What Dry Food Best Lowers Ph?

At the vet's suggestion, my 8 yr old cat was on Hill's prescription c/d (dry) for frequent UTIs. When she went on it, her pH was 7.5. After being on it for 6 months her pH decreased to 6.5. But she HATED it and refused to eat it until she was starving.

Since two of the first three ingredients of the c/d are corn, I took her off it and began feeding her Taste of the Wild. She loves both the poultry and fish formulas but, after 4 months, her pH has increased to 7.0 and the vet tech suggested that I put her back on the c/d.

I hate the thought of having to force her to eat something she hates. My vet says to keep her on dry food. So... Does anyone have any suggestions on dry food which does not rely on so much corn and will promote lower pH amounts?

Many thanks and meows for your help. Both Miss Bee and I appreciate it.

janets98 said:

My vet says to keep her on dry food.

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Sorry, I know I'm not answering your question, but I think your vet gave you the worse possible advice. I would add some grain-free (possibly vegetable-free) canned food to her diet.

I agree. My Kabby has urinary problems and my vet said the bulk of their diet should be canned food because it helps flush out the system.

I didn't want to get sidetracked in my post, but the reason the vet told me to keep her on dry food is that she has abnormal gums, has lost teeth, and she said that soft food would make the situation worse. Also, she's never been fed anything except dry food. When I first got her, I tried giving her three different brands of canned food and she refused to eat it. She won't even eat tuna.

Well then I really don't know of a non prescription diet for urinary problems but my Kabby eats a mix of both dry and canned food of royal canin urinary SO.

Maybe it would taste better than the hills.

If you intend to stick to dry food, then try a different food specific for urinary health, but you may be trading in one problem for another. Look at the additives in dry urinary foods carefully:

"Some dry commercial kibble products have artificial acidifiers such as dl-methionine, phosphoric acid or ammonium chloride, added in order to counteract the harmful effect of the plant-based elements. An artificially acidified food can cause abnormally acidic urine, which could lead to the formation of calcium oxalate bladder stones."
Read more at Urine Ph, Why It Matters - Feline Nutrition

Cats develop crystals due to urinary ph levels and depending on how dilute or concentrated their urine is.

For example any cat with a urinary ph over 7.0 is likely to develop struvite crystals. If they develop a ph under 6.0, they are more likely to develop calcium oxalate crystals.

Adding urinary acidifiers can help keep urinary ph in a healthy range. Hills C/D produces a urinary ph of 6.5. I believe royal canin gives a urinary ph around 6.3.

I feed my cats Purina Urinary and so far they have done well on it.

You can add dl methionine (as a crushed tablet) to your cat's food, but the dosage varies tremendously depending on the type of food used. If you switch brands of cat food, you would also need to adjust the dosage. The only way to determine if you are using an appropriate dose is to start your cat on a low dose, test his urine at least twice, then adjust the dose... test again.

The royal canin and hills urinary diets have done this testing for you, that's why they charge extra for the Prescription diets.

Feeding a pure meat-based diet, to improve urinary ph levels is a myth- unless that meat is high in methionine. I tried a home-made diet for my cat (no grain)... His urinary ph levels were still too high.

Some cats seem to maintain a healthy urinary ph no matter what you feed them. Others are not so lucky.

janets98 said:

I didn't want to get sidetracked in my post, but the reason the vet told me to keep her on dry food is that she has abnormal gums, has lost teeth, and she said that soft food would make the situation worse.

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Dry food doesn't help with dental health at all:

Does Dry Food Actually Clean Your Cat's Teeth?
6 Reasons why dry food does not clean your cat’s teeth

No food does although raw feeders do say that raw gizzards and bones do help in addition to other forms of home dental care. Regular home dental care will remoe food particles and bacteria from the teeth and gums, much like it does for people. Toothbrushing is best (use only pet toothpaste). There are dental chews and water additivies and dental rinses that could also be tried.

Does anyone know anything about Wysong Uretic? It doesn't contain corn and that's important to me. It gets pretty good customer reviews (on Amazon) with most reviewers saying that their cats' UTIs were eliminated once they switched to that food. Most commented that their cats ate it willingly but a few said that their cats refused to eat it.

As follow-up... Miss Bee has been on Wysong Uretic for a little over 3 months and she loves it. At first, her stools were loose but went back to normal after about a month. I haven't had her pH checked yet but her coat is shiny (it was dull before), she has a lot of energy and is more playful than I've ever seen her so I think she's doing well on the food.

Sorry that no one replied to you about Wysong Uretic, but I'm glad that you decided to give it a try and that Miss Bee is doing wonderful on it. If my cat ever has a UTI or high pH, I'll definitely remember your recommendation.