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TANYA'S
FELINE CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE INFORMATION CENTRE
HOLISTIC TREATMENTS
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Since it is an essential fatty acids product, Astro's CRF Oil is discussed on the Food Composition and Nutritional Requirements page.
Some of you will know a lot more about holistic methods and homeopathic remedies than I do. Others will be extremely sceptical about the mere idea. I myself have an open mind: I have no idea if homeopathy and herbal medicine are as effective as allopathic medicine for every illness; but I do know that some of the methods discussed below worked for Thomas and for many other cats on the Feline CRF Information list so I think it is important to mention them. Even if you try nothing else, I strongly recommend the herbal remedy, Slippery Elm Bark, if appropriate.
Holistic and Homeopathic Medicine Holistic and homeopathic are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has a good overview of holistic medicine and how homeopathic medicine forms a part of holistic medicine. How to Use Homeopathic Remedies There are two types of homeopathy, classical and complex. Classical homeopathy only uses one treatment at a time. In contrast, complex homeopathy uses several treatments at a time. Homeopathic remedies do not work the way regular medication does - you cannot take a remedy when you feel sick and expect it to work like an aspirin would. Usually you give a homeopathic remedy once, then maybe not again for days, weeks or even a month; although with some herbal remedies used for CRF, such as Slippery Elm Bark, more regular usage may be necessary. Ideally you should seek advice from a holistic homeopathic vet, though these are not always easy to find. Herbal Remedies If you are using herbal remedies, it is important not to overdose. Herbal remedies are just like any other drug and may have side effects - too much can actually end up causing the very thing you are trying to treat, for example if you give too much of a treatment for diarrhoea, it can actually make the diarrhoea worse. So only give the suggested dose and remember that, as with all medicines, more is not always better. Herbal remedies can be very potent, so I would not recommend giving herbs other than Slippery Elm Bark without input from a qualified professional; and do ask your vet about Slippery Elm Bark or any other products you plan to use.
The natural remedy most commonly used in the treatment of CRF is Slippery Elm Bark powder (ulmus rubra or ulmus fulva). Slippery Elm Bark is a herbal remedy used for most kinds of digestive or intestinal problems - it can be used for nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation. It soothes and coats the stomach lining and intestinal walls and reduces irritation. This can be extremely useful in combating the nausea and stomach acid which many CRF cats experience; as a side effect it can also improve coat dryness and dandruff.
You can use Slippery Elm Bark in addition to Pepcid AC if necessary (though with luck the Slippery Elm Bark alone will suffice), but do not give these treatments at the same time (see cautions).
Ideally, you want organic or wild-crafted Slippery Elm Bark powder from most good health food shops. If you cannot find this, you can usually find capsules in a 350-400mg size, but try to make sure the capsules contain only pure Slippery Elm Bark, no fillers. If all else fails, you can use capsules with fillers as well as Slippery Elm Bark, but you cannot normally make the syrup recipe from these.
The usual dosage is 1/8 to 1/4 (0.125 - 0.25) of a teaspoon of the organic or wild-crafted Slippery Elm Bark powder once or twice a day, or one capsule per day. You can sprinkle it onto the cat's food and mix it up, but Slippery Elm Bark has a bitter sweet flavour which some cats do not like. In that case, try giving it in a capsule, either the one it came in or, if you are using organic or wild-crafted Slippery Elm Bark, purchase gelcaps separately for this purpose. Some people have found their cat will eat Slippery Elm Bark if it is mixed in a little baby food (make sure the baby food does not contain any onion).
You can also make Slippery Elm Bark into a syrup that is used for digestive problems or for mouth sores or ulcers. It has the same soothing and healing effects in the mouth - try dabbing in your cat's mouth ulcers if required. The syrup is weaker than the straight powder, so you can give a little more of it. Here is the recipe for the syrup:
Sprinkle 1 to 1.5 tsp of Slippery Elm Bark powder onto one cup of cold water. If you are using Slippery Elm Bark from capsules, you need pure Slippery Elm Bark with no fillers, otherwise the syrup will not thicken properly.
