https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/p/c51ca181-d577-43bc-b76e-2c1f1ed7ae2c/
https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/2016-05-09-nl-feeding-older-cats/
By Dr. Becker
Is your cat getting up over the years? If so, you’re not alone: it’s estimated that a significant number of cats (40% in 2012) in the United States are over 7 years old.1
Unlike humans and many dog breeds, it’s not always easy to tell a cat’s age just by looking at them. And to confuse things a little more, calculating your age in human years isn’t as simple as you’ve probably been led to believe.
Cats mature quickly during their first few years of life, and then things settle down. According to Cat Calculator, an accepted method for converting a cat’s age to an equivalent human age is to add 15 years for the first year of life, 10 years for the second year of life, and 4 years for each subsequent year.2
This means, for example, that a 4 year old cat is 33 in human years (15 + 10 + 4 + 4).
It’s important to have a good idea of your cat’s age for many reasons, one of the most important being making sure they remain well nourished as they age.
Why Reduced Protein Diets Were Once Recommended for Aging Cats
For many years, veterinarians have recommended reduced-protein diets for older cats. That’s because after a lifetime of eating commercial pet foods containing low-quality, hard-to-digest proteins, a cat’s kidney and liver function are compromised.
As crazy as it sounds, low protein senior cat formulas came about because of the terrible quality of cat foods on the market.
Chronic stress created by a diet that is difficult to digest and assimilate causes premature aging and dysfunction of the digestion and detoxification organs. This was a recipe for disaster, because as we have learned more recently, aging cats actually need more proteins than their younger counterparts.
Cats at every life stage need plenty of high-quality protein
In 1992, veterinary nutritionist Dr. Delmar Finco discovered that protein needs increase as animals age. Even in animals with renal failureprotein restriction did not improve their health or longevity.
In fact, Dr. Finco’s research proved that cats put on a low-protein diet developed hypoproteinemia. They had muscle wasting, became catabolic and lost weight. The more protein was limited, the sicker these kittens became.
Dr. Finco found that it was the level of phosphorus in foods, not necessarily the amount of protein, that exacerbated kidney disease. Since the publication of this research, veterinary recommendations have changed.
Nowadays, what we recommend for animals suffering from underfunctioning kidneys and liver is a diet containing excellent quality, highly digestible and assimilable proteins. We also recommend limiting phosphorus in the diet, but not necessarily protein.
If your cat is in the late stages of kidney failure, as defined by the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS)a reduced amount of high quality protein is suggested, but should still be offered in kidney-friendly fresh food format.
We know that cats, as carnivores, need plenty of high-quality protein, not only to maintain good organ and immune functions, but also to maintain healthy muscle mass throughout their lives and the process of aging.
Protein quality is crucial for your cat’s health
The quality of protein you give your senior cat is of paramount importance. The more digestible and assimilable the protein is and the higher the moisture content of the food, the easier it is for aging organs to process it.
Protein quality is extremely variable. There are highly assimilable and digestible proteins (proteins that your pet’s body can easily absorb and use), and there are proteins that are completely indigestible. For example, beaks, legs, skins, tails and snouts are 100 percent protein, but they are all 100 percent indigestible.
All protein has a biological value, which corresponds to its content of usable amino acids. Eggs have the highest biological value at 100 percent. Fish is a close second with 92 percent. Feathers, as you might guess, have no biological value. They are all proteins, but they are neither digestible nor assimilated.
There are also foods that are high in protein but biologically inappropriate for dogs and cats. Soy is a good example, with a biological value of 67 percent. Many popular pet foods contain soy as a protein source, as well as corn.
This is an inexpensive way for pet food manufacturers to increase protein content according to the guaranteed analysis printed on the label. But because soy and corn are not species-appropriate, they have no place in your cat’s diet.
Unfortunately, digestion and assimilation are not measured for pet foods, so manufacturers are not penalized for adding other types of proteins that have no biological value for the species animal that consumes them.
Aside from the fact that corn and soy (as well as other grains) are inflammatory and incomplete proteins for carnivores, there are myriad other reasons not to feed large amounts of carbohydrates to cats. Mycotoxins, sugar load (which leads to lifestyle-induced diabetes), as well as obesity and arthritis are all good reasons to avoid compensating high-quality proteins with cheap fillers.
The diet I recommend for older cats
Some foods are metabolically stressful, while others create low metabolic stress on your cat’s body. The food that generates the least metabolic stress for most cats, regardless of age, is whole, raw, unprocessed, organic, non-GMO and in its natural form.
This of course includes animal meat, which should form the basis of your cat’s diet throughout its life.
Minimally processed foods are the most assimilable for a cat’s body. These foods are biologically appropriate. All food moisture remains in the food, whereas foods that have been extruded (most dry foods) may have a significantly reduced moisture content – as low as 12 percent.
If you cannot feed fresh foods (raw or lightly cooked), the next best diet is a balanced dehydrated or freeze-dried diet that has been reconstituted with plenty of water. Your cat’s kidneys and liver may be under greater stress due to chronic low-grade dehydration, so any foods served “dry” may pose a long-term problem.
Of course, if your cat is overweight, regardless of age, it makes sense to reduce calories and fat in your diet. What is not It makes sense to add fiber. Many weight management (“low-fat”) and senior cat food formulas contain a lot of fiber, which is biologically inappropriate nutrition.
I recommend serving your cat’s food in its natural state to provide necessary moisture and to ensure the highest level of biological assimilation and digestion. This means eating a balanced, antioxidant-rich, species-appropriate diet that includes essential omega-3 fats, such as krill oil.
Humidity is an aging cat’s best friend, so encourage him to hydrate adequately by providing him with a variety of water bowls around the house or a water fountain, in addition to minimizing (or preferably d ‘eliminate) dry food. However, if your cat is addicted to a terrible food, add a whole body supplement, such as Feline Full Body Support is a good idea.
Beneficial Supplements for Senior Kittens
• Providing your senior cat with a SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) supplement is a safe and effective way to curb or ameliorate mental decline, improve mobility, and aid in liver detoxification. Consult your holistic veterinarian for the correct dose.
• Periodic detoxification with milk thistle and dandelion herbs can be very beneficial, as can providing super green foods to snack on (sunflower sprouts or wheatgrass/”catnip”). Chlorophyll, chlorella or spirulina may also be offered as supplements to enhance your cat’s detoxification processes.
• Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) have been shown to be safe for cats and may improve brain energy metabolism and decrease the accumulation of amyloid proteins that leads to brain damage in older animals. Coconut oil is a rich source of MCTs and can also reduce hairballs.
I recommend 1/4 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight twice daily for basic MCT support, if your cat eats it willingly.
• If your senior cat tends to wander around the house at night and vocalize, consider low-dose melatonin, which is not only a sedative with a calming effect, but also an antioxidant. I also use Rhodiola, Chamomile and L-Theanine with good results.
• Flower essences can be very beneficial in supporting the mental and emotional changes that accompany the aging process in cats. There are several good ranges of kitten pre-mixes, e.g. Spiritual essencesand this treatment option is completely safe for cats experiencing cognitive issues or those being treated for a serious illness.
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