Need alternative to prescription diet for cat

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 07:37PM #1

We have a rescue cat who is approx 7 years old and has been getting crystals in his bladder, twice we have had to bring him to the vet to get them removed. They have put him on Hills prescription diet c/d pouches, but I am looking for an alternative that is available in Irish market as any I can see are only available in the US... main criteria
1. Will still help prevent crystal formation
2. Is not tested on animals (Hills food is)
3. Help prevent dental issues

Have already been advised that a raw food diet won't help prevent the crystal formations.. So Help, anyone else been through thisthat can help point me in the right direction, or knows of any cat nutitionists in Ireland..our vet is great..but unable to offer help in this case....

EGAR · 09-05-2011 07:44PM

Apple Cider Vinegar is brilliant to prevent Struvite crystals. Just google it. I give it to ALL my animals even the horses.

tk123 · 09-05-2011 07:59PM

OK am I being thick here but is testing on animals not a given if it's a pet food?

Anyhoos you can get Hills or RC version from sites in the UK eg vetuk.co.uk and they usually work out cheaper than the vets.

stargirl.gra · 09-05-2011 08:09PM

Idon't know about preventing crystals but orijen do a cat food also. I give orijen to my four dogs and am about to start my two cats on it.

lorebringer · 09-05-2011 08:17PM

Royal Cainin, Specific and Eukanuba do foods that are designed for struvite management, you can them online. Dry food will help with dental health so including dry kibble in your cats diet should be enough to address this. It is best to use a mix of wet and dry food for your cats diet as the formation of crystals can often be attributed to the cat not taking in enough water, and with a wet/dry mix you are getting the best of both world (water from the wet food and teeth cleaning from the dry).

EGAR · 09-05-2011 08:17PM

tk123 wrote: »

OK am I being thick here but is testing on animals not a given if it's a pet food?

No.

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/petfood.htm

salsagal · 09-05-2011 08:20PM

tk123, some pet food manufacturers test their product on animals to the extent that they buy animals/pets from homing associations and then proceed to torture them just to test the reactions of various food ingredients. Its really cruel and inhumane.

I know it seems a bit weird, but it is possible to get meat based pet food products which are manufactured by humane companies who don't torture/test on animals.

SlashyG, I buy both dry & wet catfood (not tested on animals) from Kevin at Holistic Pet Products (www.hpp.ie). Kevin was really helpful when I called about portions etc. Maybe an email or call might unearth an alternative to Hills for the crystals problem?

Best of luck with it!!

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 08:38PM

EGAR wrote: »

Apple Cider Vinegar is brilliant to prevent Struvite crystals. Just google it. I give it to ALL my animals even the horses.

Will have to check this one out..thanks so much

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 08:42PM

Thanks, I have got my two dog's already on the Luath (Land of holistic pets - which they LOVE) and our other cat (also rescue but 1 yr old) on the orijen..will check out all the ones suggested!

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 08:47PM

EGAR wrote: »

No.

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/petfood.htm

You got there before me.. really hope I can find a 'better' alternative for him as would HATE to have to support Hills..

sezzie22 · 09-05-2011 08:49PM

Royal canin have a dry food specifically for this purpose- its wthin their veterinary range-they have an abundance of urinary specific foods- so i would speak with your vet and get them to speak with the local royal canin rep- as they would be best placed to advise you! Best of luck!

EGAR · 09-05-2011 08:49PM

slashygoodness wrote: »

You got there before me.. really hope I can find a 'better' alternative for him as would HATE to have to support Hills..

That is exactly how I know about Apple Cider Vinegar. I was in the same predictament as you. Haven't looked back since.

BengaLover · 09-05-2011 08:52PM

You could also think about a Homeopathic treatment for him in conjunction with a good dried food diet.
RE water intake, I use a water fountain for my cats, all my friends laugh at me when they see this water filter unit sitting there with a fountain of freshly filtered water coming up, but the cats have never drank so much, the water stays fresh and cool and is filtered constantly.
They are around 15 euro on ebay.

paultf · 09-05-2011 09:05PM

Burns do cat food which is supposed to be an alternative to Veterinary & Prescription Diets like Hills and Royal Canin.

Checkout www.burns.co.uk or www.burnsireland.com

(I don't have a cat - only dogs

- so can't vouch for Burns cat food!!)

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 09:06PM

sezzie22 wrote: »

Royal canin have a dry food specifically for this purpose- its wthin their veterinary range-they have an abundance of urinary specific foods- so i would speak with your vet and get them to speak with the local royal canin rep- as they would be best placed to advise you! Best of luck!

Thanks. Normally I would agree, and we do really love our vet she is fantastic, but she is more familiar with the 'established' vet suppliers and was unable to offer an alternative to many of the brands already mentioned. I usually share all the information from what I feed them with her to make sure it is balanced and correct for their needs..she just has not had much experience with folks looking for 'more ethical' options.. not trying to nag or convert any folks, just trying to do the best we can....

