Cat Heart Disease Nutrition

Photo copyright tanakawho

Cat Heart Disease Nutrition is sensible to consider as something we can do to help our cats if they are diagnosed with heart disease.

There are commercially available pet food products for cats and dogs with heart disease. This food contains low salt and low protein. One type of food that it is probably sensible to change from is dry food. Elizabeth Hodgkins, a US based vet with a lot of experience in cat food, makes a very good argument for not giving dry cat food to cats. I discuss a bit about that on the main site.

As cats naturally eat a diet high in protein, Elizabeth says it is not productive to restrict protein in a cat with heart disease (she disagrees with the big pet food manufacturers). However, the restriction of salt may be necessary but it depends on a number of factors. If low salt is prescribed by your vet, one way to lower the salt level is to mix in foods high in protein an low in salt. She recommends cooked egg white, which contains no phosphorous (which promotes kidney health). Egg white is high in protein and if mixed in with regular wet canned food will dilute the salt level in the food and increase the protein level.

The potential trouble is that salt adds taste and perhaps our domestic cats have become habituated to the taste of salt through eating commercial cat food. If she doesn't find the food palatable she wont eat it and maintaining weight is important as weight loss can accompany cats with heart disease.

Cats with heart disease can live good lives.

Source: "Your Cat" by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM (I would recommend this book).

From Cat Heart Disease Nutrition to Bengal Cats and HCM