Providing the Potassium Cats Need
When In Renal Failure.
Violet got home-made electrolytes for 2+ years prior to leaving at age 18.
@ Nedda Wittels, 2011;
Updated May 2, 2021
NOTE: This article was revised because I learned quite a bit about the uses of electrolytes and giving them to cats over the last 10 years. The story about Violet is still true in every detail, but there is additional information and a change in the formula that I feel you find helpful in caring for a sick cat or dog. I’m not a veterinarian, so please use discernment in determining what is best for your own animal companions.
One of the most important nutrients for cats and dogs in renal failure is potassium in the form of a mineral salt. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, potassium salt and other mineral salts tend to be washed out of the body. This can lead to vomiting, reluctance or refusal to eat and to drink plain water, heart attacks, and death.
Even when not in renal failure, animals who have had diarrhea or vomiting, regardless of why they have diarrhea or have vomited, may reject food because their electrolytes are low. This loss of electrolytes can become serious if not addressed quickly, especially because cats can’t go more than a couple of days without eating some food. If they don’t eat for 3 or more days, their livers may start to break down. (If you’re not sure of the accuracy of this last statement, please check with your veterinarian.)
In normal kidney function, the kidney’s are able to hold onto mineral salts and send them back into the body. But when the kidneys are not functioning properly, the salts can be washed away.
If you, yourself, have ever needed electrolytes due to heavy sweating during the summer months, you know that being low in minerals salts is not pleasant. You feel thirsty, but plain water doesn’t satisfy your thirst. You may grow tired, weak, and confused as your body’s need for electrolytes increases. You can develop nausea, diarrhea or constipation, and vomiting.
For humans and animals when electrolytes are depleted, death can result. This makes it imperative to get your cat or dog back to eating something as quickly as possible. Electrolytes can be key to restoring their appetite.
Most humans, when they need electrolytes, drink a mixture filled with chemicals and sugar. Even Pedialyte, which is designed for human children, contains some chemicals which some animals can’t tolerate.
The sugar in electrolytes keeps the electrolyte formula from tasting bitter, and helps increase blood sugar rapidly when the body is depleted due to refusal to eat. In an emergency, fluids of this type may be given intravenously.
Cats can’t handle very much sugar. Their bodies aren’t designed for carbohydrates or sugar. When your veterinarian gives subcutaneous fluids, the sugars are going into the body without going through the digestive system. For humans and dogs, some carbs/sugars are OK to consume by mouth, but for cats, it’s not the best thing, and certainly not on a long-term basis.
Regular veterinary medicine uses medications and subcutaneous fluids which contain electrolytes. The fluids are injected under a cat’s loose skin near the back of the neck. In an extreme situation, I understand that this may be necessary, but whenever possible and for the longer-term process of renal failure, I prefer a natural approach.
And if your cat has vomited hairballs or food or even just liquid which cats sometimes do as a way to cleanse their body, giving some electrolytes helps them get back into balance quickly and back to eating quickly, too.
Back to my two elder cats in renal failure.
I kept searching for a natural formula online, and soon found a homemade one someone had devised for her children. I altered it to make it suitable for my cats. This is what Sakhara and Violet took daily for the last 2+ years of life. I administered it by dropper to make sure both cats got the amount they needed. Both cats took it readily. It worked just fine for them, and neither cat needed any subcutaneous fluids for the entire time they remained in physical form.
Here’s an article on Teaching your cat to take medication. It might help you and your get learn to work together to get the medication into the cat.
It’s definitely worth teaching yourself and your cat how to do this. If you begin at a young age when you’re cat isn’t sick, you can give a few drops of plain water to get used to the idea. Once your cat accepts that easily, if and when they become sick, you’ll have a much easier time giving them liquid medications.
If your cat will accept electrolytes by dropper, that makes it easier for you to give them some when they are refusing food completely.
If your cat is eating, but not very much, you can put some electrolytes right into the food.
Just omit the honey from the following recipe, as the smell might not be familiar to your cat, and cats decide what is or isn’t edible based on how it smells.
If the formula is just water and the two salts, it has no smell and your cats will consume it in food quite readily.
Read the disclaimer at the end of this article before trying this on your own. Thank you.
HOME-MADE, ORGANIC ELECTROLYTE FORMULA
– 1/4 cup lukewarm water;
– 1 teaspoon raw honey (can be omitted if animal is eating);
– 3/8 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt;
– 1/8 teaspoon potassium chloride (potassium salt);
– enough water to make 2 full cups (16 ounces);
= To make less, cut the whole formula in half.
= REFRIGERATE between uses.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water — I prefer to use structured water because that’s better for the kidneys. Use spring or filtered water. AVOID chlorine and fluoride.
- 1 Teaspoon raw honey — OMIT this if you plan to use electrolytes in food. If your cat hasn’t eaten for 24 hours, a little raw honey in the electrolytes is a good thing, but raw honey has a strong odor. It’s better than other sugars because it has natural antibiotic properties and is less sweet. The honey you buy in supermarkets has been cooked and has other types of sugars added to it … and they don’t have to put that on the labels.
- 3/8 Teaspoon sea salt (Celtic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt are the best choices.) — Table salt from the supermarket has sugar in it. What? You haven’t read the label recently and noticed this? It’s called “sucrose.” Table salt is missing all the trace minerals available in a good quality sea salt because its a byproduct from salt processed for other purposes.
- 1/8 Teaspoon potassium salt (365 mg) — Sometimes called “potassium chloride” and available in health food stores in powder form. I use the NOW brand Potassium Chloride Powder and that’s the basis for this measurement.
- Enough water to make 2 full cups (16 ounces). If you don’t want this much, you can cut the entire formula in half. But sure to REFRIGERATE to keep it fresh.
