Hello, all.
This is my first time posting on the forum.
I have a male cat with past urinary-crystal blockage/sterile idiopathic cystitis problems who was on Hills c/d dry for the past two years. I joined the forum to ask for thoughts on his eating Fancy Feast canned to get more water intake. He was a dry food addict until about three weeks ago, when I read Dr. Lisa Pierson's catinfo.org and decided to switch my two cats to canned.
My problem comes because my male has continually turned his nose up at the canned c/d. Meanwhile, I switched my female to mostly canned (she was much more agreeable to the change), and she likes Fancy Feast. I'm feeding that until I can get her to eat something better. My male has noticed the delicious stuff and has shown great interest, and eats it freely in the quantities that I want (1/2 can or more a sitting). The c/d, he licks some of the moisture off the top, but won't actually eat it. Tried FortiFlora for several days and nothing. I put treats in with the canned and make him eat his dry food out of the same bowl, but he still wants the Fancy Feast. I'm reticent to try different prescription canned foods because of the expense of wasting them, and most of the ingredients are similar to c/d (they're all pretty high carb).
I want to let him have the FF because I want him to get the water intake, but I'm worried that the high mineral load could cause a relapse of his crystals. I don't know if the increased water intake will be enough to offset that risk. My vet was fairly adamant that he stay on a prescription canned - or, if he wouldn't eat that, then the prescription dry only, which I don't agree with.
Further, neither of the cats will eat anything with chunks in it, and Fancy Feast has a nice pate line. So far they've rejected the higher quality pates I've offered (Merrick Before Grain - I'll be trying regular Merrick & Soulistic soon). They've also eaten Sheba, but the company provides no nutritional information.
Thanks for your thoughts!
- M.
This is my first time posting on the forum.
I have a male cat with past urinary-crystal blockage/sterile idiopathic cystitis problems who was on Hills c/d dry for the past two years. I joined the forum to ask for thoughts on his eating Fancy Feast canned to get more water intake. He was a dry food addict until about three weeks ago, when I read Dr. Lisa Pierson's catinfo.org and decided to switch my two cats to canned.
My problem comes because my male has continually turned his nose up at the canned c/d. Meanwhile, I switched my female to mostly canned (she was much more agreeable to the change), and she likes Fancy Feast. I'm feeding that until I can get her to eat something better. My male has noticed the delicious stuff and has shown great interest, and eats it freely in the quantities that I want (1/2 can or more a sitting). The c/d, he licks some of the moisture off the top, but won't actually eat it. Tried FortiFlora for several days and nothing. I put treats in with the canned and make him eat his dry food out of the same bowl, but he still wants the Fancy Feast. I'm reticent to try different prescription canned foods because of the expense of wasting them, and most of the ingredients are similar to c/d (they're all pretty high carb).
I want to let him have the FF because I want him to get the water intake, but I'm worried that the high mineral load could cause a relapse of his crystals. I don't know if the increased water intake will be enough to offset that risk. My vet was fairly adamant that he stay on a prescription canned - or, if he wouldn't eat that, then the prescription dry only, which I don't agree with.
Further, neither of the cats will eat anything with chunks in it, and Fancy Feast has a nice pate line. So far they've rejected the higher quality pates I've offered (Merrick Before Grain - I'll be trying regular Merrick & Soulistic soon). They've also eaten Sheba, but the company provides no nutritional information.
Thanks for your thoughts!
- M.