Flutd Triggers Besides The Usual Suspects?

[cheeser]

Besides dry food, wet foods that are high in carbs and/or contain fish, and stress, what else can contribute to urinary tract flare-ups? Buddy has been blissfully symptom free since we've tried to address those factors after we stumbled upon catinfo.org a few years ago.

However, since Buddy is also FIV+ and his immune system is a little screwy, has FHV, is almost always sick with an upper respiratory infection, skin infections that can quickly turn into a staph infection, occasional trouble with hairballs, bouts of inappetence, etc., it seems we're always having to make changes re: his diet, meds, and supplements.

So what are some less obvious things (at least to me *g*) that we may want to take into consideration when making any changes? For what it's worth, I think the vet wound up with a diagnosis of idiopathic cystitis and urethral spasms by default, since none of the lab work and other tests ever turned up anything else conclusive.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Umm. His water quality?
I'm filtering with a pur faucet end filter but my boy also gets (delivered to the door) Artesian water...
Temperature of his food or water? --I usually have to get refrigerated food to room temp for a picky palate/nose...
...so I was just thinking out loud there, I don't know of anything else right off...

 

[cheeser]

Hi!
Umm. His water quality?
I'm filtering with a pur faucet end filter but my boy also gets (delivered to the door) Artesian water...
Temperature of his food or water? --I usually have to get refrigerated food to room temp for a picky palate/nose...
...so I was just thinking out loud there, I don't know of anything else right off...

Thanks bunches!

I just see so much conflicting info on the interwebs, and sometimes our vet isn't as knowledgeable about diet and supplements as many people on this site to help us sort out fact from fiction.

We always get really excited when a particular medication, supplement, food, etc. will appear to be the best thing ever for Problem A, and somewhere down the road we find out that it can cause urinary tract problems in some cats. Thus far, we've been lucky. But we just thought it would be helpful to know what sorts of stuff to be super careful about in advance (or at least be aware of so we know the potential risks), rather than find out after the fact that maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried any supplements with him such as D-Mannose, corn silk, or CBD oil?

 

[cheeser]

Have you tried any supplements with him such as D-Mannose, corn silk, or CBD oil?

Not yet. Fortunately, Buddy hasn't had any further urinary tract symptoms since we made the necessary dietary changes and started him an on OTC stress remedy that our vet recommended. But I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks!

I guess I'm just a little paranoid these days, since it seems almost every time we try something to help alleviate Buddy's symptoms for one problem, a bit later I'll read that it could cause urinary tract problems in some cats. And since he's been blissfully symptom free from a urinary standpoint for over three years, I just worry about accidentally upsetting the proverbial apple cart.

Just curious, is CBD oil really that helpful? Or does it depend on the cat, and what the problem is?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! One of the things CBD oil helps with is inflammation.

 

[cheeser]

Hi! One of the things CBD oil helps with is inflammation.

I need to do some research on that. The lady at the holistic store swears by it for her cat with allergies and skin problems, but her cat is otherwise pretty healthy.