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 09:11PM

BengaLover wrote: »

You could also think about a Homeopathic treatment for him in conjunction with a good dried food diet.
RE water intake, I use a water fountain for my cats, all my friends laugh at me when they see this water filter unit sitting there with a fountain of freshly filtered water coming up, but the cats have never drank so much, the water stays fresh and cool and is filtered constantly.
They are around 15 euro on ebay.

Forgot to mention the water fountain is on its way....can't wait to see how it works..need to figure out where to put it so the dogs don't get near it...

slashygoodness · 09-05-2011 09:19PM

paultf wrote: »

Burns do cat food which is supposed to be an alternative to Veterinary & Prescription Diets like Hills and Royal Canin.

Checkout www.burns.co.uk or www.burnsireland.com

(I don't have a cat - only dogs - so can't vouch for Burns cat food!!)

Thanks! Have 2 cats and 2 dogs, the dogs are/will be huge but Marcus (the one with the crystals) is 'Master of all he sees' and unfortunately he is not a 'Burns' cat

The Sweeper · 09-05-2011 09:47PM

+1 for apple cider vinegar. Also, raw does indeed seem to prevent the formation of crystals?? Am curious as to why vet vetoed it. My reservation there would be starting on raw if there was kidney damage.

audreyp · 10-05-2011 07:36AM

I didn't know Hills tested on animals. I knew Iams did but didn't know about hills. Thanks for that. I won't be buying that again. So Royal Canin doesn't test on animals then?

Our cat needed to go on that diet too and she really disliked it. The wet food didn't look like meat at all. Sadly she was then killed on the road about a month into her new diet so I have no experience with having a cat on it long term. But I know I would have looked for alternatives as she was struggling to finish a packet of the food.

tk123 · 10-05-2011 08:18AM

EGAR wrote: »

No.

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/petfood.htm

Hopefully land of holistic pets don't test on animals!

My guy did very well on Burns dog food and I'd have no worries giving to a cat if we ever get another one. We only switched to Luath because he gets it at daycare and chopping and changing was giving him and upset tummy. Our vet is brilliant they sell Hills and RC there but she's not a sales rep like some of the others - when we were told by "specialists" to put him on the Hills food for joints she told me there was no real evidence that it actually helped joints and to stick to his Burns and joint supplements .. :pac:

slashygoodness · 10-05-2011 07:13PM

tk123 wrote: »

Hopefully land of holistic pets don't test on animals!

My guy did very well on Burns dog food and I'd have no worries giving to a cat if we ever get another one. We only switched to Luath because he gets it at daycare and chopping and changing was giving him and upset tummy. Our vet is brilliant they sell Hills and RC there but she's not a sales rep like some of the others - when we were told by "specialists" to put him on the Hills food for joints she told me there was no real evidence that it actually helped joints and to stick to his Burns and joint supplements .. :pac:

Thankfully landofholistic pets don't..along with Burns, they are part of this http://www.peta.org.uk/features/non-animal-tested-companion-animal-food/

our two doggies also have hip issues and are on supplements as well..but they do love the Luath and the occasional orijen treats..oh and they demolish petzerts...........:D

tk123 · 10-05-2011 07:33PM

slashygoodness wrote: »

Thankfully landofholistic pets don't..along with Burns, they are part of this http://www.peta.org.uk/features/non-animal-tested-companion-animal-food/

our two doggies also have hip issues and are on supplements as well..but they do love the Luath and the occasional orijen treats..oh and they demolish petzerts...........:D

Petzerts are a bit pricey for what they are imo - a cheaper alternative is Aldi's kids probiotic yoghurts - they're around €1.50 for 4. This is assuming your dogs won't eat the plastic container they come in - my guy cries and gives me the container back when he finishes his :pac::pac:

slashygoodness · 10-05-2011 08:03PM

tk123 wrote: »

Petzerts are a bit pricey for what they are imo - a cheaper alternative is Aldi's kids probiotic yoghurts - they're around €1.50 for 4. This is assuming your dogs won't eat the plastic container they come in - my guy cries and gives me the container back when he finishes his :pac::pac:

Aww that is too cute! Unfortunately our two would swallow those ones whole :pac::pac: and with the petzerts the paper is 'digestible'. Have started making homemade versions..... hehe will see how they turn out.....

mymo · 10-05-2011 09:53PM

I have same problem, and with 3 cats over 10 years of trying different foods, I settled on the specific dry, kidney support (which the label says is good for crystals too, there is one for the crystals but my cats wouldn't eat it:rolleyes:), with some wet and raw.
I also add cider vinegar to the dogs water, which cats drink, but only as it helps with tear staining on the little dog. Never knew it helped with the crystals

I haven't had a problem with my two in about a year now.
Look for a good quality wet food, fewer ingredients the better. I'm currently trying bozita from zooplus, as I was given some by my friend and they love it.

