Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease, often shortened to CKD, is a gradual loss of kidney structure or function over time. It is more common in older pets and is especially common in senior cats, but dogs can also be affected.

The kidneys have many important roles, including filtering waste products from the blood, helping regulate hydration, balancing minerals and electrolytes, supporting blood pressure control, and contributing to red blood cell production.

Because the kidneys have a large reserve capacity, early kidney disease can be subtle. Signs may not be obvious until kidney function has already declined.

Common signs can include:

• increased thirst

• increased urination

• weight loss

• reduced appetite

• nausea or vomiting

• changes in energy

• poor coat condition

• bad breath

• dehydration

• muscle loss

If your pet is showing any of these signs, veterinary assessment is important. Your vet will consider the stage of kidney disease when deciding on the most appropriate support and monitoring plan. Alongside blood tests, urine testing can provide helpful information about kidney function, including urine concentration. A first-morning urine sample is often the most concentrated sample of the day, so your vet may find this useful in some cases.

Nutrition can play an important role in supporting cats and dogs with kidney disease. The best diet depends on the individual pet, their stage of disease, blood and urine results, appetite, body condition, and any other health concerns.

At Raw Essentials, our goal is to support kidney health by focusing on hydration, high-quality protein, appropriate mineral balance, gut health, and overall inflammatory load.

Where appropriate, our approach is to remove unnecessary dietary stressors, support gut function and hydration, and replace highly processed foods with carefully chosen, species-appropriate whole foods. For kidney patients, this needs to be done thoughtfully and in line with veterinary monitoring.

Phosphorus is an important mineral to consider in kidney disease. As kidney function declines, some pets struggle to regulate phosphorus, and high blood phosphorus can contribute to further kidney stress.

However, not all phosphorus sources behave in the same way. Added inorganic phosphorus salts, commonly used in processed pet foods, are highly absorbable and may place a different burden on the body compared with phosphorus naturally present in whole foods.

Raw diets contain phosphorus as part of natural animal tissues and bone. A well-planned raw diet also provides calcium from appropriate raw bone content, supporting a more natural calcium-to-phosphorus balance.

That said, some pets with more advanced kidney disease may still need phosphorus modification, phosphorus binders, or a different dietary approach. This should be guided by blood results and your veterinarian’s advice.

We successfully support many cats and dogs with kidney disease on carefully planned raw diets. However, raw feeding is not suitable for every kidney patient.

Factors we consider include:

• stage of kidney disease

• appetite and body condition

• nausea or vomiting

• hydration status

• phosphorus levels

• urine protein loss

• gut health and digestive tolerance

• current medications

• immune status

• the pet’s age, resilience, and overall wellbeing

• food preferences and willingness to eat certain foods

• quality of life parameters, including the owner’s experience, preferences, and perception of how their pet is coping

Many pets with kidney disease do very well on a well-planned raw diet.

In elderly, fragile, heavily medicated, immunosuppressed, or clinically unstable pets, a cooked diet may be the safer and more appropriate option. In these cases, we may recommend discussing a properly balanced cooked diet with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutrition service.

Kidney disease requires veterinary diagnosis and monitoring. Diet can be very supportive, but it should not replace appropriate veterinary care.

Ongoing monitoring is important and will be guided by your vet. This may include blood and urine testing, along with keeping track of your pet’s weight, appetite, hydration, and overall wellbeing. Urine concentration can be especially useful to follow over time, and phosphorus levels in the blood are often important, alongside your vet’s interpretation of the full clinical picture.

We are happy to work alongside your pet’s primary veterinarian where needed, especially for pets with diagnosed kidney disease or more complex health concerns.

For suitable pets, raw feeding can be a practical and highly nourishing way to support hydration, appetite, body condition, and quality of life. Raw Essentials can help tailor a feeding plan that focuses on:

• high moisture intake

• high-quality, species-appropriate protein

• appropriate prey selection

• careful use of bone-containing foods

• gut health support

• maintaining lean body condition

• practical feeding strategies for appetite and tolerance

• monitoring response over time

Our approach is always individualised. The goal is to support your pet’s comfort, hydration, body condition, and quality of life while working within the realities of their kidney health.