Let it sit until the powder is damp, then bring to the boil stirring constantly. Use a stainless steel or heat-proof glass pan, not an aluminium or non-stick one. Reduce the heat and simmer, still stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 3 minutes or so. It will be the consistency of watery egg whites. Allow to cool and give 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoon up to 4 times a day. This will keep at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to five days.
Some people have told me they find it hard to place the syrup on their cat's mouth ulcers if they are in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. In such cases, you may wish to use a syringe to aim the syrup at the ulcers.
Slippery Elm Bark Cautions
Slippery Elm Bark also contains calcium, so it is probably safer not to use it if your cat has hypercalcaemia.
1001 Herbs has more information on slippery elm bark. Little Big Cat has an article about slippery elm bark by Jean Hofve DVM. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine has a breakdown of the components of Slippery Elm Bark. University of Maryland Medical Center also has information on Slippery Elm Bark.
UK Holland and Barrett sells 100 370mg capsules for £6.99. Green Life Direct sells loose slippery elm bark for £2.99 for 50g. Applejacks in London sell slippery elm bark in the UK, it's not mentioned on their website but you can call them or e-mail them. Capsules are also available at most health food stores, and the ones I bought (400mg size) cost £4.99 for eighty.
USA Drugstore sells 100 370mg Nature's Way slippery elm bark capsules for US$6.29. Vitamin Shoppe sells a number of brands of slippery elm bark in the USA. Frontier Herb - sells a variety of types of slippery elm bark within the USA - type in slippery elm in the search facility. Affordable Natural Supplements sell a variety of brands of Slippery Elm Bark, shipping is US$6.95, but free for orders over US$100. Glenbrook Farm sells slippery elm bark in various quantities online. Whole Foods Market sells slippery elm bark in bulk in its stores in USA and Canada. Swanson Vitamins sells its own brand 400g slippery elm bark capsules for US$3.79 for 100.
Many people are sceptical about flower essences, failing to see how they
work. I do not profess to understand it, but my own experiences of using
such essences with my cats have been favourable, and since they are
reasonably priced and are unlikely to do any harm, I would suggest giving them a
try if appropriate.
The best known flower essences, and the easiest to obtain in the UK, are
the Bach Flower Remedies (details of this and other makes are
below). These are thirty-eight individual essences which are designed to
address a specific state of mind or personality trait. These remedies can be
mixed together; in fact, the best known remedy, Rescue Remedy, is a
combination of five different essences.
In order to help your cat,
you need to identify which is the most appropriate remedy. Some
essences are for personality traits, and others are for moods or
emotions. It is best to try to find the remedy suitable for the animal's
personality type as well as for its current mood. Thomas, for example,
who was a stoical, low-key kind of cat, responded well to Oak as his
personality type essence.
These are the remedies which
I think are likely to help a CRF cat, although others may be helpful
too:
Crab apple
the cleansing essence Gorse
hopelessness, pessimism Olive
exhaustion Rock rose
terror, panic (perhaps for vet visits) Star of
Bethlehem shock Rescue
remedy for emergencies and crisis
situations There
are two main ways to give your cat the remedies, and you can give more than one
remedy at a time. However, do not use more than six or
seven remedies in one go or results may be disappointing, because mixing
too many remedies together can make some of the essences ineffective. Method
One Add two to
four drops of each remedy to a 30ml bottle of bottled spring water (do not
use tap water for flower essences). Take four drops at a time from this bottle at least four times a
day, and use a dropper to place the remedies in your cat's mouth. Make
sure you thoroughly rinse the dropper before putting it back into the
bottle. Method
Two Alternatively, place two
to eight drops of each remedy in
your cat's bowl of drinking water. As long as your cat drinks four times a
day - and most CRF cats do, of course - he/she will be receiving the
correct dose. Incidentally, it does not matter if you have other cats who
share the water bowl, they will not be affected by the remedies.