My veterinarian and I discussed the exact amount of potassium required, so I know the proportions are correct for my cats.
♥ NOTE ♥
If you need help determining how much to give your cat, please consider an Animal Communication Session in which I speak telepathically to your cat to find out how s/he is feeling and help the two of you create a plan-of-action for managing the situation. I can’t muscle test or give suggestions without speaking with your animal and doing a body scan.
OTHER THINGS YOU WILL NEED to make the formula.
- A glass bottle that will hold 2 cups of electrolyte liquid for storage purposes.
- A 1-ounce brown dropper bottle for easy dispensing.
- An extra dropper for dosing your cat so the dropper in the bottle isn’t contaminated.
MAKING THE ELECTROLYTES
- Put the raw honey into the warm water and stir. I use a small wire whisk, but a fork will do as well. You want to break up the honey and spread it through the water.
- Add the sea salt and potassium salt..
- Put the mixture into the glass bottle and add enough water to make 2 full cups.
- Shake well. This distributes the ingredients evenly throughout the liquid.
- Pour about an ounce of this into the dropper bottle.
- Refrigerate both bottles.
TO SERVE
- I reduced the serving size when I felt that my cats’ potassium levels were restored to “normal” and that they needed less for daily maintenance. I also made adjustments for hot summer days when they need to drink more water than in cooler weather. I used muscle testing to determine when and how much of a change is appropriate for my cats. If you are not trained to muscle test, please consult someone who has this training or consult your veterinarian.
- The serving size for MY cats to start off was 3 dropper pulls from the 1 ounce dropper bottle. (This is about 1 full dropper. Check with your veterinarian to determine the correct amount for your cat.)
- Squeeze the liquid into a small cup.
- Then use the extra dropper to dose your cat.
- ALWAYS put the dropped into your cats mouth from the side, NEVER from the front. This prevents choking.
- ALWAYS put just a few drops into the cat’s mouth at a time, and ALWAYS ON THE CATS TONGUE.
- Allow the cat time to swallow and TIME TO BREATHE between swallows.
- Gently stroke your cat along the spine as the cat is swallowing and breathing. This helps you both relax.
FREQUENCY [see disclaimer below]
- In the beginning, I gave electrolytes 3 to 4 times a day for a few days to my cats
- After 3 to 4 days, I was able to drop back to dosing twice a day.
- If you feel your cat needs more, discuss this with your veterinarian.
When you first start giving electrolytes, your cat’s potassium levels might be very low. If this is the case, your cat would benefit from 3 to 4 servings a day for a few days. If you cat’s not eating, you can give some by dropper and then add a squirt or two extra into the food. Many cats will start to eat again when given electrolytes. The salt will also make them thirsty and they’ll start to drink again, too.
If you feel your cat still refuses to eat or drink, take your cat to the veterinarian immediately. There are occasions when subcutaneous fluids are a valuable emergency measure.
My cats have been taught to accept liquids from a dropper. If you’ve never done this before with your cat, you can start by giving the cat a bit of room temperature water with the dropper. The cat may resist at first, but will find that “It’s just water.” This increases the cat’s willingness to accept from a dropper.
If your cat is healthy now, I’d get the cat used to this idea by giving some drops of plain water by dropper every now and then so that ultimately, your cat doesn’t think anything of this.
That’s what I’ve done with Starlight, the youngest member of my feline family, and now she’s very receptive to taking things by dropper.
FELINE FEEDBACK
SAKHARA:
“Yummy.”
VIOLET:
“They’re OK. I don’t much like taking anything from a dropper, but this tastes OK and it does help me stay feeling good. Before I got them, I felt pretty yucky and didn’t want to eat.”
< > < > DISCLAIMER < > < >
Nedda Wittels is NOT A VETERINARIAN and does not diagnose or prescribe medications or treatments for humans or animals. For diagnosis and treatment of cats with kidney disease, please consult your veterinarian.
The information provided here describes what worked for my cats. You are advised to discuss this approach with your veterinarian before trying it.
thanks!
Thanks!
Have you heard of Bioplasma before (Schuessler Tissue Salts)? It is also a great source of potassium (two different kali) and other important salts that are directly absorbed by the mucous membrane.
Hi, Beatrice,
Yes, I have heard of these but never used them. I wouldn’t have any idea how much to give the cats. Have you used these with animals?
Yes, I’m currently using the Bioplasma from Hylands for a cat with nasal and oral tumors. It is best to start with one pellet given directly into the cat’s mouth (if she tolerates it). If not, you can dissolve it in a little water (about 1 mL) and give it with a transfer pipet or a little syringe. The pellet will dissolve in less than 30 seconds. As with other homeopathic remedies, I usually don’t feed twenty minutes before or after given the pellet. This allows sufficient time for the tissue salts to be absorbed by the mucous membranes, and you don’t risk inactivating the remedy by other supplements. Some people will give more than one pellet or multiple doses a day based on mineral imbalances, stress or severity of illness. However, I always start with the lowest dose and watch for general improvement and bathroom habits (loose stool indicates too high or too frequent of a dose). Hope this helps. Lmk if you like more info.
Sending you love and light,
Beatrice
Thanks for this information, Beatrice.
There is a difference, I do believe, between the way our physical bodies use a physical substance and the way they respond to a homeopathic energy remedy.
Since cats in renal failure are losing potassium from their physical body when they push so much water through the poorly functioning kidneys, it’s my belief that they need to consume potassium salts to replace what they’re bodies are excreting.
I do not know how or whether the homeopathic bioplasma would replace the actual mineral salts that are being excreted. I would have to ask a professional homeopathic physician about this.