Alternatives to s/o index?

sylorna

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Hey guys
Dynah had some bladder stones last year. Fortunately with the help of antibiotics, s/o vet food, and lots of water around the house we were able to get rid of them and avoided surgery. I tried using up what I had left of her old food about a month ago and she started being uncomfortable again. I switched her back to one of the s/o foods and she's better again.
I don't like what's in these foods...corn as the first ingredient? And I certainly don't like paying double but it's 1 million times better than surgery. My vet stands by the food companies due to the large amount of research that goes into their foods.
I'd like to switch to something better for them but I don't want to hurt dynah in the process. Anyone have something that works for their bladder stone kitties?
 

Columbine

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I think the Hills c/d (their version of RC s/o) is a little higher in meant content. If memory serves, it does at least have meat as the first ingredient.

I don't love the RC ingredients either, but it definitely works. My guy has been on it for 10 years, and has been problem free for the whole of that time.

The balance that works for him is around 20% of his diet as prescription dry, and the rest as non prescription wet. I should point out that this decision was made in conjunction with my vet, and came about because he wouldn't touch the prescription wet food.

The only other option is to use DL-methionine as a supplement to non prescription food. This MUST be done under veterinary guidance/supervision though. It's a very fine balance, and getting it wrong could easily do more harm than good.

For right now, stick to the prescription diet and get Dynah fully stable (and by that I mean at least several months incident free). She has to start out healthy for these types of food changes.
 
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sylorna

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Fair enough. She won't eat the prescription wet either and is very very picky about wet in general. We're doing more like 50/50 because of it. Seems to be ok as long as we don't do non prescription dry.
 

tobilei

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I had a kitten with this problem. I wasn't a fan of the S/O either. I know purina make one but I don't know the ingredients.

I had my boy on the Hills C/D. As Columbine has said, it has chicken by product meal as the first ingredient at least for the dry. The wet was revolting, a kind of pate neither of my cats would touch. They have a new version of it out called Hills C/D chicken and vegetable stew and a urinary stress version of the stew also. The ingredients aren't horrible and they both loved it unlike the pate which got buried. It was a bit more expensive than the other wet but at least they were eating wet food which is important with crystals. My boy was never able to go off the food however as he ended up with a blockage each time he ate anything other than the prescription stuff.
 
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sylorna

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Sounds like we're stuck with prescription. Oh well, it was worth asking. Still better than surgery. I have them eating the dental and weight reduction in the so index mixed now. Thanks for reminding me...I have to pick up some wet food...I accidentally got the turkey stew instead of turkey pate, and now she won't eat. Darn cat!
 
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