Nutrition for the chronic kidney disease patient

Renal disease is common in small animal practice and is a primary reason for death in both cats and dogs. There is no cure of renal disease, which is both chronic and progressive. Nutrition plays a key role in the management of these patients. Proving the ideal diet can reduce the workload on the kidneys which in turn slows the progression of further damage and functional tissue loss. If the dietary nutrients are managed carefully this alone has been shown to extend the life of these patients by up to two years.

The session will firstly define the differences in nutritional requirement between an acute kidney injuries and chronic kidney disease, how the stage of renal disease is decided, and the key dietary adaptations required at different stages highlighted. The session will also discuss how the pet and pet owner can be supported, as changes to the pet’s diet may not be well received and voluntary food consumption can at times be poor.

Georgia Woods-Lee

RVN CertCFVHNutrition VTS (Nutrition)

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Georgia Woods-Lee qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2004. In 2015, Georgia joined the ROYAL CANIN® Weight Management Clinic at the University of Liverpool, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, where she is now dealing exclusively with pet obesity care and nutrition. Georgia was awarded her Certificate in Canine and Feline Veterinary Health Nutrition in 2017, the American Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in nutrition certificate in 2019 , and her BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing (Top-up) degree in 2022. In 2023, Georgia was appointed as clinical lead for the Weight Management Clinic and currently works as an academic researcher whilst working towards a PhD in pet obesity.