Do high protein diets causes renal failure?
No. In dogs they have removed 7/8 of the renal mass and then placed them on diets of various protein level and quality. Dietary protein had no effect on the development of renal failure. In cats similar studies suggest that dietary protein level is not associated with renal failure. Cats are not small dogs (despite what some of you may think) and have very different medical and physiological parameters. For instance, cats require a higher portion of calories to come from dietary protein. In dogs on low protein diets, they can use other sources (such as fat and carbohydrates) for energy, but because of the peculiarities of cats, cats cannot do this. So not only is protein restriction likely to be nonprotective, but will likely do more harm than good. What can I do about the diet? Well, diets that are low in potassium can cause renal failure. There have been commercial diets in the past that had been poorly formulated and may have led to the development of renal failure. These diets have
