344 - Obese Diabetic Cat Now Has Renal Disease! (HDYTT)

What do you do when your big, lovable diabetic cat suddenly develops renal disease? You call in the nutritionist cavalry! In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark is joined by boarded veterinary nutritionist Dr. Caitlyn Getty to tackle a real-world “hot mess express” case: Claudia, an obese diabetic cat who’s now showing signs of kidney issues. Together, they dig into the complexities of nutritional management for cats with multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Getty breaks down why common diets can conflict with one another in cases like this, and how Hill’s Prescription Diet Multi-Organ Feline can help bridge the gap. They cover protein and phosphorus challenges, insulin dosing concerns, fiber benefits, and the power of a slow and steady transition when switching foods. Whether you’ve got cats with combo problems like diabetes and kidney disease or just love nerding out over nutrition, this episode is full of practical takeaways and clinical insight. Let’s get into this episode.

Check out the downloadable team training worksheet and follow along together! Empower your team to educate clients using the notes and discussion questions.

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Caitlyn is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist® and Scientific Communications Senior Specialist on the US Professional Veterinary Affairs Team at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. She spent 13 years at the University of Illinois completing her BS, DVM, and PhD in Nutritional Sciences. During veterinary school and her PhD, she became very interested in nutrition education of veterinary students and the power of nutrition in health and disease. She completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship on the north side of Chicago and then moved to Raleigh, NC to complete her Small Animal Clinical Nutrition residency at North Carolina State University. She currently lives outside Indianapolis with 4 cats, 2 dogs, and her fiancé!