I have an older cat named Shadow who, several years ago, had silt in his urine and had to be hospitalized. The vet put him on Purina UT canned cat food, which is by prescription only and is quite expensive. I don’t mind the cost if it keeps Shadow healthy, but he really doesn’t like it and is always trying to eat the other cats’ food.
Is this prescription-only food really necessary? Is there a brand I can get at the local petshop that will do the same job? I hate to spend all this money on food that my cat hates; he’s getting older and is pretty thin already, so I’d like to keep his weight up.
Prescription foods are definitely necessary for certain cats. If you don’t quite trust your vet to be up front with you, go for a second opinion. But you need to consult a professional before you take your cat off the food; no one here can give you a definitive answer.
Uh… what’s in a prescription cat food that makes it available by prescription rather than over the counter? And then can’t you just buy the med itself cheaper?
It’s a formula that helps him not form silt in his bladder. I think it’s supposed to regulate the pH of his urine to prevent the crystallization in the urine. It’s not medication, it’s a special diet. I know there are non-prescription foods that bill themselves as doing this same thing, but are they as good?
I had a cat who was on prescription food for this same reason. My vet told me that he could give me pills to give the cat each day, but then I’d have to pill my cat…every day…for the rest of his life. And this was not a cat who was cooperative when it came to pills.
Fortunately, he also was of the “if it’s food I’ll eat it” persuasion. My only problem with the prescription food, aside from the expense (worth every penny, mind you, for my cat) was that it was very fattening. I had to cut way back on how much I gave him after the first few months when he started ballooning.
Is “silt in the urine” the same as urinary blockage? One of my cats had urinary blockage about 13 years ago, and almost died. He was put on an expensive prescription low-magnesium diet. Then Friskies came out with its “Special Diet” (cheaper and tastier) and after checking with the vet, I switched to that, and fed both cats Special Diet even though the other cat didn’t need it. The cat with the original problem is now almost 18, and still going strong.
But I wouldn’t recommend any change without first consulting with your vet.
He didn’t have a blockage but urination was painful and bloody. He didn’t have surgery; instead he was put on Valium with an IV fluid push and the silt washed out. Since then he’s been on the special food, but he doesn’t like it.
I might just have to take him to the vet, though he doesn’t need any shots and his health is fine. The vet won’t change it without seeing him, which is annoying.
If your vet doesn’t think the OTC stuff is as good, ask if there are other formulas that would work as well. My kitty has inflammatory bowel disease, and she had a problem with getting bored on the same food every day, so I tried alternating several types. Until she tried one that apparently was fantastic-tasting, because she’s been happily snarfing it down ever since. The other five are also crazy about the stuff, so it gets expensive, but the vet says it’s OK for them.
Hey Rubystreak: I’m not the most knowledgable person in the world, but two years as a tech in a vet only clinic gives me at least enough information to be dangerous.
The vet probably doesn’t want to tell you to change the food without an office visit first because it’s possible that your cat’s situation has changed. There are a variety of diets on the market that help with different types of urinary crystals. To choose the right one, your vet needs to make sure there isn’t some other new problem that’s cropped up since the last time she saw you like hypothyroidism, to name one at random. Also, even if urinary crystals are your cat’s only problem, she probably wants to check to make sure your cat is still making the same kind of crystal (there are two kinds and they have opposite treatments) and in the same amount (if he’s making more, you might need to add the pills, too).
Once the vet has figured out where your cat stands, then she can advise you about changing the food. Like I said, there are several perscription diets that your cat might like better. If there is a particular over-the-counter food that you’d like your vet to consider, bring in a sample so she can see the nutrient break down. Pet food companies can make claims about their food without actually doing the tests to see if it works by using similar ingredients to foods that do work. Sometimes this is good enough, sometimes it isn’t.
Short answer: Odd are your vet isn’t out to screw you. Talk to her more, or talk to another vet you trust more, but talk to a vet before you do anything.
For several years I had a male cat with this problem. Minerals in the urine crystallize out and form the “silt”, which clogs up the urethra. The tip of the urethra in male cat is particularly narrow. This causes cystitis, inflammation of the urinary tract.
My poor cat had the end of his urethra surgically trimmed, and you know where the end of the urethra is. :eek:
The typical treatment is special food, which is low ash. It is called low ash because after burning, the remaining minerals stick around in the form of ash. Low ash means low mineral content. My vet recommended Hill’s Prescription Diet (available both canned and dry). It was not literally by prescription, that’s just the name. Hill’s policy is that they sell it only through vets, not pet stores or grocery stores. I don’t quite understand why. I used to by 20 lb bags to get the best price, because it was much more expensive than regular food. There are also other low-ash cat foods available, but always check with the vet to make sure it fits the fill.
There are several brands of prescription food. Ask your vet to order a different kind and if he is unable to, ask for a prescription and order it online. My cat hated any and all of the Hill’s brand stuff but my mom’s cat’s loved it. Different vets often carry different kinds. You could also ask your vet to contact another vet to see if you can try another pH balancing food.
It’s very important that if your cat has this issue with silt (crystals) that you follow your vet’s instructions. Don’t ever change the diet without her/his advice. Crystals can be deadly if blockage occurs and kitty can’t pee.
