Hills Prescription w/d Alternatives

cowboydinosaur

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I have been trying to keep my cat's diet free of corn and wheat gluten as much as possible. They have been on Wellness Indoor Core - A wet and dry mix. 

Recently my cat Whisper has been diagnosed with L.U.D (Lower Urinary Tract Disease) and gum disease. He may also be diabetic (they're running tests). He lost a considerable amount of weight (10.8lb to 8.40lb ) and is rated a 2 in body condition by Banfield. I am trying to get his weight up and was prescribed Hills Prescription Diet W/D to help him eat. The smaller kibble size seems to be helping and he ate a few handfuls today along with his Clavamox. 

My question is... Is there an alternative to Hills w/d that doesn't have corn gluten in it? I know it's really bad for him and I really don't want him on it any longer than he has to be, but if he has diabetes, then he will have to be on a diabetic food. Can anyone help me find an alternative? He seems to prefer dry food.
 

minka

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Great job! Trying to keep corn gluten and wheat gluten out of Whisper's diet is a great start. It's not needed in their diet any more than they need lettuce. :p

I'm sorry about the FLUTD and gum disease diagnoses. :alright: However, there are plenty of things that can be done to help out your kitty. :nod:
The best option for the FLUTD is to switch Whiskers to a wet diet. On a dry diet, cats don't get enough liquid; even if they regularly drink water. A wet diet will help flush out the bladder and help prevent future problems.
While a wet diet can't fix Whisper's gum problems, dry doesn't either. The options for that are regular teeth brushing or raw bones/large treats that force him to do some vigorous chewing.

For getting his weight up, there are also many options. You can choose from canned diets like EVO which are very high calorie, to supplementing his diet with raw or cooked meats (not deli) or freeze dried treats. You may also have to force feed him if his mouth hurts him too much to do it on his own. :hugs: (Others who have personally struggled with weight gain can give you better advice on this.)

As for the possible diabetes diagnosis, PLEASE don't let your vet try to convince you to buy their expensive food. It's full of terrible ingredients and MORE carbs which are at the very root of the disease. There is a lot pertaining to this, so instead of writing you an essay, I'm going to link you to a very helpful article that talks all about it... http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

Best of luck!!! :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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cowboydinosaur

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Thank you so much. I couldn't agree more about the food. Right now, we just want him to eat ANYTHING and he seems to enjoy food he's on. 

I highly doubt he has diabetes. We are in suspect that it is due to stress. He doesn't seem to enjoy wet food anymore but he also seems to have a bit of a sniffle so perhaps he just doesn't want it right now. He used to love it until this last month.

We have begun Assisted Feeding him, but we only have a 15ml syringe. Our vet has been wholly unhelpful with telling me how much to actually give him, and when she does, I have a feeling she is under-dosing him. She tells me one syringe, twice a day. 15ml is only 1/2 oz and I don't feel like that's enough to actually help him gain weight. At the same time, I'm scared to feed him anymore without the vet's blessing. 

I want and need as many opinions as I can get. I have also been giving him 15ml of water to try and flush his system. He gets this shortly after his food. 

He also has been having trouble breathing properly due to a worsening heart condition. 

I can't afford and do not feel confident in feeding him a raw diet, however, I am all for supplements! 
 

minka

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Though 1oz might not seen like a lot, you have to remember the perspective. 1 oz is like adding another 400 calories to a diet that is normally 2000.
With that in mind... I can't see anything wrong with giving him more if he will eat it. I can't think of any reason that it would hurt him.


If you are hesitant about making a raw diet of your own, you can feed up to 15% of his food as raw without having to supplement. Conversely, you can also buy pre-made raw at certain pet stores and online that is already complete and balanced.
:nod:
 
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cowboydinosaur

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I found a few raw diet reciepes for Heart Disease that I'd like to try out, but if I can find it already compiled I think that'd be preferable! I'm looking for the lowest possible sodium! 

And thank you about the calorie count. That does make me feel a lot better! It's all Assisted Feeding right now. He doesn't eat enough kibble (he tries, but he can't seem to chew it properly) so it's really up to me how much he eats. I will probably talk to the vet about increasing the feeding to two 15ml syringes (1oz) per feeding twice a day instead of the one just until he's up to a healthier weight. 
 
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mschauer

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I don't understand why your vet prescribed the Hill's W/D. According to the Hill's web site :
Prescription Diet[emoji]174[/emoji] w/d[emoji]174[/emoji] is formulated with the following benefits:
  • Low in calories and fat to maintain weight  once cats have achieved their ideal weight
  • High levels of carnitine to increase energy metabolism and burn fat while increasing lean muscle mass
  • Low fat to help diabetic cats maintain appropriate weight
  • Moderately high fiber levels provide a feeling of fullness
  • Helps stabilize and minimize fluctuation of blood glucose levels in diabetic cats
  • Added antioxidants to support a healthy immune system
So it is meant for overweight and/or diabetic cats. But you said Whisper hasn't yet been diagnosed as diabetic and that he needs to gain gain. So why the W/D???

