Kidney Stone

[sarmcl]

Hi everyone

Long story short my cat has a kidney stone. She is 8 years old. She did have an infection in November that we finally got cleared up but bloodwork showed some high levels which led them to take an xray which showed the stone. For the past 4 months we have had her on Royal Canin SO in hopes that it would break down the stone. Went back yesterday for a follow up xray and the stone is still there. No larger. No smaller. She is acting normal. Regained the weight she lost when she had the infection.

The vet is going to call Royal Canin and see if they have any suggestions to maybe a different food. Also, to note we tried prescription wet food(Hills Science, Purina, etc)and she will not touch the stuff. She does get about 1/2 can as well of regular wet food in her diet and drinks water normally

Has anyone had a cat with a stone? And if so, what diet did you give them. Any recommendations for other dry food? Thanks in advance!

 

[abyeb]

Hey sarmcl, my Charlie had a kidney stone about a year ago, the vet prescribed the Hills K/D, and he was able to pass it. Sorry I don't have more info for you, someone else might be able to help more.

 

[orange&white]

I was reading a blog a few weeks ago about DL-Methionine acidifying urine and "melting" crystals. It only works on struvite stones though, which are about 50%. It won't work on oxylate stones.

The prescription foods your vet advised probably have DL-Methionine listed fairly high on the ingredients list of nutrients. You might ask your vet if a supplement capsule might be stirred into the food your cat is eating. Do talk to your vet about it (and if recommended, how much to use).

Here is a link to the blog if you're interested: Tales from the Urinary Trenches: CatNutrition's School of Hard Knocks

 

[Columbine]

Talk to your vet about the Hills urinary formulas (s/d and c/d). If your cat has struvite stones, the s/d in particular may help break it down. My understanding is that the RC urinary food (which, incidentally, worked wonderfully for my old boy) is equivalent to the Hills c/d. The s/d is designed for short term use only, and may be therefore be better at breaking down stubborn stones like your girl's. Most vets have a contract with either Hills or RC, which is why your vet prescribed the RC urinary food. Its not a question of one brand being better than the other, just that sometimes one will suit your kitty better - just like one medication may suit us better than another

The Dl-Methionine supplement that orange&white mentioned can be a great alternative to prescription foods, but it has to be used with great care and in conjunction with a vet. Too much can actually cause calcium oxalate stones to form, and those are far harder to treat than struvite stones.

The point of Dl-Methionine and the prescription foods, is to promote urine with an acidity(pH) of 6-6.5. It's the acidity that helps to break down the stones. Sometimes it can help to regularly test the urine acidity at home, using pH test strips. It's a useful way of checking that you've got the balance right, especially if using a Dl-Methionine supplement.

The single biggest thing you can do to help your girl is to keep her well hydrated. This means (ideally) wet food, maybe even with extra water added if your girl will accept it, and having plenty of fresh water freely available. A water fountain is a great way to encourage your girl to drink more, and you can always try flavoured waters too (such as tuna water, or the leftover water from poaching chicken ). If your girl is eating a primarily dry diet, she needs to be drinking at least a cup (250ml) of water a day.

Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake
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