered! And you can always read the studies that support our choices in ingredients in the Scientific Backing section of our product page.
one last thing...
Chronic Kidney Disease is not a death sentence. According to Cornell U, a change in diet (high in water, Vitamins B and C, and low on sodium) is one of the surefire ways to improve and lengthen the life of a cat with CKD.
You’ll probably have to play the “will kitty eat this?” game for a while - again, but if a couple weeks and a bunch of barely used bags of dry food make the difference between a couple months, or way more years, in kitty’s life, no big deal.
And, our chews are already kitty-taste approved - which is a great start in our humble opinion *hair flip.*
Stephanie Pollard
Writer. Pet Enthusiast. Ambivert.
