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Steve, the hubz, and I recently moved in with my parents and their two cats. We feed our cat Halo's Spot Stew. They feed their cats whatever they can get for cheap. One of the cats is exceptionally prone to urinary tract infections, so they always make sure to buy a food that states on the bag that it promotes urinary tract health.
What is the substance that is added or withheld from a recipe that makes it better for urinary tracts?
Spot's Stew is better for that cat's system than any supermarket brand urinary health food, right?
I just want to make sure that leaving Steve's food out isn't going to make Jake's UTIs flare up because its missing that key ingredient that keeps them at bay or has whatever it is that triggers them.
In my opinion a cat prone to urinary tract problems, especially a male cat, should be on prescription food, or at least an all canned diet.
Grocery store "urinary health" kibbles are really not much different than regular grocery store kibble,and none are really any good.
The grocery foods add things that supposedly make the urine more acidic, to help prevent crystals from forming. They also need to be low ash, low magnesium, low phosphorous and lower in calcium.
I realize this is your parents' cat though so I checked TOTW foods:
I notice TOTW does not list the percentages of these things on their website. I'd be concerned enough to write to the company asking for details about ash, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium.
Definitely a cat with urinary tract issues should not have fish flavors, so I hope you aren't using the TOTW seafood formula.
Alixjack, I have 7 FLUTD males in my home. They all eat raw chicken diet, supplemented with high protein, high quality canned food, such as Wellness Core, Nature's Variety, and Weruva BBQ Red Eye Salmon.
Since they have been eating this way for approximately one year, their symptoms have gradually disappeared. Yes, I still have some that do have symptoms, BUT not one has blocked. For the problems, I treat with alternative medicine. (That is another subject altogether, and one that I will not post for I am not "officially" qualified to give out that kind of advice).
I don't believe in any prescription diets for any cat. In my opinion, they are not of the highest quality. Also, in my opinion, the majority of vets do not understand even the basics of feline nutrition. It's unfortunate, but true.
It's true that the prescription foods do not appear to be made of the best ingredients.
However they are made the way they are for a reason. I have tried three times to switch my FLUTD female to a high quality canned diet. Every time, the crystals came back, and..each time they came back, they were worse than the time before.
I did not wait for symptoms to show. I had her urine tested 3 months after a change in diet. She also gets a UA/culture done routinely once a year, at one of her six month check ups.
So..she is back to the Hills c/d, for life, because it is the lesser of two evils for her.
Each case has to be taken individually though, and I do not recommend any food changes without discussing it with the attending vet. Once you see a blocked male cat screaming in pain, you never forget it.
I'm glad what you are doing is working for your guys, Garden of Eden. Are all 7 cats related?
Yes, they are all related, either all from the same Queen, or the sister of the Queen.
I know what I am doing here is outside of the "mainstream", and yes, there is a price I pay. Since I have decided to be my own vet, so to say, I have put a lot of responsibility on myself. I know what I am doing is working for I am seeing it. This takes a lot of research, a lot of think power, and a lot of risk taking. There is SO much information on the internet, it can make you cross-eyed and wanting to scream. I did that research, and I am still to this day, doing it.
It takes a lot of courage to step off the mainstream path and I understand fully if some here are not up to that challenge.
AND, most importantly of all, IF what you are doing for ill cats is WORKING, please please do not change what you are doing. It's not worth the risk. BUT, if what you are doing is NOT working, my advice is something you may want to consider.
If you have not read this article written by a vet please do as it is about the proper feline diet and she even gets into cats with health issues that often get put on perscription diets.http://www.catinfo.org/
My dads now diabetic cat that I just took in had crystals years ago and the vet put him on CD and he got dried and a small amount of canned and that is what my mom fed him as that is what the vet said and bless my mom she would never question a vet or a human doctor. after reading the article I know the cats diabetes is no doubt related to that diet. Now he is eating Merricks canned food and I add some extra water to make sure we keep his kidneys flushed and that should keep any crystals flushed out. I would love to feed him and the dogs a totally raw diet but since I work full time, do agility with the dogs and have to take frequent 120 mile ( per way) trips to check up on my 86 yr old dad a raw diet just is not possible right but all are thriving on the diets they do get.
Yes, they are all related, either all from the same Queen, or the sister of the Queen.
