Phosphorus binders

SqueeM3

Member Since 2026
Looking for phosphorus binders that are palatable. Leroy doesn't like Catney One. Phos-Bind and a generic aluminum hydroxide powder sold at Thriving Pets was suggested by the IO group. Are either of these more palatable?
 
I didn't realize that's the same company that manufacturers Porus One. Makes sense the name of it.

No first hand experience with binders. Hopefully someone else will comment.

But some quick reading... Catney One is lanthanum carbonate and this paper says it can have a metallic taste. The aluminum hydroxide they say is odorless and tasteless but can be a bit grainy depending on the source. The Thriving Pets website says "...mix thoroughly, and let the food sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. The water and letting the food sit are to help the powder hydrate and the particles to break down so your pet can't detect the powder in the food." Lastly, this Reddit thread talks about Phos-Bind being grainy and maybe having an after taste.
 
I have the Phos-Bind on order at Chewy since I had other things to order. I got the small 35 g jar to try. If that's a no-go I'll try the one from Thriving Pets.
 
Squeem, just saw a post on FB talking about the RX Vitamin Phos-Bind having a tacky, corn starch texture. One commenter says it’s always been that texture. Another says it used to be sandy. The OP is putting it in capsules which I haven’t seen before. They say the cat won’t eat it in the food.
 
There is one called Naraquin made by Nutramax. Kai was originally on Phos-Bind — ours always had more of a sandy texture rather than a starchy one, and we purchased it from Chewy. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a strong enough binder for Kai, so our vet recommended Naraquin.

Unfortunately, Naraquin didn’t agree with Kai, so we switched pretty quickly to Catney One, which is made by the same company that makes Porus One, as mentioned above.

Naraquin is a little different from the other three because it’s not just a straight phosphate binder — it’s more of a combination renal support supplement with phosphate-binding properties. It contains calcium carbonate along with other kidney-support ingredients, whereas something like Phos-Bind is basically just a pure aluminum hydroxide binder.

From what I understand, Naraquin is generally considered stronger than Epakitin, but usually not quite as aggressive as the heavy hitters like Phos-Bind or Catney One when it comes to lowering phosphorus in more advanced CKD cases. That said, every cat responds differently, and some vets really like it because it combines phosphorus control with additional kidney support.

The three phosphate binders I see recommended most often are Phos-Bind, Catney One, and Epakitin. I had ChatGPT help me put together a quick comparison chart that also include Naraquin in case anyone is interested.

BinderMain IngredientStrengthConstipation RiskCalcium RiskNotes
Phos-BindAluminum hydroxideStrongHigherLowOften considered the “gold standard” binder for CKD cats, but can worsen constipation in some cats.
Catney OneLanthanum carbonateStrongModerateLowNewer binder; can work well for cats that don’t tolerate aluminum hydroxide.
NaraquinCalcium carbonate + renal support ingredientsModerate-StrongModerateModerateCombination renal supplement + phosphate binder; some vets report very good results with it.
EpakitinChitosan + calcium carbonateModerateLowerModerateOften easier on the stomach and easier to feed, but may not be strong enough for severe phosphorus issues.
 
@Tim & Pookey there's no Supply Closet forum here. I'll post the Phos-Bind on the IO group but doubt anyone there will take it. Chewy gave me a credit for it.

Catney One is a no-go. It's very gritty which Leroy won't touch. I'm going to try the one on Thriving Pets which is what the IO group seems to recommend most.
 
Added, thanks for the heads up. Messages in there delete after 60 days on FDMB. I made ours permanent just in case it's a little slower here.

Come on Leroy, you gotta eat your totally regular, definitely not with a phosphorus binder, food!
 
I think my IO post is still waiting for moderator approval 🤷‍♀️

Leroy's got pancreatitis again :blackeye::banghead: Adding stuff to his food is the least of my concerns right now. I just need him to eat.
 
I got an IO reply. Then the email program on my phone glitched and permanently deleted it :facepalm: I reposted on IO asking whoever responded to re-send the message.

Which aluminum hydroxide product do I want? Kidney / Renal Disease Capsules would make sense since I can just sprinkle the contents on food without having to measure. The loose powder instructions make me 😵‍💫 But which strength of a capsule? 50, 100, or 200? Probably best to start low??
 
I think I would do the same with the capsules and starting slow. It looks like the "strength" of those just means how much powder is in there?

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From the ISFM Consensus Guidelines (2016).

What's crazy to me is 90 mg/kg per day. For a 12 lb. cat, that would be 490 mg/day. I'd never be able to hide that much of anything in Pookey's food (and he's bigger than 12 lbs. 🤣). Does your vet have any suggestions on starting dose?
 
The loose powder instructions on Thriving Pet says 100 mg per pound of body weight daily if the phosphorus levels are over 8. Leroy is 8 lbs. So he needs 800 mg daily? Butt then the instructions say not to exceed 100 mg per day 😵‍💫

Vet has no opinion on phosphorus binders other than use the Catney One which Leroy won't touch.
 
Nvm:facepalm:. It says "Maximum recommended dose according to Dr. Larry Nagode is 200 mg / pound of body weight per day."
 
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