Food for a cat that’s prone to cystitis

[meownomania]

My cats been having trouble urinating and I took him to the vet and they told me he very likely has Cystitis. They recommend I put him on a urinary care diet but didn’t specify any specific brand, just over the counter since it isn’t too bad. Does anyone have a recommendation for good cat foods that’ll reduce stress and help with urinary issues?

 

[iPappy]

Hi, does your cat like wet food? IME that's best for bladder problems as the extra moisture keeps the relevant area flushed out.

 

[meownomania]

yes! he pretty much only eats wet food.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Was a urinalysis done, and what did the results show? The primary things to look at are bacteria, sediment/crystals/stones, blood, and urine PH.

Most urinary care foods are designed to reduce the mineral content which can help to prevent the formation of crystals/stones, and help balance urine PH. If these are not your cat's issues, those foods won't really help much. And, as mentioned above, wet foods are best because they do help keep the bladder flushed reducing the accumulation of bacteria and sediment that can lead to crystals/stones, as well as keeping the urine PH balanced, in general.

When vets speak of cystitis, I think many of them are talking about idiopathic - of unknown cause. Did your vet mention that word? Or did they say what they felt might be behind the cystitis? It sounds like it could be inflammation in the urinary tract - swelling that reduces the size of the urethra which can lead to difficulty peeing, as well as pain/discomfort, and if crystals or stones are involved they can lodge in the urethra potentially causing a blockage. The latter is when a urinary care food might be more appropriate.

Maybe these articles might help explain the various kinds of urinary issues that can occur, and possible treatments.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life - TheCatSite
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (flutd) - TheCatSite

 

[fionasmom]

I have not had much luck with any urinary care diet with any of my cats who have ever had that problem. Royal Canin Urinary is the only one that anyone ever ate. They also make a canned formula; neither are prescription. Other cat food manufacturers also make urinary food which is OTC such as ProPlan. I recommend that you go to a store like Petsmart or any other local place and buy individual cans at first.

 

[meownomania]

Was a urinalysis done, and what did the results show? The primary things to look at are bacteria, sediment/crystals/stones, blood, and urine PH.

Most urinary care foods are designed to reduce the mineral content which can help to prevent the formation of crystals/stones, and help balance urine PH. If these are not your cat's issues, those foods won't really help much. And, as mentioned above, wet foods are best because they do help keep the bladder flushed reducing the accumulation of bacteria and sediment that can lead to crystals/stones, as well as keeping the urine PH balanced, in general.

When vets speak of cystitis, I think many of them are talking about idiopathic - of unknown cause. Did your vet mention that word? Or did they say what they felt might be behind the cystitis? It sounds like it could be inflammation in the urinary tract - swelling that reduces the size of the urethra which can lead to difficulty peeing, as well as pain/discomfort, and if crystals or stones are involved they can lodge in the urethra potentially causing a blockage. The latter is when a urinary care food might be more appropriate.

Maybe these articles might help explain the various kinds of urinary issues that can occur, and possible treatments.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life - TheCatSite
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (flutd) - TheCatSite

The vet did say it was swelling/inflammation and said it was likely stress induced. She said little changes in routine or something could have caused it. They did an X-ray and he did not have crystals. They didn’t give me the results to the urinalysis, but i’ll ask for it! They didn’t necessarily tell me anything was wrong with it though-

 

[Alldara]

From the studies I've read, wet food with extra water added is the best prevention.

I uses Purina urinary for Nobel. But he had other foods regularly as well. I had to keep him away from anything cheese because he did have calcium stones at first.