I know what I am doing here is outside of the "mainstream", and yes, there is a price I pay. Since I have decided to be my own vet, so to say, I have put a lot of responsibility on myself. I know what I am doing is working for I am seeing it. This takes a lot of research, a lot of think power, and a lot of risk taking. There is SO much information on the internet, it can make you cross-eyed and wanting to scream. I did that research, and I am still to this day, doing it.
It takes a lot of courage to step off the mainstream path and I understand fully if some here are not up to that challenge.
AND, most importantly of all, IF what you are doing for ill cats is WORKING, please please do not change what you are doing. It's not worth the risk. BUT, if what you are doing is NOT working, my advice is something you may want to consider.
Isn't that the truth!
I, too, have done my research and feel comfortable that I have made the right choice for my girl. Poor thing having to have all those extra UAs as I tried to find a non prescription canned diet that would work for her.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dashdog
If you have not read this article written by a vet please do as it is about the proper feline diet and she even gets into cats with health issues that often get put on perscription diets.Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basis of Feline Nutrition
My dads now diabetic cat that I just took in had crystals years ago and the vet put him on CD and he got dried and a small amount of canned and that is what my mom fed him as that is what the vet said and bless my mom she would never question a vet or a human doctor. after reading the article I know the cats diabetes is no doubt related to that diet. Now he is eating Merricks canned food and I add some extra water to make sure we keep his kidneys flushed and that should keep any crystals flushed out. I would love to feed him and the dogs a totally raw diet but since I work full time, do agility with the dogs and have to take frequent 120 mile ( per way) trips to check up on my 86 yr old dad a raw diet just is not possible right but all are thriving on the diets they do get.
Yes, I do worry about my FLUTD kitty getting diabetes from being on this c/d diet. But it's what works for her to keep the crystals at bay (she takes cosequin daily, too), and if diabetes comes I will deal with it.
My vet and I work closely together as a team for the best health of my cats. I do question my vet, all the time. I research what we discuss and bring my findings to her and we talk things over. She works full time and has a young family to raise and does not have time to spend hours on the computer trying to sort fact from fiction.
She has learned some things from me and my research, but ultimately, when I go against her recommendations she almost always turns out to be right.
My cats live long lives and I am happy with my choices. All my other cats are on a canned diet. A life time canned diet did not stop my Bridge Angel from getting CRF, or megacolon, or hyperthyroid disease or high blood pressure. Sometimes cats are just prone to things and no matter what you do, they are going to have these issues.
My FLUTD girl cannot have non prescription food, I'm not putting her through any more trials, she's been through enough. She gets her UA/culture and blood work once a year at one check up and her purevax rabies shot at the other check up. (my cats get well visits every six months)
In my opinion a cat prone to urinary tract problems, especially a male cat, should be on prescription food, or at least an all canned diet.
Grocery store "urinary health" kibbles are really not much different than regular grocery store kibble,and none are really any good.
The grocery foods add things that supposedly make the urine more acidic, to help prevent crystals from forming. They also need to be low ash, low magnesium, low phosphorous and lower in calcium.
I realize this is your parents' cat though so I checked TOTW foods:
I notice TOTW does not list the percentages of these things on their website. I'd be concerned enough to write to the company asking for details about ash, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium.
Definitely a cat with urinary tract issues should not have fish flavors, so I hope you aren't using the TOTW seafood formula.
Thanks for your input. I AM using the seafood formula, so I will be sure that Jake doesn't eat it.
We had problem with it then switched our to the Purina for urinary tract and have not had a single problem in year since.I forget the substances that cause the problems but it can be looked up o teh internet.They alos love the food which is dry.We also feed the wet in mornig but not sure the brand my wife uses.Any it stopped the probelms we were aving pretty contantly.
Jake has been doing fine with the crappy grocery store urinary tract stuff. He hasn't had an infection in a couple of years, and we have no plans to change his diet, I just don't want to cause one by leaving Steve's food out. I didn't know about the fish thing, I'm so glad I posted!
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. after reading the article I know the cats diabetes is no doubt related to that diet. Now he is eating Merricks canned food and I add some extra water to make sure we keep his kidneys flushed and that should keep any crystals flushed out. I would love to feed him and the dogs a totally raw diet but since I work full time, do agility with the dogs and have to take frequent 120 mile ( per way) trips to check up on my 86 yr old dad a raw diet just is not possible right but all are thriving on the diets they do get.
