advice needed for kitty with struvite crystals

artyeva

looking for some help.

we noticed on monday kitty was drinking far more than usual and going into his tray more frequently but his wee output was only about 1/3 their normal size. he also seemed really distressed while in there, more scratching and trying to empty out the litter on the floor. so i rang the vet and made an appointment for today. he's diagnosed struvite crystals - given him a pain injection, antibiotics, an oral paste, and says he'll have to be on a prescription food for the rest of his life

does anyone else have experience with this? i've arrived home and done a quick google, and accepting the fact you can't believe everything you read online, i've read a few articles from vets and self proclaimed cat experts that a dry prescription food is the last thing a cat with struvite crystals should be on, that in the main, the portion of their training on pet nutrition that vets receive is usually from the petfood companies themselves [er, what?], and that what's best is a balance of low protein wet food and fresh raw meat. i was feeding him wet food, then one vet said to cut it out completely and put him onto dry, then he told me to mix the two, then the vet i brought him today previously told me the dry food i was feeding him was crap but never gave me a straight answer as to what i should be feeding him at the time. [he was on happy cat light].

he's going to drop the first bag in to me on monday [can't remember the name - dr hills maybe?] and it'll be €55.95 or something per 5kg bag thereafter. obviously we're willing to do whatever it takes to keep the wee fella happy and healthy, i'm just wondering if anyone has any other advice or experience they could share?

Aru

If he has crystals then one of the reliable ways to deal with them is to cause them to dissolve.
Sturvites form in basic urine...so acidifying the urine helps them to dissolve.The prescription diets do this very well.

However once they have dissolved and the cat is symptom free it is often possible to manage the issue by keeping them on a diet that keeps the urine somewhat acidic and increases water intake...generally normal canned diets do just that.
Increasing water intake with the likes of moving water fountains to drink from can also help.
If the cat is over weight they are much more predisposed to the problem as well so a weight loss strategy may also be needed.

Glad to hear your boy is doing better though.You were lucky if the crystals cause a blockage it can be a very serious situation. So any cat having issues with peeing, not passing any pee and in pain while trying to go to the toilet is treated as an emergency by vets.

artyeva

thanks aru. it seems to be pretty common then? that's kind a relief in way - although opinion seems to be pretty weighted against this particular brand, and dry food in general.

he's not overweight, though he was definitely much happier and fuller for longer when he was on wet food only or wet/dry than he's been on dry. far less begging too. the wet food i was giving him was bozita grain free cartons with the odd cosima tin as a treat. is that worse than hills c/d? or what specifically should i be looking at as regards salt/minerals? i'm looking at the ingredients of that and it seems very high in cereals? it's so bloody confusing!

boomerang

I think right now artyeva stick with the h/d until this is under control... I know the Hills' prescription diets can't compare to other brands in terms of the quality of the ingredients *but* they do exactly what it says on the tin, which is what your cat needs most right now. Hopefully you can transition back to a more wholesome, natural diet over time but right now, "take the meds."

artyeva

i've no problem going with the antibiotics and the paste stuff for the prescribed time [he loves whatever's in that paste - laps it up] and i'll give the first bag of the hill prescription a go i suppose. still though, no harm in asking for advice on alternatives.

boomerang

Totally agree! I just think for now, use the h/d to eliminate the problem and then you can hopefully transition on to a wet food that's more wholesome.

My own dog had a health issue requiring a prescription diet... Luckily for her I was able to provide a home-cooked diet equivalent to the Hills' prescription food, but I did fall back on it from time to time when I was caught for time.

Capercaille

My cat had uroliths last year. He's on Royal Canin UHD. Be careful with the urinary diet food. It is a high density food and cats can put on weight quickly if fed too much. Only give the recommended amount per day.

Having plenty of litter trays around the house is a must and make sure to keep them clean. I have three litter trays. Before that I had only one and didn't keep it clean enough. He often held on to his urine and waited to go to toilet outside. Make sure the litter is good quality.

<snip>

Make sure you have plenty of water sources for your cat and change the water daily to make sure it's fresh. My fellow will only drink out of cups, so I have big glass of water in living room on the table, one on the kitchen table and one in the bedroom. I got a water fountain for him but he was afraid of it even though it was super silent.

Luckily my cat hasn't had any relapses since his incident. Couldn't say what is working most.

boomerang

Capercaille wrote: »

Stress is a big part to play as well. There was a big stray tom cat that was attacking my cat. Luckily he's dead now. Any stray cat that comes around now I run them out of the place with the dog. There was another problem cat. I trapped him in a humane cat trap and threw a bucket of water over him and get the dog to bark at him in the cage. Had to trap him three times, but luckily he stays away from the house now. I seen him on occasions, but well distant from the house.

Jeebus H. Christ! I know your cat's welfare is paramount, but really? How could you love your own cat and then do that to another? :eek:

This is the reason I don't loan out cat traps (or give trapping tips) to people I don't know! :mad:

boomerang

If he went in the trap three times

a) He was obviously hungry and

b) He definitely wasn't feral

Not that a cat being feral should be any reason to treat them less humanely than a pet cat.

Jeebus CC, you wouldn't do it to a wild animal.

missyfirefly

Capercaille wrote: »

There was another problem cat. I trapped him in a humane cat trap and threw a bucket of water over him and get the dog to bark at him in the cage. Had to trap him three times, but luckily he stays away from the house now.

Seriously!?! WTF!!! You're sick!

If your human child had an issue with a classmate would you entrap him against his will, employ waterboarding techniques and systematically subject him to fear generating tactics to literally scare the sh*t out of him? No you wouldn't- and why? 2 reasons... 1. Under the Geneva convention this is classed as torture 2. IT'S WRONG!!!

(I'm using the example of a 'human child' as from your post you have a huge emotional investment in your cat and would consider it your child.)

You really need to take a good look at your values as if you really consider this to be acceptable behaviour you are dillusional!

What would you do if a neighbour, assumed your cat was feral and did this to your cat, because he was upsetting his little kitten???

lubie76

Capercaille wrote: »

Stress is a big part to play as well. There was a big stray tom cat that was attacking my cat. Luckily he's dead now. Any stray cat that comes around now I run them out of the place with the dog. There was another problem cat. I trapped him in a humane cat trap and threw a bucket of water over him and get the dog to bark at him in the cage. Had to trap him three times, but luckily he stays away from the house now. I seen him on occasions, but well distant from .

That's really sick man, why would you post that? How would you feel if a neighbour done that to your pet!

anniehoo

Capercaille, I have given you a warning for the horrible information you posted above. We do not condone cruelty to animals in this forum and if you cannot see what you did was wrong, please reconsider posting in this forum again.

All other posters, please stay on topic thanks.