Need Help With Urinary So Food

[natebc]

Hello,

I have two cats, one of them just had crystals and is about to come out of the Animal Emergency Clinic. They have ask me to put the cat on an Veterinary Diet Urinary SO or SO/COM food. I live in Canada so they only sell it at Veterinarian for 8kg 99.99 to 160. Is there any Alternatives? I am in need of help.

Natebc

 

[LTS3]

There are alternatives to Royal Canin SO. I'm not sure if that is the same brand your vet recommended. Here's the thread: Alternatives to Royal Canin SO

If it's just crystals and not bladder stones, you can usually just feed any brand of commercial canned food and encourage water intake.

 

[natebc]

There are alternatives to Royal Canin SO. I'm not sure if that is the same brand your vet recommended. Here's the thread: Alternatives to Royal Canin SO

If it's just crystals and not bladder stones, you can usually just feed any brand of commercial canned food and encourage water intake.

Hello,
Yes they did recommended Royal Canin SO. That is was he was eating when he was there.

He just had small crystals. What I was told is that it was small amount and they were able to clear it quickly. But what type of wet food would be good to purchase? Prior to this he was eating Friskies. I read somewhere on here that it would be good to to mix wet food with water.

Natebc

 

[LTS3]

Any canned food. Friskies is good if your cat was eating that before. You can add water to the canned food to ensure good water intake. It doesn't have to be soupy. A spoonful of water is plenty.

This might help: Canned Food for 7yo Male w/ Struvite Crystals - Ontario

 

[MAU.Mania]

I have been told by my vet that the lowest quality wet food is far better than ANY dry food. Including Royal Canin SO. My boy has lower urinary tract disease but hasn't had a flare up in over 3 years because I started adding water to his wet food. I actually do add a lot and kind of mix it so he drinks the water before he gets to the food. I add a little less than 1/2 a can hot water to 1 5.5oz can of wet food. I also use friskies, but stay away from fish flavors as that can irritate and cause flare-ups for his urinary problems. Good Luck <3

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I thought Chewy shipped to Canada, but I was mistaken. Can you have access to other brands that are formulated for urinary issues like Focus or Purina One? Based on my experience with struvite blockage, I think it's important to stick to a diet formulated for this. If not, speak to your vet about gettting a urinary acidifier and adding it to non-rx food - SPEAK TO VET, DON'T ATTEMT A URINARY ACIDIFIER ON YOUR OWN.

 

[natebc]

Hello,
thank you for all your help and posting your comments. I have been told that all natural food is also good for cats. What do you think about this type of food.

 

[maggiedemi]

Hi. I would limit the dry food. Canned food would be best for a cat with urinary problems, they need the moisture.

 

[duckpond]

I dont put to much stock in All natural labels, there are a lot of "all natural" things we do not want to feed. Normally it is a marketing ploy in my opinion for what its worth.

The food you show has pea protein and then peas, i would guess the majority of the ingredient in this food is peas. Natural yes, but still not something we want to feed cats.

I do agree wet would be best for a cat with crystals or urinary problems. However if you feed a non prescription food, whether wet or dry i would stay away from any vegetables, grains, or fruits, meat products only as some studies show that these things can lead to more urinary problems. This is easier to do with wet foods. The only two dry food i know of that do not have these things are dr elseys, and maybe young again zero. I do feed Dr. elseys dry to my cats, along with as much wet as they will eat.

 

[Jackattack0101]

It's strange that you can only get those sizes of food. I'm in Canada too and my vet has the small bags of dry and the really big ones. I think the smaller one cost about $35 maybe a bit more. My cat just went through the same thing and I've been buying the royal Canin SO wet food in a case of 24 from my vet. It works out to about $45 or so for the case. My boy gets a full can of this a day plus a little bit of the Royal Canin SO dry as a treat. It's not the cheapest but is about the same price as other higher end foods

 

[prairiepanda]

For small crystals, just basic cheap canned food will do just fine, and doesn't have to cost a lot more than high quality kibble. My cat can't have any veterinary foods at all due to his food sensitivities, but we cleared up his struvite crystals within just a few days of giving him all canned food. That was just regular canned food, not any urinary formula. The extra moisture is important. If for whatever reason you prefer kibble, you definitely need urinary formulas for that. Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Pro Plan all have urinary foods that you can buy in pet stores. PetSmart carries all 3. But they are expensive and low quality foods, so I would personally go with a cheap canned food instead.