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Old January 22nd, 2014, 11:16 AM
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RUSTYcat RUSTYcat is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Le rocher
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Hi cpietra16 !

For the last seven years, I've spent almost all my free time (and, being retired from 'the workforce', that translates to almost a full-time job) researching cat health issues. Because kidney disease is affecting an ever increasing number of cats, that has been one of my main interests.

I quickly learned that there is one definitive, reliable source of reputable information on kidney disease online....this one: http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm

Here is what the author of that site has to say about "Kidney Support Gold":
Quote:
Kidney Support Gold (Tripsy)

I used to receive regular enquiries about a product called Tripsy. Reading the seller's description of kidney disease was enough to set alarm bells ringing for me - they could not even seem to differentiate between CKD and Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, which are not the same condition.

In 2012 Tripsy changed both its name (to Kidney Support Gold) and its formulation. Tripsy used to contain diuretics such as parsley, but Kidney Support Gold contains astralagus root, cordyceps sinesis, rehmannia and Dong Quai root:
  • rehmannia is covered above
  • astralagus is thought to be an antioxidant but Holisticat states that astralagus should only be used short term in cats
  • cordyceps is a fungus which appears to help boost the immune system. It has been used in human kidney transplant patients and appears to help reduce the risks of complications in these patients when used in conjunction with cyclosporine, an anti-rejection medication commonly used following kidney transplants. It is a natural blood thinner. It may increase the effectiveness of corticosteroids, so I would not use it in a cat who is on steroids
  • dong quai (Angelica sinesis) is a herb which appears to help manage female hormonal imbalances, e.g. around the time of the menopause. Some Chinese studies indicate that using dong quai and astralagus may help kidney function in rats with surgically induced kidney disease. It may slow blood clotting. The US National Library of Medicine says that taking dong quai in large amounts for a long period of time may be unsafe because it contains carcinogens (chemicals thought to cause cancer)

Some people do like Kidney Support Gold. I think the new formulation is better than the old one, but I still don't think I would use it when more proven treatments are available. I would not use it without talking to your vet first, and ideally to an holistic vet.

http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_tr...y_support_gold
If I were dealing with kidney disease in one of my cats, that's the advice I would follow.

You might consider joining the author of that site (Helen) and hundreds of other people who are managing their CKD cats in their specialized online discussion group right here: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...d-support/info

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