Alternatives to expensive Urinary SO food

sibohan2005

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Thanks for the info, They are recomending Royal Cainin so I am going to try it, an update from the vet today is telling me Jasper is a really sweet kitty but he is not much liking the new food, and REALLY not liking his elizabethan collar LOL. They will be removing the catheter tomorrow morning and having a test void then I should be able to bring him home.  The vet hopes that once he is in familear surroundings he will warm up to his new food. They don't have any objection to my continuing to supliment his daily food intake with wellness wet, which I have fed since he was a kitten.

Audrey my other cat is going to have to adjust, she is a "Temptations" cat treats fiend and she is not going to like the new dietary restrictions she will be subject to due to Jasper's medical condition. Feeding them seperately is not an option as my open concept house dosn't allow for easy confinement of either kitty. Should be an interesting adventure!
 

angels mommy

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Thanks for the info, They are recomending Royal Cainin so I am going to try it, an update from the vet today is telling me Jasper is a really sweet kitty but he is not much liking the new food, and REALLY not liking his elizabethan collar LOL. They will be removing the catheter tomorrow morning and having a test void then I should be able to bring him home.  The vet hopes that once he is in familear surroundings he will warm up to his new food. They don't have any objection to my continuing to supliment his daily food intake with wellness wet, which I have fed since he was a kitten.

Audrey my other cat is going to have to adjust, she is a "Temptations" cat treats fiend and she is not going to like the new dietary restrictions she will be subject to due to Jasper's medical condition. Feeding them seperately is not an option as my open concept house dosn't allow for easy confinement of either kitty. Should be an interesting adventure!
He may not be liking the new food because of it's texture. If I remember right, Angel tried it once & wasn't fond of it either. It's a pate' , but had more of a gel like consistency.  The Purina UR is a regular pate' , so he likes it, as well as the Dave's. Even though they are recommending the Royal Cainin, (usually because most expensive), as long as it's a urinary formula from the vet's, he will be o.k.  Like I said, my vet had 3 urinary formulas to choose from, 3 different companies.  Good luck w/ Audrey too. Even though you said you have an open concept house, maybe you could feed them on opposite sides of the room, or house.  

As far as treats, I found that the Temptations seem to irritate Angel's bladder, because he was peeing more, like one extra time a day, when I would give him those, so don't anymore, just to be on the safe side.

Now, I only give him Pure Bites, it's a freeze dried chicken, or turkey, or beef, etc.. I actually buy the bags for dogs, because it's the same thing, just bigger pieces, & more for the money, so a better buy! I just break a few pieces for him, & he loves it. (The have duck too, but don't get that anymore, because it's not duck meat, it's duck liver, & they can only safely have so much liver).  I also buy the Blue Wilderness treats. They are a soft jerky like texture. Grain fee. I just can't take the chance w/ any treats w/ a bunch of ingredients. This way, I know he will be safe eating them w/ no problems, allergies, etc...
 
 
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pinkerbell

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What kind of raw food if i may ask?i have my Garfield on urinary so royal canin.
 

katslave

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Hello Sue, I'm just wondering how your cat is doing?

My young fellow has had three separate episodes of blockages and right now is on the dry Canin SO (he sort of likes it when the stars are aligned :-) and Hills c/d Multicare canned (won't always eat it). He's about three years old and I worry that he will have ongoing trouble for the rest of his life.

Cheers.
 

flcatlady

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Help, I have tried to read all the articles, it is all so confusing. My boy Creamcicle had a blockage a few years ago, $1000 at the vet. I am disabled now, can't do that again. He likes the RC SO dry food, but not the wet RC SO, any suggestions for wet food that won't break the bank? I actually have 5 cats, but luckily he is the only one with issues so far.
 

2cats4me

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Help, I have tried to read all the articles, it is all so confusing. My boy Creamcicle had a blockage a few years ago, $1000 at the vet. I am disabled now, can't do that again. He likes the RC SO dry food, but not the wet RC SO, any suggestions for wet food that won't break the bank? I actually have 5 cats, but luckily he is the only one with issues so far.
Daves Pet Food makes a urinary health canned food , you can buy it at chewy.com http://www.chewy.com/cat/daves-pet-food-restricted-diet/dp/101617

Hi Tor makes one as well ...Also available at chewy.com http://www.chewy.com/cat/hi-tor-veterinary-select-felo-diet/dp/36190

Can your cat eat regular canned cat food or does it have to be a Urinary Tract Health formula ?

If he can eat regular canned foods check out Friskies Pate formulas . It is very affordable and you can buy in 13 oz cans ..
 
