VetriScience Laboratories Renal Essentials: Kidney Health Support for Cats

T. D'Or: My vet recommended this, but it's not a review on the product itself, I don't know if it's effective or not. Just that the smell is terrible, and my cats did not want anything to do with it. I think the fact that it's a hard chew might have something to do with it. Too bad.

United States on Nov 13, 2023

Debbie P: I bought these for years for
my cat with renal insufficiency. I like to think that these, along with the Omega-3 Wellactin helped him to live a long and healthy life. He was over 20.

Canada on Jul 22, 2022

DisneyfanaticDisneyfanatic: Bought these for my 15 year old boy and his appetite is much better he also weighs more since taking these, he eats them just like a treat I break them in half for him. He also doesn’t sleep as much and is back to himself again. I bought these to use as preventative treatment just in case I give them to him once a day. I was skeptical at first but so happy I got them for him. I’m now waiting for his second bottle to come in! I’m so glad he eats them just as he would a treat give it a try it maybe just what your cat needs 🙂

Canada on Jun 24, 2021

Shopper#1: I got this because it was cheaper but now I'm regretting it: this is in a pill form & my cat won't eat it. I ended up buying the pill pocket treats to see if he will eat then that way (even though those treats aren't good for him to eat.) Which in the end made it the same cost as if I just bought the treats in the first place (Doh!). I've tried grinding up the pill to mix with his food & it worked once, but not any other time since. He loves the treats & they make him feel better so, if he lives long enough I guess I'll be buying those.

Canada on Jun 19, 2019

B. Pearce: These chews are more like meaty Gummis than "treats". I break them into little pieces and add to the meal.

This is why I give them five stars - kidney cats pee like crazy, dehydrating themselves and depleting their potassium and B vitamins, which leads to weakness and other problems. Giving subcutaneous fluids as we do (it's not that hard, don't be scared), there's even more peeing. These chews replace the lost vitamins and minerals and I have seen a real difference in our girl, who is in her second year of lab-verified kidney failure.

Use a high-quality canned food (if they won't eat a "prescription" food, what's the point?), a spoonful of Gerber pureed jarred meat stirred in, the crumbled chews, two a.m. and two p.m., and once a day 2.5 mg of a Pepcid tablet - quarter a 10mg tab. Kidney kitties also get sour stomachs because of their imbalances, and if they feel yucky, they won't eat. This combined plan is keeping her eating, perky, and not just wasting away.

The Gerber meat probably doesn't have kitty-required taurine, so it's being used to tempt and is soft on her elderly mouth, not a complete food. Works great. The Pepcid can be crushed and stirred into...

United States on May 07, 2019

Timothy P: This is something that is incredibly hard to rate it's overall effectiveness on as I am not a vet. What I can say is that this product, in conjunction with bi-weekly subcutaneous fluids, plus a healthy diet focused on non-grain low-protein food has seemed to help the longevity of 2 of our feline friends with chronic kidney disease. It's sad that such a common disease in felines has not come up with a cure yet, but hopes are that it will soon. While my cat grew tired of the taste of these within a few months, slight flavour tweaking with other powders seems to keep her eating them. Not all kitties are the same, some will take to these others not so much, but things can be done to encourage kitties to eat them. Ultimately, I believe they help, I hope you get some extended life out of your family friend with these. It sucks to lose our companions, I do think that these help but there is more to extending a comfortable life for our friends than treats. So much for my usual humorous Amazon reviews...

Canada on Oct 13, 2017

Amanda: This product has been very helpful for my pet; I give it in combination with glucosamine and it seems to really help their limping from arthritis.

However, I want to let everyone know that as of 11/15/14 the ingredients list in the description is wrong. I almost didn't buy it because I thought this was different from what our vet gave us, but I checked the manufacturer's website and saw that they don't even make a product with the ingredient proportions listed. For those concerned if this product matches what they've been giving their pet, below are the ingredients listed on my bottle:

Per 2 Tablets:
Elcosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) - 20 mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) - 9 mg
Astragalus Root Powder - 60 mg
Lecithin - 50 mg
Rehmannia (Root) Extract - 50 mg
L-Arginine - 50 mg
Nettle (Urtica dioica) Seed Extract - 50 mg
Cordyceps sinensis Extract - 50 mg
N,N-Dimethylglycine HCl - 25 mg
Potassium (Gluconate) - 8.25 mg
Pydridoxal 5-Phosphate (Vitamin B6) - 8 mg
Inositol - 8 mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - 4 mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 4 mg
Choline - 4 mg
Folic Acid - 0.15 mg
Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) - 0.05 mg

I hope this...

United States on Nov 15, 2014

Sue: My cat thinks these are actual treats - she loves them. I haven't had her retested so I don't know if they are making a difference with her kidneys. She doesn't seem to be drinking or urinating quite as much which is a good thing.

UPDATE:

I've been ordering these chews since May. I just opened the 5th package from this company. All the others were excellent. This package is obviously old or past their prime (I can't find an expiry date). I use them to encase my cat's pills. This package of chews are not very chewy. I really depend on this product since it's the only method I have found to use for pilling as well as to help with her kidney issues. I hope the company stands behind their product.

Canada on May 25, 2014

Augenblick: ******************************************************************************************************************

UPDATE: BELOW ***************************************************************************************************************** NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW! There are a lot of kidney support products out there (quite a few just on Amazon) and they answer the question differently; some uniquely and others with some commonalities. I detect two major groups of products: 1) SUPPORT for healthy kidneys up to early stage disease and 2) TREATMENT for early to late stage disease. And no big distinction is drawn between products for humans and those for pets; vets seem to be prescribing or recommending products without much regard for the species of the patient. This product falls under the first category (SUPPORT) and relies mainly on a slew of herbs, Omega-3 fatty acids, and the B-vitamins. Other brands may rely principally on amino acids, probiotics, bovine kidney extracts, different specific herbs, vitamins, or an array of various (sometimes only partially disclosed) ingredients. Which ones are ESSENTIAL? Your guess is as good (no, better) than mine. I have no clue. My...

United States on Nov 15, 2011