Potassium is one of those minerals that are essential to our diet, and some of us go out of our way to eat bananas or add avocados to our foods. But do cats require the same kind of boost that we do to maintain optimal levels?
It’s not a shocker that a cat’s body functions differently from ours, after all we may both be mammals but they’re an entirely different species, and even different breeds have different dietary requirements. That’s why you want to be careful not to follow advice from one particular owner, as your vet will be making decision based on your specific cat. First you have to figure out why you’re suspecting a potassium deficiency in the first place.
Have you noticed symptoms that are common with cats that have low levels of potassium? Has your cat been diagnosed as having renal failure or some other kidney problem that could potentially be helped by potassium supplementation? As owners our main role is to monitor our cat and look for odd behaviors so that we can help the vet make more accurate diagnoses and get our cats back to good health as quickly as possible.
Can I Give My Cat Potassium? Answer: Under Vet’s Directions
Most cats won’t need a potassium supplement because they’re getting their vitamins and nutrients from the cat food you’re giving them. If you start to notice that they’re sluggish or not themselves you might want to consider giving them a better brand of cat food, or a fresh food diet. Rather than supplement your cat’s diet with any number of vitamins or health foods you can simple put that extra cost towards a more premium food. That way they’re getting the benefits of better ingredients and you should see an improvement in their overall well-being.
Cats and Kidneys
If your cat has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease you should venture over to Tanya’s guide. It’s much more comprehensive than anything we could give you on this page, and talks in detail about the different problems your cat may be having, possible dosages you can give them depending on how severe their condition is, and more. We would suggest consulting your vet as well if you haven’t done so already to get a proper diagnosis.
Too Much is a Problem
Your can can actually suffer from getting too much potassium, which is why you generally don’t want to start giving them a supplement unless you’re very sure that they are running low on it. If finding the perfect balance seems hard, relax, it’s not as hard as it seems, and the majority of cats maintain proper potassium levels without a lot of involvement on your part. The only time you might suspect they don’t have enough potassium is when they’ve released a lot of fluids quickly, like with vomiting, diarrhea, or frequent urination due to other chronic problems.
When to Act
It’s best to play things save with your cat, and these days it’s easier than ever to give a quick call or email to your vet’s assistant to run the situation by them. They can then give you advice on the spot without the need of a visit, or they may hear something that prompts them to take a first hand look and run some tests. You don’t need to take a blasé approach to your cat, nor do you need to be a worrywart either. Find a happy medium where you’re only getting involved when they really need you, and not interfering needlessly when they could heal on their own.
The answer to whether a cat needs potassium, or whether you should give it to them is a complex one, and it varies depending on the cat and the situation. Generally if your cat is in good health and there’s no reason to suspect they’re not getting enough potassium you can dismiss it altogether. But if you have reason to believe that they’re running low, or are having problems associated with the kidneys you should take steps to sort out what’s wrong and get an expert opinion rather than play vet from home.
My kitty, Timmy has a low potassium level, but no apparent kidney problems. Should I be concerned and have further tests run?
I am not a vet, just a “pet parent”. But it depends on Timmy’s age and general health, and also, what are you calling “low”… just under 3.5 mg/dl …. or 2.5 mg/dl… The former is borderline low, the latter is..Low. And probably should be addressed.
If your vet does not use IDEXX labs for bloodwork, I suggest you find one that does. IDEXX labs uses a test called SDMA. It is a biomarker that can predict kidney problems as much as several months before the failure starts to show in the usual BUN and Creatinine measurements. The SDMA stands for symmetric dimethylarginine (yeah, okay, lol). Antech does not have this test yet. The advantage is, if Timmy’s SDMA is high, it should be rechecked in 2 to 4 weeks.
If still high, then it would be wise to start looking at renal diets to find something he might like.Hills, Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan, all have these foods. Renal diets tend to be low in phosphorus (high phosphorus can make them nauseous) and higher in potassium (low potassium CAN make them weak or shaky).
In TImmy’s case, a potassium supplement might be in order. I use Tumil-K, and started my cat with a quarter of a tablet twice a day. After subsequent bloodwork checks we raised her dosages accordingly.
My cat had a problem with liver (fatty liver) and was treated with IV infusion and high protein food. The results were OK, but she suddenly developed severe anemia. It was also treated, although she was unable to get the blood transfusion. Now she recovers from anemia and all results are encouraging.
However, following the problems with the liver, we have experienced low level of potassium that could not be elevated by IV supplements. It’s constantly between 2.7 and 2.8mmol/l. Any suggestions?
I am not a veterinarian. I am a “pet parent”. You’ve GOT to talk with your vet, but your cat MAY be a candidate for potassium gluconate supplements. Either in caplet, powder or gel type. Those numbers are low, but due to her other issues, such as the anemia and the LIVER, the vet may not want to add the potassium supplement at this time. Ask him about it.
You should NEVER give any cat (or any animal) a potassium supplement of any kind without you and your veterinarian being totally in agreement about it. That goes for ANY supplement. Best of luck.