(low potassium in wet food is better, check the ingredients and minerals list at the end)

Graces7 · 12-05-2011 01:08PM

The Sweeper wrote: »

+1 for apple cider vinegar. Also, raw does indeed seem to prevent the formation of crystals?? Am curious as to why vet vetoed it. My reservation there would be starting on raw if there was kidney damage.

When we were trying to sort the recurrent cystitis in our female, I read this article; we were already feeding mostly raw but for convenience occasional dried.

http://www.catinfo.org/

When the cystitis persisted after antibiotics, I bought a urinary diet dried from the vet. In the meantime, only raw and the cystitis cleared. As soon as I fed the urinary dried, back to blood in the tray. After trying this twice with the same result, we stopped all dry and processed foods and she has been perfectly fine since.

If you google cystitis on the specialist cat forums, this is now a widespread finding.

With all respect, very few vets know a lot re cat nutrition; the pet food companies are big business, like the drug companies. Most vets do not have the time to specialise in nutrition.

Will get some of that vinegar at market tomorrow...

slashygoodness · 13-05-2011 07:57PM

looks like I need to revisit the raw food option with the vet...did some more online research..thanks for all the links! The only thing was that I did not see any prepared options for sale online here in Ireland?? It looks like the Nature's Variety Instinct raw frozen would be good as I really can't see me staying on top of having to prepare it myself..I barely manage to cook/not poison myself.............

comongethappy · 14-05-2011 07:45PM

Husse do an additive for pet food to prevent crystals in urine, it's called Kristal http://www.husse.ie/cat-food-products/cat-food-supplements/?product=60

You are meant to give it in food for five days in a row once a month to prevent crystals from forming. I bought some for my male, he suffers with FLUD. While every time he's become sick he has never had crystals, I figured when he does get a UTI I could give it to him just to make sure he wouldn't get a blockage. The only problem is it has quite a strong salmiac flavour (I know it's swedish, but I can't see swedish cats liking the flavour either!), so my cat wouldn't eat it in the normal food. You would need to feed it with something strong flavoured for those meals, like liver or sardines.

Also, check out http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/supplements_specialty_cat_food . They have special food their for kidney issues, not sure about the animal testing though, you would need to research the brands

Aish_ie · 15-05-2011 06:59PM

My cat has recently being diagnosed as showing signs of renal failure. His decline will depend on his body but I'd like to do all I can to slow down the process as there is no cure. He will not tolerate the px food (Hills) or the medication ( a paste added to his normal cat food ) to take the harmfull protein out the food. He likes home made chicken and tinned tuna from time time but I wondering does any recommend Applaws Cat food ? And do Burns do Cat "Wet Food" in Sachets?

He's always been a fussy cat, his prerogative i think being an "Exotic " breed

but I'm also spending a lot of money trying things out.

Thanks
A

Aish_ie · 15-05-2011 07:01PM

My cat has recently being diagnosed as showing signs of renal failure. His decline will depend on his body but I'd like to do all I can to slow down the process as there is no cure. He will not tolerate the px food (Hills) or the medication ( a paste added to his normal cat food ) to take the harmfull protein out the food. He likes home made chicken and tinned tuna from time time but I wondering does any recommend Applaws Cat food ? And do Burns do Cat "Wet Food" in Sachets?

He's always been a fussy cat, his prerogative i think being an "Exotic " breed

but I'm also spending a lot of money trying things out.

Thanks
A

Zapperzy · 15-05-2011 07:19PM

Aish_ie wrote: »

My cat has recently being diagnosed as showing signs of renal failure. His decline will depend on his body but I'd like to do all I can to slow down the process as there is no cure. He will not tolerate the px food (Hills) or the medication ( a paste added to his normal cat food ) to take the harmfull protein out the food. He likes home made chicken and tinned tuna from time time but I wondering does any recommend Applaws Cat food ? And do Burns do Cat "Wet Food" in Sachets?

He's always been a fussy cat, his prerogative i think being an "Exotic " breed but I'm also spending a lot of money trying things out.

Thanks
A

Applaws wet food is good but very expensive for what it is really, it also is not complete so you would need to feed another complete food alongside it to balance out the nutrients. As far as I know it is also high in phosphorus which should be restricted in cats with chronic renal failure. Unless you just use a tiny bit of it to encourage him to eat other foods I wouldn't recommend it for a cat with renal failure.
I can't find anything on burns wet cat food, I thought Jameswellbeloved done a wet food as well but can't find anything on that either.

tk123 · 18-07-2011 09:04AM

OP can I ask what you did in the end? We're headed to the vets this evening to get a sample tested and i'm really hoping there's an improvement since friday as I really really don't want to have to switch him to Hills or RC. I had been giving him half Luath and half Natures Menu in the evenings for the last few weeks so hopefully that's what's caused the problem but i have a feeling the vet is going to suggest switching his food. He's doing great on Luath - the thought of having to find a different food for him!

Need alternative to prescription diet for cat

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