Recommendations for urinary food and probiotics (when on antibiotics)

catzorz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
108
Purraise
14
My kitty recently had the Convenia shot, so I'd like to start her on pro-biotics. The vet gave me 5 packs of Purina FortiFlora (the cat loves it), but I've read that it only has one strain of bacteria and that the rest of the ingredients are sub-par. Does anyone have any recommendations for pro-biotics that will help her stay healthy for the 65 days that the Convenia will be staying in her system?

She is also eating the Royal Caning Urinary SO wet food from the vet - but again, I have heard mixed reviews of this food. How long should a cat stay on a prescription food like this? Are there any bladder-friendly wet foods you would recommend switching to once she's feeling better (the official diagnosis so far is idiopathic cystitis)?

Thanks!
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,391
Purraise
7,131
Location
Arizona
Did your little one actually have a UTI along with being diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis, or was the Convenia shot just precautionary?  I ask, because with idiopathic cystitis there is normally no antibiotic needed, only pain medication, on occasion, and sometimes antispasmodics.

Here...this article should be very interesting to you:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-how-to-improve-your-cats-life-quality

Now, as far as probiotics, that FortiFlora might be ok...I recently was advised to use it when one of my cats was on a very strong antibiotic and his normal probiotic did NOT work for him.  The FortiFlora definitely helped, and honestly, I was shocked about that
.  If you want to use two, which is what I continued to do, almost any human probiotic will work.  Give 1/2 capsule twice a day..mix in with her food.  65 days?  I don't think you  need to use it for THAT long!  The deal is that if there are side effects, it takes awhile for them to go away, but I've never heard 65 days.  45....maybe. 

Now on to food.  For true idiopathic cystitis, it isn't about food, it's really more about stress.  See that article I referenced above.  Now, if there were any hints of crystals, that's another story.  And that question is asked quite a bit.   Here's just one thread on that topic:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/302645/food-help-please
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
There may be alternatives to the SO food. See this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/254489/alternatives-to-expensive-urinary-so-food A 100% canned food diet works for most cats with urinary issues. A lot of vets don't know much about nutrition and will push the prescription stuff but that doesn't always mean that what the vet says is the right choice for the cat.

Cystitis is basically an inflamed bladder / urinary tract. Antibiotics won't help at all. Here's some info" http://www.catinfo.org/#Cystitis_

This thread may be helpful as well: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/317556/royal-canin-rx-urinary-so

You can buy FortiFlora online w ithout a prescritpion. Just a thought if you wanted to continue with it. Here's some info on other probiotics: http://www.foodfurlife.com/use-probiotics-in-cats.html A Human probiotic is fine as long as it's not flavored with anything. Most of the recommendations in the link are for Human probiotics.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

catzorz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
108
Purraise
14
Thank you both!

The Convenia was given before any bacterial infection was confirmed (ugghhhh) - we are actually still waiting on the results of the culture.  Convenia stories can be terrifying, so I want to make sure I am getting her everything possible to keep her healthy while it hangs around for 65 days.

We ran out of Fortiflora, so we'll probably go pick some more up from the vet while browsing for other probiotics. Any experience with Bene-bac? I have heard that one is good (but don't know where to buy it).
 

sweetpea24

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
568
Purraise
24
Location
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
My kitty recently had the Convenia shot, so I'd like to start her on pro-biotics. The vet gave me 5 packs of Purina FortiFlora (the cat loves it), but I've read that it only has one strain of bacteria and that the rest of the ingredients are sub-par. Does anyone have any recommendations for pro-biotics that will help her stay healthy for the 65 days that the Convenia will be staying in her system?

She is also eating the Royal Caning Urinary SO wet food from the vet - but again, I have heard mixed reviews of this food. How long should a cat stay on a prescription food like this? Are there any bladder-friendly wet foods you would recommend switching to once she's feeling better (the official diagnosis so far is idiopathic cystitis)?

Thanks!
I use ProGut by Ceva. You get it from th vet. Or Nutramax's ProViable. The ProGut comes in powder or paste and also has a type of clay to help absorb toxins. The ProViable comes in a starter kit with paste and capsules or bottles of capsules. The capsules you can give orally or open and sprinkle over food. It has seven types of probiotics. It is a bit more expensive than the ProGut. Personally, I like the paste. I put it in a syringe which makes it easy to administer. Either product has done wonders for my cats and dog. And I give the probiotic during and for 10 days after antibiotics. I give it 2 hours after I give the antibiotics.
 

missmimz

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
2,301
Purraise
365
I only use human grade probiotics for my cats because the pet ones basically don't work. I use this one, as do a lot of other raw feeders. 

 
Top