High PH urine formation

[ModernCatLady]

Hi everyone my vet said that my cats urine ph level is high (7.5) which can cause crystal formations but for now she said she has no concerns and just to watch for any straining to urinate/frequent urination. My cat does not and will not eat wet food he did when I first brought him home however he has anxiety issues and will only eat if I hand feed him. So what i do is lay down around a handful of dry food (royal canin kitten food) on the floor and top that with some catit lickable cat treat on top. He is 1 years old now I know I shouldnt give him kitten food but I only do it because there are days he will literally only eat a tiny bit and since kitten food is high in calories at least hes getting nutrients into him. I have also tried other kitten brands like tiki for example will not eat any of them except royal. And I have to stand there wand watch. This is the only way he will eat believe me I've tried everything lol! She also said he may have some inflammation in the intestines which was very concerning to me but she said she has no concerns. My question is what dry food can I give him that will produce a ph level of 6.2 to 6.4? My other question is can I give him a daily taurine supplement (since he sometimes wont eat) and can you reccomend specific ones? Thanks!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Your best bet, as I am sure you already know, is to get your cat to eat canned food - for the moisture. Have you considered trying to add a bit of water to his dry food to see if you could gradually wean him off dry? More water dishes around the house, and maybe even a water fountain to help entice him to drink more.

In so far as dry food to help with his ph, aside from prescription products like Royal Canin Urinary SO or Hill's C/D, I believe Wysong has a dry food for urinary health (Wysong Uretic), as well as Purina One Urinary Tract Health. Although, kitten food is higher in protein, and if he doesn't eat well, it might be best to keep him on this food as you continue to try to get him to eat canned food. Is his weight OK? I would also continue to run through all kinds of wet foods you haven't already tried in the hopes of finding one he will eat - any canned food will always be a better choice to help, not only with ph balance but, with general urinary health. Maybe even try some different cat foods as a topper to his dry - Fancy Feast pates or Sheba Perfect Portions are two pretty healthy wet foods that could also serve - initially - as toppers.

There are other nutrients besides taurine that he needs that are included in both dry and canned foods. If you are worried about his taurine, then he could be deficient in other areas as well. Speaking of supplements made me think about the possibility of you considering a raw diet instead. I have no experience in this area, but you could check out this sub-forum to talk with other members who feed their cats raw diets: Raw & Home-Cooked Cat Food. It is my understanding that this might also be beneficial to his digestive system as well.

 

[LTS3]

Have you considered trying to add a bit of water to his dry food to see if you could gradually wean him off dry?

Or crushing up the dry food and using it as a topper on canned food? FortiFlora also works to get cats to eat pretty much anything.

Maybe try freeze dried raw, rehydrated per the instructions, and then slowly include canned?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hi everyone my vet said that my cats urine ph level is high (7.5) which can cause crystal formations but for now she said she has no concerns and just to watch for any straining to urinate/frequent urination. My cat does not and will not eat wet food he did when I first brought him home however he has anxiety issues and will only eat if I hand feed him. So what i do is lay down around a handful of dry food (royal canin kitten food) on the floor and top that with some catit lickable cat treat on top. He is 1 years old now I know I shouldnt give him kitten food but I only do it because there are days he will literally only eat a tiny bit and since kitten food is high in calories at least hes getting nutrients into him. I have also tried other kitten brands like tiki for example will not eat any of them except royal. And I have to stand there wand watch. This is the only way he will eat believe me I've tried everything lol! She also said he may have some inflammation in the intestines which was very concerning to me but she said she has no concerns. My question is what dry food can I give him that will produce a ph level of 6.2 to 6.4? My other question is can I give him a daily taurine supplement (since he sometimes wont eat) and can you reccomend specific ones? Thanks!

It's very concerning if a 1-year-old kitty is not eating very much at all... he should be eating you out of house and home! He's still pretty young. A "tiny bit" of food, even if only on a few days, is a bit worrisome. I feel your priority (versus the urine pH) should be to get more food into him. Even dehydration can cause changes in the pH, so finding a wet food can really help with that as well.

It's okay to give kitten food. I'm not very familiar with Royal Canon kitten food -- have you tried the canned version of the same flavor (of the dry that he likes)? I agree with other poster(s), that it's a great idea to try several different brands and types and flavors of canned foods for a few months, to find one (or more!) that he might eat. Many of the smaller pet food chains give away up to three or so samples of canned foods for you to try, if you buy some of their regular products during the same, in-person shopping visit. You could then have a few different canned foods to try. Putting toppers on the canned foods helps, too.

I give my cat extra taurine powder every day, with one of her meals, to help her immune system. They do get enough in commercial foods (and with raw foods, if you know what you're doing), so that's not the issue... I just give my cat extra. It doesn't cause her any ill-effect -- but check with your own vet.