Answers at Dogster Answers.

Sat, Aug 29th 2009, 17:45 GMT

I would absolutely go to a raw diet if you can do so (it is not a FAD diet...this is what cats were designed to eat by mother nature). You don't see cats buying boxes of cereal (which is what dry food is) to eat do you? Most vets have very little training in nutrition. If you don't want to do raw or can't, at least feed a high quality canned food diet only (like Nature's Variety Instinct) This is what has helped my kitty with struvite crystals and blockages: 1) Raw diet (Rad Cat) 2) Eight Righteous tea pills (chinese herbal from www.wellvet.com). 3) Cystitis and Dissolve Crystals (an herbal supplement made up by a holistic vet) from www.wellvet.com. 4) Extra water (filtered or distilled) any way you can get it in him . (I dropper feed mine extra water) 5) NO DRY FOOD...ever! Good luck to you and Monkey! This is a terrible, painful and expensive health issue and I feel for you and hope you can find something that works well for Monkey.

ANSWERED BY Guest 149678

Tue, Sep 2nd 2008, 11:39 GMT

I am going through the same thing right now. First my cat was blocked and then on friday it was a bladder infection. The vets have recommended the prescription diets that they sell he wont eat any of them. I was feeding him prowl and raw food I have been doing a lot of reading on FLUTD and these are some of my ideas. I have called and talked to only natural pet store http://search.onlynaturalpet.com/search.aspx?searchterms=urine%20ph&mf=0 and have come to the conclusion that its the ph in the urine so a supplement might be a good idea but not to over to the supplement because then you go the other way which is renal issues. wysong has a rx diet (very helpfull! I talked to a man named jeff) http://www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/CTGY/RXDIET FELIDAE is supposed to help crystal build up http://www.canidae.com/cats/chicken_and_rice/canned.html I would say no dry food unless you know he drinks a lot or use the dry food as a treat Good luck with everything!! I hope this was help

ANSWERED BY

copper and todd

Fri, Aug 22nd 2008, 13:18 GMT

For one, Royal Canin makes a very palatable wet version of SO. Secondly, LISTEN TO YOUR VET. So many people here are on a "no grain" food kick, or a raw diet food kick and thats just what they are; fads. Your vet has prescribed you prescription food because you kitty actually needs it to live. Blockages will kill your cat. My roommate's cat eats SO and has for years without a single problem and his cystitis is almost non-existent. I don't remember his last UTI. I'm a vet tech and I've seen SO many males flourish on this food. You will get as many answers on this as there are colors of cats, just remember that your vet went through about 8 years of schooling to prescribe you that food, these people warning you off it probably read about it on the internet and have no real knowledge of what they're saying.

ANSWERED BY

Bella (In Loving Memory)

Thu, Aug 21st 2008, 13:26 GMT

What Hunter said, but I would add that supplementing a dry diet with wet food is a must for any male cats in your household. Both of us cats here eat half wet and half dry, despite the fact that I'm a big drinker: mom wants to make sure my brother Boris gets enough water (he tends not to drink when stressed, and he's easily stressed), and well... wet food is a good way to go to get that water in. So maybe you can strike a bargain with yourself, wait for your kitty to get all better, and then start adding a little wet food for his diet, and work up to alternating S/O feedings with a high quality wet food and see what happens? Our mixed feedings have worked pretty well for us (if we could we'd have wet food all the time, but it's not convenient for mom and dad right now). Hopefully by now you know more about the crystals, and that might help you figure out which wet foods are safe to supplement.

ANSWERED BY

Gracie
1 dog found this answer to be helpful.

Thu, Aug 21st 2008, 03:30 GMT

The problem is that this food has not been tested long ,and on enough cats to know the real "long term" effects. My opinion, A wet high protein, grain free diet for the rest of your life, not dry food that is laden with carbs and grain and chemicals.

ANSWERED BY

Shadow

Thu, Aug 21st 2008, 00:24 GMT

You are likely to get 100 different answers from 100 different people. Urinary SO is safe to feed for the entire life of the cat. I would do what your vet recommends as this can be a life threatening problem if kitty becomes blocked.

ANSWERED BY

Hunter