Kidney and Bladder Disease Prevention

A cat food diet formulated for senior cats will help an older cat stay healthy.

By J. Veronika Kiklevich, DVM | Posted: Fri Mar 4 00:00:00 PST 2005

Q. How can I prevent my 12-year-old male cat from getting kidney or bladder problems? What cat food diet do you recommend for adult cats?

A. The best recommendation that I can make regarding a healthy diet for your aging cat is to stay with good nationally recognized brand cat foods that are specially formulated for older (senior) cats. There is no one diet that prevents bladder or kidney (renal) disease in cats, but some prescription cat foods (available through veterinarians) slow the progression of kidney disease or treat patients that have had bladder stones to prevent them in the future. Look for the AAFCO seal of approval on any cat food that you are considering. This indicates that the cat food has gone through rigorous testing, analysis and feeding trials to ensure its efficacy and safety for your pet.