Ellie Groves

Nestle Purina Petcare, Gatwick, West Sussex, UK

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Figure 1. In contrast to dogs, where the optimum macronutrient profile of a gastrointestinal diet is reduced in fat and high in highly digestible carbohydrates, the desirable nutrient profile for feline gastrointestinal diets is high protein, moderate fat and relatively low in carbohydrates. (Nestle Purina Nutrition Exchange, 2019)
Clinical

Nutritional management of feline chronic enteropathy

Three dietary options can be considered when trying to diagnose a food-responsive chronic enteropathy or selecting a diet that may help support a cat with chronic enteropathy (Box 1):.

Figure 1. In addition to differences in the composition of the microbiota along the gastrointestinal tract, each animal harbours a unique microbial profile (Suchodolski, 2016). Studies show that Bacteroides, Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enterobacteriaceae are the predominant bacterial groups cultured from canine and feline intestines, although the levels found vary between different studies.

The gastrointestinal microbiome – what do we know now and what will we learn next?

Until relatively recently, traditional bacterial culture was commonly used to identify bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract, but it is now recognised that the vast majority of intestinal...

Figure 2. Comparison of mortality in cats with chronic kidney disease fed a renal food or maintenance food over a 2-year period.

Dietary management of the cat with early chronic kidney disease

While dietary intervention is regarded as a cornerstone of management of CKD, the timing of renal diet introduction and the degree of protein restriction required is more controversial (Witzel, 2018)....

Figure 1 Polydipsia is one of the most common signs seen with chronic kidney disease, but is generally not present until International Renal Interest Society stage 2 of disease.

Diagnosis of the cat with early chronic kidney disease

CKD is primarily diagnosed by a history, physical examination and clinical signs (Box 2, Figure 1) compatible with CKD, alongside identification of azotaemia and a urine specific gravity <1.035. Note...