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raintyger

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Help, I have tried to read all the articles, it is all so confusing. My boy Creamcicle had a blockage a few years ago, $1000 at the vet. I am disabled now, can't do that again. He likes the RC SO dry food, but not the wet RC SO, any suggestions for wet food that won't break the bank? I actually have 5 cats, but luckily he is the only one with issues so far.
Friskies pate-style, as @2Cats4Me has suggested, is good. Other options include Sheba or Fancy Feast. Sometimes all that is needed is wet food with additional water. Since you indicate there isn't much room in the budget, though, I would measure the urine pH at home with pH sticks. You get them at the pet store in the aquarium section or order them online. This is not a substitute for a lab test at the vet, but can provide additional feedback as to how the wet food diet is working. You are looking for a pH of 6.5 taken mid-stream. The pH will vary throughout the day so you need to measure several times to get an idea of the general range.
 

gloriajh

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Fish is a food to avoid - it has magnesium - magnesium causes crystals

fish includes SALMON

fish also has mercury

I'm sorry I have to be brief here -- I'm scanning because I currently have had two cats with prescription diets - that of Royal Canin Urinary SO - it's been several years and there has been no re-occuring issues

The reason I'm looking for another food is I don't like the ingredients of RC, and they require a yearly valid prescription for this food - and, it has become tiring jumping through their hoops just to feed my cats. :)

okay, running on to see if there are others with food ideas :)  and, it's late, errr, early - 12 A.M. so if I've made a lot of typo's here or am not making sense, please forgive me

g
 

4rings6stars

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My male cat had a blockage about 3.5 years ago which led to partial kidney failure.  4 days in the hospital and about $3,500 later, the vet recommended Royal Canin Urinary SO wet and supplement with SO dry.  He doesn't like wet food (not just the rx stuff, any I have tried...weird, I know) and will only have a few bites then walk away so I have been feeding him almost exclusively Urinary SO dry for years.  No more urinary issues and he's healthy and happy with a nice shiny coat of fur.... I haven't dared try anything else since the SO has been working and it almost killed him and bankrupted me last time he had a blockage. 
 

lulubaby00

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Yes there are alternatives.  I have fed my feral cat who has been blocked in the past Purina Pro Plan urinary with good success.  He has had no reoccurrences and it has been about 4 years.  I also have one of my own cats who had CHRONIC FLUTD for several years that nothing seemed to help. She finally ate both urinary so and a hill's prescription which did eventually get it under control (she stopped having flares altogether now for 5 years).  She is actually non longer on the prescription food and I give her Wellness canned pate (unfortunately it is just as expensive as the urinary so, though!).  Don't be scared to try the purina even though people will tell you not to.  As I said it was the best i could do for my feral kitty and he is fine and healthy and it has prevented the issues for him.
 

buddyboy

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I had my cat on Nature's Variety - grain free and he has these issues. SO was recommended but it is expensive!  Thanks for this information and I will keep reading these posts!
 

hexiesfriend

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I had mine on Purina pro plan urinary right after his blockage then switched to the Purina UR prescription when I was able to get over paying off the vet bill. I compared the content and they were very similar. They also smelled exactly the same. The pro plan urinary is not much more cost than regular dry. I had no issues with mine on the pro plan and that was at the critical stage of his recovery.
 

justaphase1

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If your vet put your cat on the Urinary SO for crystals in the urethra, it is not a good idea to switch to ANYTHING else without consulting with the vet. I speak from experience. We tried quality but less expensive urinary wet food and the poor guy got crystals again. Another $1,000 later, we have learned our lesson and will keep him on this food. We have him on a little of the wet Urinary SO, but mostly the dry. And I agree - it's expensive. The point of the food isn't that it's wet cat food, it is the ingredients that increase the cat's thirst and make him drink a LOT more water. THAT is what is keeping the cat crystal free. I'm not a professional by any means, but please check with the vet before trying a DIY approach like I did.
 

nansiludie

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If your vet put your cat on the Urinary SO for crystals in the urethra, it is not a good idea to switch to ANYTHING else without consulting with the vet. I speak from experience. We tried quality but less expensive urinary wet food and the poor guy got crystals again. Another $1,000 later, we have learned our lesson and will keep him on this food. We have him on a little of the wet Urinary SO, but mostly the dry. And I agree - it's expensive. The point of the food isn't that it's wet cat food, it is the ingredients that increase the cat's thirst and make him drink a LOT more water. THAT is what is keeping the cat crystal free. I'm not a professional by any means, but please check with the vet before trying a DIY approach like I did.
Actually the main thing is its not increasing the thirst either, what it does is contain a chemical, DL-Methionine  that regulates the cat system somehow, possibly making the urine more acidic, so that the crystals dissolve instead of buildup.
 

bethnugen

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All the suggestions sound great! I have had my cats on SO for three months. I feed them both dry and wet SO. However, I free feed and I have nine cats. Only three have the crystals. What should I do? I go through two large bags of SO and two 24 can packs of SO a month and I am on a fixed income. What is the best but cheaper way to go in making sure all my cats get healthy food and I keep them from getting more crystals?
 

jdepaul

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check into invisible fence - they have stuff inside that can keep your other cat away from the rx food. works great with my dogs and 1 cat! 
 

kittybear14

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Peaches08, could I ask what raw food formula you feed your furry baby? Do you make it or buy it?

Thanks so much,
 

curt falk

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I too have a cat with crystals and have been feeding dry C/D kibble for YEARS without any issue. I think it is a MYTH that one MUST provide wet food or be a 'bad' caretaker so such cats. It's an opinion of some elevated to 'need'....
 
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