The 2 oz a day your vet suggested for [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]syringe feeding is not much food unless it is extremely high in calories. What is it you are feeding via syringe? You said he is eating the W/D right? So the syringe feeding is in addition to that?[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]As for the LUD (usually referred to as FLUTD), what problem was he having? Did he have crystals in his urine? A urinary infection? How long ago was it? From the Hill's W/D description it doesn't seem to be intended for treating FLUTD so I'm confused as to exactly what and how your vet is treating.[/color]
 
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cowboydinosaur

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The FLUTD is a urinary tract infection. Blood in the urine and bladder inflammation. He has notable discomfort after using the bathroom, but he's on antibiotics (Clavamox) to treat it, as well as a steroid.

I talked to the vet today about the amount of food and it seems she misunderstood me when I said he was eating 'a little kibble'. She assumed he was eating enough to sustain him, but once I explained he was only eating a bite or two, she became more concerned. I told her I am Assisted Feeding primarily now, and she agrees W/D is not the right diet for that. 

We are switching to Critical Care A/D wet formula. One can a day now, at 5.5oz. I'm Assist Feeding him 11 syringes day, 15ml per syringe. So he's getting 5 1/2 syringes per feeding, twice daily along with his steroid in the morning and two 1cc dosages of Clavamox daily. The W/D formula was 811 calories but I'm not sure with the A/D is? 
 

sugarcatmom

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The FLUTD is a urinary tract infection. Blood in the urine and bladder inflammation.
Was the urine sent out for culture and sensitivity? Blood and inflammation are not necessarily indicative of bacterial infection, it could be sterile cystitis.
The W/D formula was 811 calories but I'm not sure with the A/D is? 
The W/D is actually 126 calories per can. A/D is 180/can.
 
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cowboydinosaur

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I must have read it wrong! Thank you for telling me.

And no, I don't believe it has. I can ask the vet about it, but apparently the FLUTD diagnosis was made because he had red blood cells in his urine and some sensitivity in his genitals (as well as me telling them he cried out when he used the bathroom and was having diarrhea). But he hasn't been making any bowel movements since he went to the vet, and has only peed once or twice. I've been monitoring him all day, too, but maybe he goes at night or early in the morning. 

I will ask the vet about having his urine set out for testing. 
 

mschauer

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It sounds like your vet suspects idiopathic cystitis. Here's a link that describes the types of FLUTD:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/urinary.html

The Hill's A/D doesn't treat FLUTD but is meant to get nutrition into him while he is reluctant to eat. If you are still thinking about using an alternative to prescription foods (the A/D now) I would stick with the A/D. You won't need it once Whisper is past this episode and he needs the nutrition it provides.

BTW, depending on what equipment your vet has in the clinic it may not be necessary for her to send it out to a lab for testing. My vet is able to test for both crystals and bacteria in urine samples at her clinic. I'm just mentioning this because it is possible your vet has already tested for crystals and bacteria and you just aren't aware of it. Your invoice from the visit might tell you if this testing was done.
 
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cowboydinosaur

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It looks like the invoice said urine testing was done for crystals. 

Now that he is on A/D, my main concern is his stool. He hasn't had a bowel movement since we started Assist Feeding him. I asked the vet about this and she says this is most likely do to the W/D being high fiber and therefore possibly constipating him. As far as I know, he has peed (maybe). He will be seen by the vet no later than Friday, although we are trying to push for a sooner appointment with a Feline Only vet. 
 

mschauer

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It must have been that no crystals were found or else she would have put him on a prescription diet to dissolve them.

When is the last time he pooped? If at all possible it would be good if he can isolate him somewhere with a litter box so you know for sure what his output is like so you can know if the treatment is helping or not. You really need to know if he is peeing. 
 
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kattiekitty

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Hi there,

I just saw this post. How's your kitty doing? I agree in not liking Hills W/D. I have worked for many vets that have used the Rx line, and while they serve their purpose for some ailments, there are sometimes better options. It is weird though that your vet prescribed the W/D for your cat when he needs to gain weight. It is a weight management diet that is also commonly used for diabetic cats. If your kitty was having urinary issues, I would reccomend no dry food and go to all canned, to get as much fluid in him as possible. Canned food especially pate kinds, are also good to regulate diabetics too. the gravy kinds usually have too many carbs in them. I like the grain free kinds from brands like EVO, Wellness and Blue Wilderness to start. Evo is high calorie to add on weight as well. I would also add some warm water to it to get even more moisture in him, and stay away from fish varieties as they can aggravate Urinary issues. If your kitty isn't liking the better brands, you can even try a few of the lower quality friskies and fancy feast varieties. Some flavors are decent, but not all. Look for the pates only as I believe the gravy kinds have wheat gluten or corn gluten in them plus they have more carbs. I think the good ones are poultry platter, mixed grill ect and some of the classic varieties of fancy feast. we had a diabetic kitty at work that did well on the friskies canned because he wouldn't eat the better ones.
 
 
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