Hi everyone,

My cat Smudge was rushed for an emergency operation Thursday with a blocked bladder. They have put a catheter in and drained his bladder, they are hopefully taking it out this evening (Fri evening! sorry I am posting so late hubbys dad is in hospital was rushed in too but fell from a ladder so spent evening in a&e! he is still there but I had to come how with our 3 year old son) Its costing a fortune but thats the least of the problems! anyway they said he needs to go on a special diet and that they found a lot of the struvite (sp?) crystals in his bladder. Last year he had to have an op on his teeth and they told us to put him on a dry food as he had a mass of plaque build up (he is 4.5 years old in case that makes a difference).

I have been searching the internet this afternoon to find out whats the best food to offer as I only want the best for him don't really care on the price of food etc but I am really confused, I have read people saying that the Hills variety and ones vets push is pants for nutritional value but I don't know what the best thing to give him is, and I don't know what I am looking for as they all seem to be different with regards to different types of crystals, most info I have strumbled upon is from America and I can't find the foods available here! I know I will def put him back on the wet food as he has always preferred this and now feel awful that we have probably caused this whole thing.

What am I trying to ask for if the cat has struvite crystals a more acidic food? if so what does it have in I should be looking for food wise? can someone please advise me what they use and what they found best? also I live in a hard water area should I be offering bottled water or water thats gone through one of those britax system thingys?

Really what I am in search of is what make of food and what you all would advise me to use as I have a feeling I am going to be pushed into something from the vet that isn't really the best?

Please please help me I am so upset I am going to lose him, hubby isn't happy as they are my cats and he is moaning about the bill etc (he doesnt understand about the cats as he is allergic to them and doesn't have anything to do with them really!), the vet only seems interested in telling me how much the bill is and when I said I can't really afford for it to go over £500 - £600 she started going on about rehoming him to someone who could afford it and maybe thats what I should consider I really am getting worried about whats best, I am so upset about the whole thing, and I apologise for waffling on! its been the week from hell so far!

Thanks Kay xxx

All i can advise is water water water, make sure your cat has plenty of water, the vet will prescribe you a good diet that should break down the crystals that you can feed with normal dry, however im not experienced in this by any means but didnt want to read and run, hope your ok.

Try not to worry too much, your vet will be able to tell you what is best and sometimes researching so much can be dangerous as you gain too much knowledge if you know what i mean??

Anyway all the best, im sure someone with experience wih this will come along soon.

regards

__________________


Take a look at my pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/dslrabi/

Thank you, I do feel very guilty about it all and I think its my fault putting him on this dry food diet as he has never liked it but I thought it was best for him. I know what you mean about researching so much I am awful at it hehe.

Going to try and get some sleep now going to have to get to hospital early tomorrow I think, waiting for hubby to ring.

Thanks Kay xx

Hi Kay,

So sorry to hear about your cat. And yes, it most likely was the dry food that caused his problems, but you were only following the advice from the vet, so it's not your fault. You were only doing what you thought were best.

Firstly, dry food does not clean teeth. Secondly, as you've sadly experienced it can cause bladder infections. Thirdly, it contains a lot of crap fillers that cats can't digest. You're right to want to put him back on a wet food

I'd suggest you ignore your vet and start using a high quality wet food such as HiLife pouches. They have around 60% meat and no fillers. Eating this should normalise your cat's urine and make it more acidic, like it normally is. Food designed to acidify the cat's urine often goes too far the other way, and causes another urinary tract problem (calcium oxalate crystals), which puts you back at square one.

You could mix in some water in the wet food too, I use filtered water for my cat - just the brittafilter on the kettle.

Is the vet doing anything to remove the crystals that are there already?

Also, the wet food will help his teeth more than the dry food, however if you want to help him keep them clean you should give him some raw meat chunks and some raw chicken wings one-two times a week for him to chew on. This cleans the teeth the way nature intended. Make sure you don't cook the bones, they must be raw otherwise they can splinter.

Best of luck And I suggest you find another vet, with some more knowledge about cat nutrition and less focus on how much money they can make from you!

__________________
Have a look at my website!

Fit for the sunshine so it followed her, a happy tempered bringer of the best, out of the worst.

Hi,

I'm so sorry to hear that you have had a terrible week Sounds like a nightmare!!

I just wanted to say that hope your father-in-law will be ok & I totally agree with Coraline's post. Some brill info there & hopefully that should help your cat recover & stop this from happening again. Wishing you the best of luck & please let us know how you get on

__________________


www.abooksigunbengals.com

Rather than buy bottled water or the britvac filter, spend out on a pet water fountain. Most cats prefer to drink running water and these fountains have filters so will get rid of all the nasty stuff in the water. Water will definitely help what is wrong with him. If you were told to go with dry food why don't you try a mix of wet and dry food? Get a wet food with a high water content that is low on additives (like gelling agents or sugar.) There is a cat food brand called Encore (I will need to double check the name but this is what I remember) that is 75% chicken and 25% water when compared to other brands that is 68% chicken product with a mix of rice, water, additives, gelling agents and more blah so is generally healthier. Mixing it with dry food should make it better all round for your cat. Might also be worth looking into a pet insurance as they may stillinsure your cat because of it's age. It will work out cheaper than a hige vet bill because you are spreading the cost but you would need to check as to whether they will be able to help with a pre-existing medical condition.

__________________

Run free my beautiful rainbow babies. I love you.

Thanks everyone for the information, I feel alot better about it this morning, although slightly obsessed with checking my other cat is ok!!!

Off to the pet shop this morning to get some better food and at least start Sylvie on the diet ready for when Smudge gets home.

Father in Law is ok, he has a shattered wrist and suspected broken jaw, could of been a lot worse so just glad he is ok

Kay xxx

Looks like we have another cat with the same problem I have been watching Sylvie and she is struggling to wee too, totally gutted, waiting for vets to call and probably have to take her down to vets for an emergency appointment

Hiya

firstly don't panic!! Stress can affect the cats too and make them 'hold on' and not wee as well as usual.

Henry has had both types of stones (struvite and oxylate) , and there is quite a variety of diets out there - both wet and dry to suit the stones, to both dissolve existing ones and then manage the condition to minimise new ones.

Henry's vet tried originally to put him on Hills urinary but it upset his tum, so I investigated, and put him on Royal Canin Urinary S/O Dry, with occaisionally the S/O wet pouches - but he is a dry food chap... Eukanuba Vet also do a simialr diet for stones too. Cost wise, it costs about £12 per month in the dry food - I get it from my vet for convenience but it can be a bit cheaper online and in bigger bags...

You need to get the chaps drinking water - I tried a fountain but it spooked H (he doesnt like running water much) and made me need the loo cos I could hear running water - in the end I tried a different bowl (big and wide and deep) and he drinks well.

I hope everything works out well (and for your hubby's dad!!)

e

Thanks for the advice, well vets advised me over the phone with Sylvie I had to do a good feel of her underneath, because she is a girl he said she is unlikely to suffer as much so has given me some medication for her.

The vet just rang again with an update on Smudge he was blocked again with the catheter in and he had to unblock and flush him through. Anyway they are going to see how he is tomorrow and maybe he can come home, fingers crossed

xxx