I have also heard from one reader who at times of crisis has put a couple of
drops of the remedies on her fingers, and then rubbed the drops into her cat's
ears.
Information The
Special Needs Website has more
information about flower essences. The
Bach Centre is
the home of the Bach Flower Remedies and provides information and links
for obtaining the remedies throughout the world.
The Bach Centre also has information on
how to choose a remedy. Nelson
Bach has information on the use of Flower Essences in companion
animals.
Pet
Synergy - this site has information on many different types of flower
essence and links to ordering information. UK Sources Ainsworth's Homeopathic
Pharmacy in London sells the Bach remedies by mail order.
Boots the Chemist in UK sells the remedies for £5.95 each (Rescue
Remedy is a little more expensive) - search for Bach. You can also buy the remedies
in Boots stores and some other pharmacies. USA Sources
Nelson Bach sells Bach essences online in the USA at US$14.95 for 20ml.
My Vitanet sells Bach essences online for US$9.69 - US$10.19. Vitamin
Shoppe sells Rescue Remedy (1 oz) for US$16.39 plus
shipping.
Acupuncture is
based on the idea that the body has channels, along which energy passes.
Imbalances or blockages may arise in these channels, leading to health
problems, but acupuncture can clear the blockages so that the energy can
run smoothly.
To the Western
mind, this can sound strange. However, acupuncture for humans is covered
by many private health care schemes in the UK, because of its proven
benefits. I admit that I myself am a big fan
of acupuncture. It has
worked wonders for me personally, finally getting rid of pain that nothing
else could shift, and has had astonishing results on
Harpsie's arthritis.
Washington
State University mentions that acupuncture may be of use for
pain management and diseases of the kidneys and the liver, and some people
have had very good results using acupuncture for CRF cats, either by
improving the cat's wellbeing (less vomiting, generally perkier) or
occasionally even through an improvement in bloodwork. It can also help
with appetite. Of course, I have
also heard of a couple of people whose cats did not react particularly
well to acupuncture; but when it is performed by a trained professional
with sterile needles, acupuncture is unlikely to have bad side effects even if
you don't notice an actual improvement, so you may wish to try it and see
how you get on. Acupuncture
Links
Washington State University has an article on veterinary acupuncture. Introduction
to Veterinary Acupuncture (2001) is an article by Phil Rogers, an
Irish vet, presented to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association
Congress 2001.
International
Veterinary Acupuncture Society enables you to search for
a veterinary acupuncturist near you. American
Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture can help you find an acupuncturist in
the USA.
The Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists mentions that
acupuncture can be helpful for CRF, and allows you to search for a UK
veterinary acupuncturist.
Heel is a German company that produces a number of homeopathic remedies.
Members of the German Feline CRF list,
Nierenkranke Katze, have used these products for many years and speak
highly of them, in many cases finding that BUN and creatinine reduce after
using them.
Normally a combination of three remedies is used:
Solidago compositum (goldenrod)
Ubichinon compositum (CoQ10)
Coenzyme compositum (CoQ10)
The usual starting dose is 1 ml of each, three times a week (they can be
mixed together in a syringe). After a few weeks, if the cat seems to be
improving, dosage can be reduced to twice or occasionally once a week.
This is complex homeopathy rather than classic homeopathy, which would
require that a treatment plan be tailored to the individual's needs and
symptoms. However, I am mentioning these products here because it can be
hard to find a classically trained homeopathic vet; and many people have
found these products helpful for their CRF cats.
