Effectiveness of Epakitin Powder
Effectiveness of Epakitin Powder
Epakitin powder supports kidney function and reduces phosphorous absorption to treat cats and dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is often causes death in infected cats and dogs and cannot be cured; however, pets diagnosed with the disease may have their life prolonged by proper kidney and renal care. One of the major effects of CKD is hyperphosphatemia, which can cause more serious complications throughout the renal system.
Epakitin directly combats the effects of hyperphosphatemia to prevent the escalation of CKD symptoms. This chitosan-based supplement functions as a phosphate binder to reduce the amount of phosphorous that is absorbed by your pet’s digestive system. This can be crucial to pets with chronic kidney problems, as absorbed phosphorous can cause additional damage to the kidneys.
What sets Epakitin apart from other phosphorous binding elements is that it contains no aluminum, an ingredient found in most phosphorous binders. This is essential because aluminum has been shown to be toxic to the kidneys such that they would do more harm than good in pets with CKD. Due to this unique property, chitosan makes Epakitin a uniquely successful solution to combating hyperphosphatemia.
How Effective Is It?
Epakitin’s efficacy has been proven in two clinical trials at the University of Georgia with similar results obtained by the researchers at the University of Vienna. The University of Georgia focused on the effects of regulating parathyroid hormone in cats with CKD. Two trials were performed to test these effects on the feline diet.
The first trial observed ten young adult cats with renal distress that were given a diet balanced with phosphorus binders over a 56-day period. The second trial occurred three months after the first trial and observed six cats with the phosphorus binder added to their diet. This trial lasted nine months and arrived at results that were similar to the first despite the prolonged period.
Both trials confirmed the efficacy of adding binders to a diet to reduce phosphate levels. Together, these trials show that the treatment is both effective and safe. The trials showed that although the parathyroid hormone levels of cats with an adjusted diet, the severity of their hyperparathyroidism was reduced.
Alternate Options
Epakitin is an amazing supplement that often saves lives- but there are other options to treat your pet’s kidney and renal distress that can be used to replace or supplement Epakitin. One popular solution from the same company, Vetroquinol, is the supplement Azodyl. This supplement works to clear toxins from the renal system and can be used safely with Epakitin.
Other kidney and renal products that are formulated specifically for either cats or dogs are also available on our site. For a supplement made especially for cats, check out RenAvast for Cats; for dogs, try it's counterpart, RenAvast for Dogs or Canine Matrix MRM Recovery.