New food? I don't think so!

How do I convince my cat to eat the kidney diet?

·         Switch to the new food gradually. Most cats need at least a week to make the transition and many take a month or so.

·        Only try one brand of food at a time. Offer one brand for at least a week before trying another.

·         Try mixinga little of the new food with the old and gradually increasing the proportion of new food.

·         Alternatively provide both foods side by side and let the cat get used to the new scent and taste without being forced to consume it.

·         Don't be discouraged! Keep putting the new food out. If it is rejected take it away for the moment and put it down again at the next meal time.

·         Serve food on a flat food dish like a saucer rather than a bowl. Some cats reject a food if their whiskers rub the side of the food dish.

·         Serve food at room temperature or warmer.

·         Some cats prefer food from a newly opened container every time.

·         Other cats like their food stored in a plastic container rather than its original can.

·         Offer foods with different textures - minced, pate, chunks -  or different formulations - dry or moist. Many cats change their preferences when they develop kidney disease so don't be afraid to offer something that they didn't like before.

·         Add flavour enhancers like low sodium chicken broth, tuna juice, oregano, brewer's yeast, or a small amount of favourite food.

·         Feed more moist food to increase fluid intake. Cats with kidney disease need to consume a lot more water per day than healthy cats.

·         Make sure water is always available. Place water dishes near your cat's favourite resting places. Cats who like to lap from dripping taps or shower recesses often like water fountains like the Drinkwell water fountain.

Kidney disease diets

Changing to a diet specially formulated for cats newly diagnosed with kidney disease is the most effective way of supporting them.   Specially formulated kidney diets have been proven over and over again to improve the quality of life of catswith kidney disease and extend their life expectancy.

·         More importantly, from your cat's point of view, cats on kidney diets end up in hospital on a drip much less often than those on regular foods.

·         Potassiumis added to kidney diets because cats with kidney disease often have low levels of potassium. Low potassium blunts cats’ appetitesand make them feel unwell.

·         Phosphorousbuilds up in the blood of cats with kidney disease. High phosphorous levels put them off their food and eventually weaken their bones. Cats in untreated advanced kidney failure develop "rubber jaw" -  the high phosphorous levels drain the calcium out of their jaw bones.

·         Cats' systems become more acidic in kidney failure. Kidney diets help buffer the acidity and improve the cats'  well-being.

Company

Coco keeps me company reading vet journals - about cats, of course!

Coming home from the vet

Once upon a time I used to dread bringing one of my cats home from the vet hospital. Our return often provoked world war 3...
Usually the three of them adore each other, grooming and sleeping together most of the day.
If one had to go to hospital the other two cats would sniff the patient and then hiss and spit at her when we returned. I thought they were reacting to the smell of the hospital or of strange humans and animals. However a recent article says that it is the sudden return of a group member that puts them offside.
In the wild when a cat returns to the colony after a solo meal they hang round on the margins and almost sneak back in when no one is looking. No matter how many times in the day she returns, the group seems to debate whether to accept her back each time.
When I came home from the hospital with a patient, I would plonk her back in the middle of the group and let her out with a fanfare, hoping they would be nice to her if we pushed our way in.
Now I leave her outside and see what the other two are up to. If they are asleep on the bed I sneak the patient into the lounge room, let her out and quickly take the carrier away. If they are up and about I feed them in the laundry and while they are distracted I bring the patient in to the bedroom and let her decide on the best course of action.
Abrupt re-entries are not de rigueur in feline circles. They prefer the more subtle return.

Dr Kate comes back

Dr Kate desexes a dog at Utopia

I'm back from the Utopia group of Aboriginal settlements in Central Australia. In a hectic week we  desexed 184 dogs in a temporary vet hospital at the Arlparra basketball courts.
A remarkable collaboration between vets and nurses from Canberra, the Tennant Creek Shire council, AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities) vets based in Darwin and the local Ampilatwatja health service aimed to improve animal health and welfare, and human health.
I saw cats in two houses but their owners declined to have them desexed. The cats didn't seem to roam far. I think the dogs and the extreme climatic conditions kept them close to camp!

The vets spent half their time in surgery and the other half out in the camps talking to the people about dog health and the benefits of desexing.
This is the turn off to Aniltji, a small settlement on the edge of Utopia. Very little else existed to point the way so we were very glad to see this tree after bumping along the sand and corrugated road.