Ergebnisse zur chronischen Niereninsuffizienz der Katze bei biologischer
Behandlung (Results of treating CRF in cats with biological means) (2006)
Eichentopf A, Eichentopf F Biologische Tiermedizin 2 pp31-34
discusses the results of a study which used the above remedies plus
another one called Hepar compositum to treat 24 CRF cats aged from 7-17
for eight weeks. On the first two days, the cats were given the basic
three remedies sub-cutaneously, along with sodium chloride fluids. On days
3-7 the cats were only given the Heel remedies once daily, with dosage
thereafter reducing to once every other day and eventually to once or
twice a week. After the first week the treatments were given orally or
sub-cutaneously, as preferred by the cat's owners. The Hepar compositum
was given once a week between the third and eighth weeks. The study found
that all the cats improved in terms of behaviour (appetite etc.) and most
of the cats had measurably better bloodwork within the first 1-2 weeks,
although results were much less dramatic for those cats in end stage renal
disease. 80% of the owners involved in the study were very satisfied with
the treatment.
Biologische Behandlung bei Katzen mit chronischer
Niereninsuffizienz (CNI) (Biological treatment of cats with
CRF) (2002) Ulf U Wissenschaftliches Veterinär-Symposion der
Firma Heel involved giving the Heel Complex to fifty cats with medium
stage to advanced CRF. Forty cats showed improvement within one week. Ten
cats did not respond so their treatment was discontinued. Five of the
treated cats died but 75% were still alive after 3-6 months, and 50% were
still alive after 7-12 months, often with much improved bloodwork results.
Some of the cats were treated for three years in all.
Luca's Story tells - in German - the
story of Luca, who had borderline high kidney values before he was even
one year old. By the time he was three, his creatinine level was 7.4
mg/dl. He was treated with Heel Complex, and his creatinine level fell to
3.3 mg/dl. Luca lived to the age of seven despite having CRF, and died of
cancer, not of CRF.
The Heel Veterinary Guide has information
about these remedies on pages 79 (Coenzyme compositum), 109 (Solidago
compositum) and 114 (Ubichinon compositum).
Bank's Chiropractic in the USA sells Heel
products online, with orders over US$100 shipping for free within the USA.
It will ship internationally for a flat fee of US$29.95 (less for Canada).
Heel USA is the American website.
It contains links to retailers - I believe many of these only sell
commercial human remedies but they may be able to order the remedies you
require.
Heel Canada
is the Canadian website. It contains links to retailers - I believe many
of these only sell commercial human remedies but they may be able to order
the remedies you require.
Biopathica
is the UK supplier. They will only supply to fully qualified practitioners
but may be able to put you in touch with such a person in your area.
When I first
came online, I was pretty open to the idea of holistic treatments; and I
still feel comfortable with many of them, such as those I mention above.
However, over the years I have become increasingly shocked - and not a
little sceptical - to see the sort of treatments that are recommended by
certain operators in the holistic world. Actually, these days I find
myself getting downright angry at some of those jumping on the CRF
treatment bandwagon.
The word "holistic" can be strangely reassuring, yet I don't know why:
"natural" does not equal safe, in fact some of the most dangerous things in
the world are "natural", such as belladonna. And so many of these
practitioners do not seem to understand the first thing about kidney problems
in cats! They offer diuretics (a real strain on sick kidneys), or offer
products which are intended for the lower urinary tract when in fact the
kidneys are the upper urinary tract - many products labelled "for urinary
tract health" are intended to treat feline lower urinary tract disease
(FLUTD), and are often contraindicated for kidney problems.
Even if these practitioners understand about kidney problems, they often do
not have the faintest idea about cats, who have unique physiological needs.
They offer blanket treatments for cats and dogs, and - let's face it - they
make money from it. You don't need to agree with me about holistic treatments,
but remember, I don't make a penny from running this site, in fact it costs me
money to do so. So always consider your sources. I know you want to help your
cat, but please don't switch your brain off in the process.
If at all possible, please, please do
yourself and your cat a favour and at least visit an holistic vet.
