My mother-in-law has a cat which she was feeding Eagle Pack food to. Her vet told her the cat had crystals in his urine and that he needed to be on a special diet. She got the new food from the vet. However, the first two ingredients in it are corn and wheat gluten??? She is worried about feeding her cat this. Does anyone have any suggestions for a food with a cat that has his symptoms. Also, can anyone explain to me what makes a cat get crystals in his urine and whether or not it's caused by the food they eat?
food for cat with crystals in urine
- Thread starter LaRe
- Start date
I don't know what you should feed. Most vets will prescribe Science Diet (YUCK) but never anything that is good, so I'll leave that to someone who has dealt with it.
Now crystals have to do with the Ph of the urine. If the Ph is too low they get Calcium Oxalate Crystals. If the Ph is too high they get Struvite crystals. The best way to prevent them is to feed wet food regularly if not entirely. Cats do not drink enough in their homes and that causes problems with the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract. By feeding wet food you are giving them the water they need. the brand of food does not cause them but a cat on all dry is much more likely to get them than a at on all wet or half wet. I would definitely start to feed at least some wet to the cat if you can find a brand that will help the problem.
Now crystals have to do with the Ph of the urine. If the Ph is too low they get Calcium Oxalate Crystals. If the Ph is too high they get Struvite crystals. The best way to prevent them is to feed wet food regularly if not entirely. Cats do not drink enough in their homes and that causes problems with the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract. By feeding wet food you are giving them the water they need. the brand of food does not cause them but a cat on all dry is much more likely to get them than a at on all wet or half wet. I would definitely start to feed at least some wet to the cat if you can find a brand that will help the problem.
THANKS! I'll let her know to wet the food down, or get a good canned food. I was searching the internet and found a food called "Life's Abundance". It seems really healthy.
Ingredients are Organic Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Chicken Meal (preserved with mixed tocopherols), shrimp, fishoil, ground agropyron repens grass, calcium sulfate, guar gum, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, maganese AAC, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), choline chloride, sea salt, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E, A, D3, B12 supplements, thiamine monoitrate, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflacin supplement, folic acid, biotin), inulin, rosemary, L-carnitine.
I ordered a sample pack for her.
Ingredients are Organic Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Chicken Meal (preserved with mixed tocopherols), shrimp, fishoil, ground agropyron repens grass, calcium sulfate, guar gum, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, maganese AAC, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), choline chloride, sea salt, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E, A, D3, B12 supplements, thiamine monoitrate, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflacin supplement, folic acid, biotin), inulin, rosemary, L-carnitine.
I ordered a sample pack for her.
I've heard of the food but i don't remember what people think of it. I think canned food is best. I asked about adding water to the dry but was told it can be risky because bacteria grows pretty fast on it. I don't want to go giving you advice to go off the food that was suggested in case it is very important he stay on it. So until someone mentions a food good for crystals and healthy also I would stick with the food recommended and just add wet food as one meal and dry as the other (if you feed more than one meal) or give wet and dry at the same time (just give less dry than usual so he does not get chubby).
Three questions:
which prescription diet was the cat put on?
was it in wet or dry form?
were there any special instructions along with it (is the cat supposed to be on it for a specified amount of time, or permanently?)
Most cats with crystals are put on a food to dissolve those crystals for a short period of time, then put on a different food for long term maintenance. Wet should ALWAYS be given to a cat with this condition, I don't get why these foods are even MADE dry. But the prescription diets are still very poor quality ingredients, and I'd personally never feed them long term.
My cat had been on a dissolving diet for a month, when she had some crystals, then when she would have been put on the long term prescription food, I made the appropriate adjustments to the diet I WANTED her on.
High quality canned food, preferably grain free, will make a big improvement. There are also suppliments you can purchase (Wysong makes a great one) which help maintain proper balance of the acidity of urine, and that in addition to the right diet choices should keep crystals away.
which prescription diet was the cat put on?
was it in wet or dry form?
were there any special instructions along with it (is the cat supposed to be on it for a specified amount of time, or permanently?)
Most cats with crystals are put on a food to dissolve those crystals for a short period of time, then put on a different food for long term maintenance. Wet should ALWAYS be given to a cat with this condition, I don't get why these foods are even MADE dry. But the prescription diets are still very poor quality ingredients, and I'd personally never feed them long term.
My cat had been on a dissolving diet for a month, when she had some crystals, then when she would have been put on the long term prescription food, I made the appropriate adjustments to the diet I WANTED her on.
High quality canned food, preferably grain free, will make a big improvement. There are also suppliments you can purchase (Wysong makes a great one) which help maintain proper balance of the acidity of urine, and that in addition to the right diet choices should keep crystals away.