Does the occasional treat interfere with Royal Canin Urinary SO?

buzzkiefer

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I have three cats and one of them has had urinary tract problems. They are self-feeding so all are eating the expensive prescription food (Royal Canin Urinary SO). They also get treats two or three times a day. We try to give them only the Metabolic Treats but they are also very expensive so sometimes we just give them Temptations which they all love. Do the occasional Temptations prevent the prescription food from working?
 

LTS3

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I would say no. An occasional treat won't do any harm. Maybe instead of Temptations, which are kind of unhealthy, try freeze dried meat treats which are healthy. Kind of like potato chips vs a carrot stick.

The SO food may not be necessary at all despite what the vet says / insists. See these:

 

FeebysOwner

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Treats are not going to offset the purposes intended with urinary care food. Only speaking from my personal experience, but Feeby was on RC SO and Hill's C/D dry foods for years before we introduced the canned versions - and then later abandoned them all because she stopped wanting to eat any of them (she no longer eats any dry food). All the while - and to this very day - she gets Temptations Hairball Control treats - every day.

It's good that you are cautious, and I commend you for that! But, I would say the urinary care foods really should be canned versions if at all possible, especially if you are feeding it to cats with no urinary issues. Frequent follow ups checking the urine for sediment, etc. for the cat who has the issues would be a good idea too. It is possible to add other foods to all of their diets and still keep the one cat's urinary issues under control.
 

CatLover49

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Treats are not going to offset the purposes intended with urinary care food. Only speaking from my personal experience, but Feeby was on RC SO and Hill's C/D dry foods for years before we introduced the canned versions - and then later abandoned them all because she stopped wanting to eat any of them (she no longer eats any dry food). All the while - and to this very day - she gets Temptations Hairball Control treats - every day.

It's good that you are cautious, and I commend you for that! But, I would say the urinary care foods really should be canned versions if at all possible, especially if you are feeding it to cats with no urinary issues. Frequent follow ups checking the urine for sediment, etc. for the cat who has the issues would be a good idea too. It is possible to add other foods to all of their diets and still keep the one cat's urinary issues under control.
What about feeding the hills cd prescription dry
And one time a day feed some wet weruva
 

Heart For Cats

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What about feeding the hills C/D prescription dry? And one time a day feed some wet Weruva.
The most important food ingredient after real animal protein (organic chicken, not chicken meal or chicken byproducts) is water. For cats to get enough water, unless their diet is homemade raw, they need wet food regardless of other dietary needs. Cats with urinary crystals, stones, or bacteria need even more water. I cannot be convinced dry Hill's C/D and Royal Canin SO qualify because they lack the single most important thing for treating urinary problems. Cats do not make up for it by drinking more water from a bowl, fountain, sink, or toilet. For this reason I would rather feed Weruva all day than one kibble of Hill's C/D.
 

LuxBear

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From my experience, no. My cat has been eating the Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie dry food (doesn’t like the loaf) and fancy feast classic pates along with about five or six Party Mix treats everyday. He has had no indications of any recurrence of his urinary issues. Just keep an eye on your cat for changes in behaviors but I doubt a small treat here and there would cause any issue. You could also ask your vet for advice and maybe suggestions for more urinary tract friendly treats!
 

kakers

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If it's truly occasional and only one or two treats it's probably OK. Ours on SO has been fine with normal treats but that's only once a day (when he needs medication, we use a pill pocket and a crunchy treat to hide his pill) and every so often otherwise. If it's only a couple treats a day it's not likely enough to be an issue.

There also seems to be misunderstandings about the way that SO and the Hills C/D work for urinary issues. They aren't designed for hydration per se, they are designed to control the pH of the urine, to dilute the urine using extra sodium, and/or limit the kinds of minerals that make up the common types of urinary crystals, specifically calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The sodium can signal the cat to drink more, but that's not the primary mechanism that the food works by it signals the body to flush out more sodium thus diluting the urine. The different brands work somewhat differently, SO uses the extra sodium while C/D it seems does not. Some vets don't think the prescription diet is necessary and switching to a wet diet thus increasing water intake and keeping the urine dilute that way can be sufficient.

Treats in small quantities aren't likely to mess with the dilution effects of the sodium, but depending on the treat it could increase the minerals and I'm not sure there's any studies on how treats could impact the way the food adjusts the pH of the urine.

Like I said before, ours has been fine and it's been years with just normal treats. Royal Canin does make urinary SO treats but that doesn't help with the cost factor.
 

taraconnor777

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Hi:catlove: i have a ten year old beautiful sweet Burmese female, "Bella."
Forr anyone not associated with Burmese they look like Chocolate Point Siamese only their main body is darker.We got rid of Temptations" cause it was like Kitty crack to her, she was so hooked and howling for it.--We got rid of it,and got "Party Treats" which were a lot safer.AT FIRST. now I realize Bella is very sensitive to foods just like she is sensitive to feelings and that :"Friskies Party Mix": is still too strong and drugged for her!!No dry strong treats are mild enough for her.---SO WHAT SHOULD BE SOME TREATS?FISH?SARDINES? ANY FISH? --NOT uncooked meats?One person on here said "freeze dried meat.":redtabby:Is that in the regular human sides of supermarkets?Is it seen as a human treat? I know about dried meat .Not freeze dried. Is that in health food stores? I am a yogurt eater and fruits and vegetables and I suppliment with breads and meats for me(much less_meat.)--and I am picky about my own food(I used to cook and bake a great deal)--so I notice how oversensitive she is to strong treats.She acts like she just got a hit of coke. SO DRUGGED.I can get freeze dried meat for her. How about sardines?We humans used to eat them they are very good protein. .She she likes the water off fish or tuna cans the :happycat: please let me know where to buy freeze dried meat. THANKS!!
 

countrygirl576

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I have three cats and one of them has had urinary tract problems. They are self-feeding so all are eating the expensive prescription food (Royal Canin Urinary SO). They also get treats two or three times a day. We try to give them only the Metabolic Treats but they are also very expensive so sometimes we just give them Temptations which they all love. Do the occasional Temptations prevent the prescription food from working?
Yes it does. My one cat needed this and I started giving her some treats on and off and her bladder problem started getting worse. My vet said no treats.
 

LTS3

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One person on here said "freeze dried meat.":redtabby:Is that in the regular human sides of supermarkets?Is it seen as a human treat? I know about dried meat .Not freeze dried. Is that in health food stores?
T taraconnor777

Buy freeze dried meat treats for pets at pet stores. I doubt a regular supermarket or health food store would have any. Some popular brands you can find at most chain pet stores and online stores:


Tip: Some brands sell the exact same treat for dogs and cats, only the dog treats come in a larger bag with larger pieces. Just buy the dog bag and break the pieces up into small cat sized pieces. The dog bag doesn't cost much more than the tiny cat sized bag and you get like 4 times the amount of treats once you break the pieces up as needed. Just double check the dog bag before you buy to make sure it's the exact same as the cat treats, basically 100% meat or fish with no other ingredient.

Plain cooked chicken is also fine as treats. Just poach a chicken breast in plain water and shred the cooked meat up. Freeze what you don't use right away and take out as needed. The cooking water is now a sort of broth and can also be saved to be added to canned food.
 
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