Cat food question

Mofongo

Hi, hoping you ladies can help. I have 4 cats, one of them recently had a pretty bad urinary blockage. He is fine now (hope it stays that way!). I was feeding my cats Wellness and of course the vet says that now he has to eat Hills S/D for the crystals in his bladder.

I know Hills foods are crap but at the same time want to keep my guy healthy. Are there any other better quality foods that are suitable for his urinary issues?

thks!

mainerocks

Are you feeding Wellness wet or dry?  Great info here on how wet food can really help:

http://catinfo.org/

I personally skipped the S/D, but a "pretty bad blockage" might have led me to make a different choice, so I understand your worry!  Many here have don't the prescription for a while and then swtiched.

A few things to keep in mind in general:

- increasing water intake is key. Add more sources around the house. Try a fountain. Add water to the wet food to make it soupy. Well hydrated cats are better at avoiding crystals.

- try to eliminate any stress factors. Stress can contribute to these issues. Give your cat lots of safe places, like a corner in the closet, cat trees, etc.  Try a Feliway plugin in the room the cat spends the most time.

Also, you can try to find a food that has similar levels of the S/D. There are certain ingredients to look out for, but there are good foods that match those levels as well. I'm not educated enough to speak more on this part though.

Good luck and I hope your kitty is healthy for good now! 

 

LuckyAngel07

Ditto PP on all points.

Just wanted to add that I believe someone mentioned in a recent post that Wellness' wet foods are very similar in levels of things (proteins, fats, etc) to the Rx food, so I'd definitely go the route of adding that at least.

I believe another regular has had luck maintaining her cat's urinary health by feeding all grain-free foods (Wellness CORE would be an option in the Wellness brand dry foods, as is Taste of the Wild).

breaness

Sherlock had crystals and was put on Urinary SO... another awesome food. What we are going to do once he's done with this crap is just feed him wet food exclusively, adding filtered water to it (as I do now anyway), and just make sure I keep on top of brushing his teeth

mrs.jacinthe

I have a cat who had this problem about 6 years ago and has been on a special diet ever since.  His current restrictions include no fish products and no organ meat (sometimes not possible, but at least as little fish/organ meat as I can manage)

He currently is eating Innova wet food in the chicken, duck, and beef flavors and Wysong Uretic dry. 

mommyof4boys

I can answer this question This morning we took our 2nd kitten to the vet.  She said that they use alternative meat based food for cats who need to switch.  She said they they suggest things like Wellness Venison, duck, etc.

Mofongo

thks guys! will look at options!