From preventive medicine to treatment with nutrition in kidney health!

10/03/2025

There is a widespread perception in our country that foods containing chicken have the highest risk of allergies as a protein source. However, according to research, in the allergen ranking, beef ranks first for dogs, milk and dairy products rank second, and beef ranks first and fish ranks second for cats, while chicken ranks third for both animals. What do you think about this?

I explain this situation to the patient owners one-on-one. The content of the food becomes a very important factor in allergic diseases. Our people have a dominant view, especially against chicken, such as “let’s feed it with meat”. However, we provide detailed explanations to correct this perception. I specifically mention that the vast majority of foods are hydrolyzed and therefore the risk of allergy is very low. I also emphasize that the quality of the food makes a big difference in the risk of allergy.

Chicken meat can cause allergies in poor quality foods; however, this risk is very low in quality foods. For this to happen, the animal must have a very serious allergy to chicken. Still, when allergic pet owners ask, “Does the food contain chicken?”, it becomes necessary to explain the issue in detail. At this point, I explain that hypoallergenic foods are hydrolyzed to a very high degree and that the allergenic part of the intestines does not recognize these foods. In addition, when I say that the most common allergen in humans is egg, but the food that causes the least allergy in animals is egg, patient owners begin to question their opinions about chicken meat.

What do you think of Royal Canin's investments in the sector for the development of the veterinary profession (Vet Service, Vet Focus, congress and symposium sponsorships, Masters of Tomorrow)?

Since we are a little older veterinarians, I can say the following when comparing with the past: In the past, companies did not do much for the sector. However, today, all companies understand how important it is to invest in the education of veterinarians. After all, it is not just about reaching the end consumer. The people who recommend and advise these products are veterinarians. If veterinarians are not aware, the product cannot be sold knowingly. As a concrete example of this, we can consider the perception of chicken food.

If veterinarians do not have sufficient knowledge on this subject and the public is also unaware, it is not possible to sell chicken food. I find Royal Canin's investments and education-focused studies on this subject quite successful in the last few years. I especially follow the steps they have taken in terms of education and awareness-raising with admiration.

What is the importance of nutrition in kidney diseases?

Nutrition plays an extremely important role in kidney diseases. In fact, I can clearly say that 50% of kidney treatment can be provided with proper nutrition, and renal nutrition is especially important. In such diseases, the animal must eat and it is of great importance that the food it consumes contains the necessary nutrients. Therefore, renal foods are of critical importance in the treatment of kidney disease.

In kidney diseases, loss of appetite is especially common in cats. Renal Select food, one of the RC nutrition solutions, has a filling and crispy outside food grain to stimulate cats' appetite. Can you explain the importance of feeding cats with poor appetite?

In terms of edibility, especially in cats with kidney problems, my first choice is Royal Canin Renal. Most cats with kidney disease refuse to eat food during this process. However, when I start with Royal Canin Renal food, I observe that I have fewer problems with loss of appetite. This is a great advantage in terms of ensuring that cats have adequate and balanced nutrition. Since nutrition is a fundamental part of the treatment, food selection is of critical importance in cats with poor appetite.

IRIS divides chronic kidney disease into four stages. What do you think about the importance of nutrition in early chronic renal failure, which we call IRIS Stage 1?

In fact, we are coming to the same point again. As I mentioned before, 50% of the treatment in kidney diseases consists of correct food intake. Especially in periods such as IRIS Stage 1, when the disease is still early and its progression can be prevented, nutrition is much more important. For this reason, we usually start using renal food immediately at this stage. In this way, we aim to slow down the progression of the disease.

What is the role of nutrition in terms of preventive medicine in animals that are predisposed to kidney diseases or have had kidney disease in the past?

Kidney diseases are one of the diseases that I am most wary of and careful about as a physician. These diseases usually progress very insidiously and are very difficult to reverse after reaching a certain level. Both acute and chronic kidney diseases are quite challenging in terms of treatment. While acute kidney diseases appear suddenly and quickly worsen the animal, chronic kidney diseases progress slowly and insidiously. For this reason, the kidneys are one of the organs I focus on the most.

I do not ignore the kidneys even in patients who come with a different complaint; I first evaluate the condition of the kidneys. If the problem is caused by something other than the kidneys, I try to develop a strategy that will cause minimal damage to the kidneys while protecting them when creating a treatment plan. For example, in a case where I need to use intensive antibiotics, I definitely take the kidneys into consideration and adopt an approach accordingly. Nutrition is also one of the cornerstones of this protective strategy, and special foods that support the kidneys are of great importance for these animals.