Advice Re. "prescription" Diet Please

bahger

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I've come here every now and then since our Ocicat siblings first came to us as kittens and have always received good advice so, first off, I'd like to thank thecatsite community in anticipation.

Our beautiful Ocis are getting up in years now (11 next April) and have been doing fine on Wellness (wet food only). However, after the male cat, Chas, had urinary problems recently, probably the result of stress induced by the presence of builders in and around the house, the vet gave us Hill's Prescription Diet Urinary Care c/d (Stress). Again, wet only. The cats love it and it claims to help with hairballs, too, which is very welcome.

My questions are:

- The man in the pet supply store we've been using for years says he cannot stock Prescription Diet food because there needs to be an actual prescription. I am a little skeptical about this, especially as the food is available online.

- Should I make the switch? It's expensive but of course we owe it to our cats to give them the best available food.

- What is the best source for this product, the vet, online, or a pet food store (assuming our guy was mistaken)?

I have to make a decision fairly soon so I would really value some guidance, many thanks.
 

Daisy6

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These are very good questions and I am glad you asked.

1. Prescription diets can be purchased online if you provide the vet's contact info - practice name and phont number, vet's name, etc. At least that is how Chewy did it when I ordered Hill's k/d for a previous cat. The purpose of this is to verify.your order was prescribed by a vet and delays shipment only 24 hours.

2. NO, NO, NO. (Cue Grumpy Cat.) You owe it to your cats to feed them only high quality ingredients. Big pet food companies just formulate foods to change acidity in the bladder and say it is a urinary diet, not caring about the rest of the cat.

3. I have only ordered a prescription diet from Chewy. You can save money there, maybe 15% depending on the product, by subscribing to cat food if the cats don't lose interest and decide they want to eat something else.

Good luck and keep us all updated.
 

duckpond

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our vet sell prescription foods in his office, and the price is comparable to what you buy online, does your guy not do this?

If not, i second Chewy as a great place to buy. They have amazing customer service. We live in a small town, no pet store, so i buy a lot from chewy, and they have never disappointed me.

Some may say you dont need prescription food, but i would be afraid to go against my vet, i trust my guy. Some cats dont have to stay on the food forever, you might be able to switch him after a while. But i would talk to the vet about this.

Best of luck to him!
 

AbbysMom

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Just a reminder to all of the site rules -

Do not provide medical advice. Discussing various options is encouraged and you may share your experience including details about what kind of medication was administered and dosage. However, do not suggest to another member that they should change anything in the course of treatment prescribed by their vet without first consulting with a qualified veterinarian.
Personally I would try the prescription food to get him through this crisis. Once he is stabilized I would then talk to the vet about other options if you feel the food isn't right for him. My cat was prescribed both a wet/dry food prescription diet (I bought directly from my vet although you can buy it online with a prescription) for a different condition. I fed her this for years and then slowly transitioned to other other foods.
 

2BSH

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The pet store guy was in fact correct. The “ prescription diet” cat food requires a prescription on line as well. If you look it up on chewy you’ll see a little note on the bottom stating as such. Those are my :2cents: Good luck :cheerleader:
 

Daisy6

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Sorry Abby, I was thinking too far ahead. Short-term prescriptions are OK if there are no problems caused by the low quailty ingredients. If possible, I would want a cat withouot urinary problems to keep eating regular food.
 
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bahger

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Many thanks for your help, everyone, it is much appreciated.
 

lalagimp

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FYI Chewy.com saved me $15 PLUS the autoship discount vs what my veterinarian was charging on my old prescription food.
 
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