Cannot Afford Urinary Care Food, Looking For Alternatives

[basscat]

Something that might help, and DEFINITELY won't hurt. Figure out a way to get a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar into him. A few drops to a teaspoon in his water bowl. A few drops to a teaspoon mixed in well with some wet food.
It may not do anything for his exact problem, but, it is good for UTI's, crystals, and just general urinary tract health, among other things also. And it sure won't hurt him.
It's sure worked on my cats...or else it was an extremely timely coincidence.

 

[basscat]

This is a great picture I took at the vets about a month ago to help me with Mia - who is a bit too chubby atm. I hope it helps.

Most of those I've seen stop at number 8. Where did you find one with me on it?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Most of those I've seen stop at number 8. Where did you find one with me on it?

You're not a cat. You're a phenomenon.

 

[bear]

Some of the posts above are alarming.

Your boy has had a rather significant surgery. They removed his genitalia, not just his testicles. I'm glad your boy has been able to go forward, not all have been that lucky, while others had problems post surgery.

His Vet prescribed a food that is designed to shift the normal urine PH that his particular body makes to one that helps dissolve his crystals. The chemical make of the crystals/stones of this particular feline would need to be known before understanding which direction to shift his urine PH. Not all types of crystals dissolve at the same PH ranges.

I have had a female feline who had strong tendencies to create crystals even when on RX urinary diet for about 12 years of her life.

Additionally, she was a natural breed, that came from an arid/desert background. She tended to have a more concentrated urine. ​

The food ingredients were not what I would have chosen for her if she did not have the urine PH imbalance problem. We needed to change her RX several times over that time, to help keep her eating. Giving her the "Good Food" the other cat's received, would have caused her pain and possibly more problems.

However, reading a label and some "Good Quality Cat Food" website to select a food for a cat with these problems is "junk science"! In fact, without knowing the specific crystal makeup and direction to shift the PH it is far worse than "junk food". The selection could shift his PH in the opposite direction that would create an increase in crystals and/or stones.

Your boy has lost a lot of weight over time, yet it sounds like about one year. Has he seen his Vet recently to have his urine tested for specific gravity, crystals, PH and more? The Vet would also likely have seen the degree of weight loss on his chart and provided advice. As a student, is your boy no longer located close to his Vet or the Vets that did the surgery?

If one of my cats had this radical of a surgery, I would not go changing him away from prescription food that targets his problem without taking him to a Vet familiar with his surgery and current test results. The results of the tests may show that he now can be shifted to other foods, they may also show that he should no be shifted.

 

[Jem]

I had a cat who would get struvite crystals. He was put on the Hill's CD. We tried a several times to try and find a better quality food that we could replace it with but EVERY time, the crystals would come back.
What type of stones did your cat develop? Struvite, Oxalate and Urate are three different types and they form for different reasons.
Depending on which stone your kitty is prone to, you could POSSIBLY add or change some things about his diet but until I know which stone is the culprit I'll hold off on giving info in case it's the wrong advice that you could discuss with your vet.

And as I just mentioned, I would include your vet in this discussion, most vets (the good ones) will try their best to make suggestions and try to accommodate and make things affordable. I know that most vets don't know/specialize in feline nutrition, which is why it's usually just recommended to use their food but you still need to know the underlying cause of his stones before you make any changes.

And keep in mind, even though you had the surgery done to help prevent any other blockages, it does not mean that the stones will not develop again causing pain discomfort and irritation in any parts or his urinary tract/system.

 

[nansiludie]

Wells Hill's C/D comes in two size cans the 3oz and the bigger 5oz standard cans. I will say, the Vets do mark up the food to crazy high prices. If you can get your vet to fax rx to chewy, its a whole lot cheaper there. Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com