What’s for Dinner, Roxy? CKD + Pancreatitis Edition
Q: Hello. My cat, Roxy, who has CK was just diagnosed with pancreatitis. I’m hoping you can help me with the food situation. Prior to the pancreatitis diagnosis, I was trying to switch her from Fancy Feast to a CK diet. Now I'm not sure what to do. I’ve read that it’s important to switch food due to pancreatitis. The bland single protein foods don’t seem to be good for CK cats. Any suggestions?
ANSWER: I’m glad you asked this question. Because success with pancreatitis almost always creates a win for the kidneys. I go into detail on this in Chapter 10 of my book Nine Lives, One Mission, but here’s the short version.
When a cat like Roxy flares with pancreatitis, it’s rarely “just the pancreas.” Often, there’s an underlying Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) situation that’s been simmering. Maybe it looked like mild vomiting, which we at first assumed was because of the CKD. Maybe we thought weight loss was due to CKD or just getting old. And then—bam—the pancreas decides it’s had enough, flips the kitchen table, and takes the cat down!
The diet switch isn’t about being bland. It’s about being novel. Your cat’s gut has suddenly decided it doesn’t like the protein it used to love. So you switch the species:
Was on chicken? Retire the bird. Try fish.
Was on fish? Time to say hello to venison.
Was on beef? Maybe rabbit is the new jam.
You’re looking for “something different.” And here’s the thing - some of these novel proteins come in CKD-friendly versions. When they don’t, you can still “mod” a hypoallergenic or novel-protein food into a CKD-compatible diet with some of the food modifiers I outline in my CKD book.
If Roxy is really struggling—won’t eat, inflammation still raging—that’s when I use my prednisolone trick from Chapter 10. Pair that with the BITE strategy in Chapter 1, and most cats with straightforward pancreatitis bounce back beautifully.
So, don’t feel stuck with “bland mush.” Think new, not boring. With the right protein swap, and a little medical backup if needed, you set Roxy up to heal the gut, calm the pancreas, and give the kidneys a fighting chance.
Good luck,
Dr. Kris
