SUBWAY CANNED COMFOR
Hello, everyone! As I type this message using my trusty meow-to- English software, my face is covered with wet food … and I couldn’t be happier. Please allow me to explain. Cats are considered carnivores, which means we can’t just eat foods with grains and vegetables. We require a higher protein intake than most other animals. We also need specific amino acids, such as taurine, to help keep us healthy. It’s also important that we drink plenty of water. Cats are notorious for not always drinking much water, so we’ll often get what we need from the food we eat. Unfortunately, many dry foods have only about 10% moisture, which doesn’t help us much. So, if you notice
we’re not drinking much, be sure to supplement our diet with more canned food to help increase our water intake. Doing so will be particularly helpful for any felines you know who are constipated or are prone to urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder stones, or crystals. It’s also a good idea for younger cats and kittens to have more canned food in their diets.
Slippies is a sweet 14-year-old domestic shorthair who visited my team last fall for her annual exam. She was doing well overall, but she had grown picky with her food and lost weight. After conducting wellness bloodwork, results showed a low potassium level. Since Slippies had several years of wellness labwork in her medical records, I identified a worrisome trend showing a gradual decline in her potassium levels. I became concerned about a condition called hyperaldosteronism , a rare endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone , a hormone that regulates sodium and potassium balance in the body. This disorder is most commonly due to an adrenal tumor or adrenal hyperplasia (enlargement) and results in sodium retention and potassium loss. Clinical signs include muscle weakness, lethargy, poor appetite, cervical ventroflexion, and elevated blood pressure. We needed to confirm a diagnosis before Slippies started showing more clinical signs. I sent a blood sample to Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to test her aldosterone level. The level came back elevated, consistent with hyperaldosteronism. Due to her age, her owners elected for medical management. Unfortunately, supplementing potassium with Renal K+ powder in her diet wasn’t effective in correcting her potassium level. We discontinued this supplement and prescribed spironolactone , a weak diuretic that helps the body retain potassium. It worked beautifully! Slippies’ potassium returned to normal, and she regained the weight she had lost. Slippies’ history of wellness bloodwork, coupled with her diligent owner’s willingness to dive a little deeper, allowed us to obtain a definitive diagnosis and properly treat her. We’re so glad she’s feeling better! Slippies’ Sodium Saga From Picky to Perky
—Dr. Krystal Knutson
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