Here are some of the rather worrying recommendations I have seen over the
years. CRF
cats usually benefit from Vitamin B supplements, but many other Vitamins,
such as Vitamins A, C and D, can be a problem for CRF cats. Please see
Food
Composition and Nutritional Requirements for more information.
You
should avoid giving cranberry or food containing cranberry to CRF cats -
it is too acidic for CRF cats, who tend towards acidosis anyway.
Cranberries also contain benzoic acid, which cats lack the pathways to
metabolise. The
active ingredient in cranberries is Mannose, so you could consider giving
D-Mannose to a cat who is prone to
urinary tract infections.
The Boston Globe reports on the recent trend
of adding cranberries to cat food, and has a comment from a vet at Tuft's
University School of Veterinary Medicine that there is no evidence that
cranberries have the same benefits for cats as they appear to have for humans.
A market analysis of the US pet food industry to
determine new opportunities for the cranberry industry (2005) from
the Center for Business Research may help explain why cranberries are suddenly
a popular choice as a cat food ingredient.
Garlic
is often promoted as possessing many health benefits. Whilst this appears
to be true for humans, garlic belongs to the same family as onion, and
onion can cause a particular type of anaemia in cats called Heinz body
anaemia. I would therefore not recommend risking garlic supplements,
particularly in CRF cats, who are already sick. The
Which Foods to Feed
page has more information. This
product has high levels of potassium, which can be dangerous for cats in
end stage renal failure. It is not appropriate to use as a potassium
supplement, because it is not possible to tailor an accurate dose.
Noni juice (Morinda citrifola): hidden potential for
hyperkalaemia? (2000) Mueller BA, Scott MK, Sowinski KM & Prag KA
American Journal of Kidney Disease 35 pp310-12) reports on a human
male who developed hyperkalaemia (high potassium) after drinking noni juice
several times a day.
Acupuncture Today
has more information on this study and others.
Flax Seed Oil (Linseed Oil) and Other Omega 6 Oils
It amazes me how many people recommend flax seed oil for cats, CRF or
otherwise, because it is of limited nutritional value to cats. There are two
essential fatty acids for cats, linoleic and arachidonic (both are Omega 6
fatty acids). These fatty acids are essential in the sense that a cat cannot
produce them within the body, so must obtain them through diet.
Flax seed oil
contains around 13% linoleic acid but no arachidonic acid. Cats do not have
the pathways to convert linoleic acid into arachidonic acid, so another source
of arachidonic acid is necessary. Cats can only obtain arachidonic acid from
animal products, so if you want to give your cat an essential fatty acids oil,
consider a fish-based oil instead.
Skin and coat in cats (1999) is an article from the Waltham Course
on Dog and Cat Nutrition which states that "cats require a dietary source of
both linoleic and arachidonic acids."
Unfortunately, excessive amounts of Omega 6 fatty
acids may cause inflammation of the kidneys and therefore may not be a good
thing for CRF cats. See
Food
Composition and Nutritional Requirements for more information on essential fatty acids for CRF cats.
Standard
Process is a company which manufactures supplements containing kidney
glandulars. They make three products which some people use for CRF cats:
The reasoning
behind these products is that giving kidney glandulars (extracted from
cows' kidneys) strengthens the cat's own kidneys. Renatrophin is pure
kidney extract, while the other two products contain other ingredients.
The process by which these extracts (known as protomorphogen or PMG
extracts) are obtained is patented by Standard Process.
I
remain sceptical about these products, and am concerned to note
that the products contain some or all of phosphorus, calcium and Vitamin
A, which can be a problem for CRF cats. They also contain
flax seed oil, and alfafa,
which is not ideal for cats. However, they appear to be well
thought of in feline holistic circles and some Feline CRF Information list members
have found them helpful, hence my mentioning them. Personally,
though, I'd save my money. My
Health Store has more information on these supplements, and
also some information on protomorphogens.
It also sells them.
Stairway to Health also sells them.
Total Discount Vitamins also sells Standard
Process products.
The
shady history of Royal Lee and Standard Process products is a
report by Quackwatch. Although this is a recent article, the information to
which it refers is rather old.
I sometimes hear from people who want to use dandelion root on their CRF cat
because they have read that it is good for kidney function. However, dandelion
is actually a diuretic, so it is the last thing a CRF cat needs, since CRF
cats are usually urinating excessively anyway. Dandelion is occasionsally used
in CRF cats who are also suffering from heart problems, but this should only
be done with your vet's input. The
Related
Diseases page has more information on diuretics as used for heart disease.
It never ceases to amaze me how many feline products contain essential oils.
Cats lack the metabolic pathways to process essential oils, so these oils can
be extremely toxic for them. Essential oils should therefore never be used on
cats, and The Lavender Cat link below also questions whether hydrosols are
safe.
The
Lavender Cat has an article by Dr Khan, a
veterinary toxicologist from the National Animal Poison Control Center in the
USA, about the risks of using essential oils around cats.
Pot pourri around cats is an ASPCA article by
a vet about pot pourri, which also discusses essential oils (which are
commonly used in pot pourri).
Holisticat essential oils archive has more information.
Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil
poisoning in three purebred cats (1998) (no abstract provided)
Bischoff K, Guale F Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
10 (2) pp208-10.
I have started to receive regular enquiries about a product called Tripsy.
Reading the seller's description of kidney disease is enough to set alarm
bells ringing for me - they cannot even seem to differentiate between CRF and
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, which are not the same condition. The
product itself contains diuretics such as parsley, which are simply not
appropriate for CRF cats, who already urinate too much. This is another one
where you should save your time and money.
Holistic
Alternatives for Feline CRF is a small list for those
who wish to pursue alternative or holistic methods of caring for their CRF
cats. The list was pretty inactive the last time I looked and the
listowner does not always approve messages from new members immediately, so if
you need urgent help I would recommend you join the Feline CRF
Information
List
instead and speak to those of its members who use holistic methods.
Heal
a Pet offers free Reiki treatments for
sick cats.
The
Distant Healing Network offers distance healing for pets.
Alt Vet Med
- lots of information and links.
Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy has a
list of homeopathic vets in the USA and Canada.
American
Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has members in the USA
offering a variety of holistic treatments.
Task Force for Veterinary Medicine Herbal Abstract
Page has links to abstracts relating to herbal and TCM studies. Holisticat
has lots of information on holistic treatments, including a searchable
archive; it also has a support list with knowledgeable members.
Health library has information on herbs and supplements and possible interactions with
allopathic medicines. Herbmed
- links to summaries of research papers, including benefits, harmful
effects and safety testing of herbal medications (primarily relates to
human use). Ainsworth's Homeopathic
Pharmacy sells homeopathic remedies by
mail order in the UK; they will also give advice over the telephone. Many remedies
cost less than £5 including p&p. Baldwins
- UK herbalist supplies.
"Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide
to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" by Richard Pitcairn and Susan
Hubble Pitcairn, price £10.33/US$12.57 from Amazon. The
advice on diet is not ideal in my opinion.
"Bach Flower Remedies for Animals" by Stefan Ball and
Judy Howard, published by The C W Daniel Company Ltd, price
£10.39/US$17.47 from Amazon.
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This page last updated: 7 February 2008 Links on this page last checked: 17 January 2008 Copyright Tanya's Feline CRF Website 2000-2008. All rights reserved. You may print out one copy of each section of this site for your own information and/or one copy to give to your vet, but this site may not otherwise be reproduced or reprinted, on the internet or elsewhere, without the permission of the site owner, who can be contacted via the Contact Us page. If you wish to link to this site, please feel free to do so, and to use the banner ad on the Contact Us page if required. Please make it clear that this is a link and not your own work. I would appreciate being informed of your link. This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer. If you wish to print out the pages, I have found it works best if your margins are set to zero. |
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