Cat food trouble

BeardyGit

My 10 year old house-cat's having a bit of trouble with his food over the past few weeks. He's only had one food type for the past 7 years - A 'Specifics' brand struvite management food, after developing struvite stones when a couple of years old. Unfortunately they've decided to change the formula now, to include of all things - Milk! Cue messy litter trays and a stink that would sink a battle ship.

The vet have provided two different types of food so far (at a pretty flipping hefty cost compared with the Specific's one - More than twice the price!) from Royal Canine and Hills.

The cat just doesn't want it. He licks the gravy off the Hills wet food pouches, and has a couple of the Royal Canine dry food bits, but won't eat any more.

Anyone got any ideas on other foods we could try? They need to be struvite management (low magnesium) foods. The weight is falling off him (not necessarily a bad thing according to the vet) but I'd like to see him eating more - My wife and I are worrying about him now.

BTW, he'll still scoff down a piece of chicken breast or whatever, it's really just the dried food that's causing the problem. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance boardsie's,

Gil

Rancid

Which Royal Canin food did you try?

Our very fussy female took to Royal Canin Senior Neutered straight off having turned her nose up at about 5 other types of dry food.

I can't see any mention of Magnesium on the pack just this bit of info:
"Promotes urine unfavourable to the growth of both struvite and calcium oxalate calculi."

1.5 kg for €17 from our vet.

The Sweeper

Check the ingredients listing on Iams Hairball Control and ask your vet about it for struvite crystal management.

Graces7

Does he "have" to have dry food?

It is not very good for older cats... or most cats. Totally unnatural.

Ours eat mostly raw chicken wings with a tiny amount of kibble.

mymo

My cats are on same food, also had same problem, vet told me to try the kidney support one, same brand, similar ingredients. They love it, and vet reckons they'll be fine with that.
I also give some raw food and the odd pouch of food with water added in the hot weather(they'll lap up water first, gravy food best for this) as he said its important to get plenty of water into them.

BeardyGit

Thanks for taking the time to reply folks.

I'll check out the Senior Neutered food with the vet Rancid. I don't expect her to know exactly which ones to try, so I'll suggest it and see if she'd be happy with us trying that one. Mymo, I'll also mention the kidney support one and see what she thinks.

He's eaten only dried food for about the past 7 years. Never any problem with dehydration or 'movements', until the change in formula.

He's fussy too, so anything that he'll eat and that's not necessarily bad for him will be fine with me. Funny enough, he won't touch raw meat, and isn't too keen on wet foods in general. If we can find another suitable dry food he can have that.

Specifics don't actually produce the food themselves. When my wife called them last week to discuss alternatives they weren't particularly clued up on the change in formula themselves. They said it's a food that's sold under a few different brands (can't advise which I'm afraid) but it may be worth checking the ingredients if you're feeding your feline friends on a struvite control formulation, just in case that's creeped into your particular branded food too.

Thanks again everyone,

Gil

Blueprint

Zooplus carry a couple of dry foods for urinary issues:

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/integra

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/kattovit

Both sound very expensive to me! My cat suffered from UTI's (but no stones) and I found changing to wet really helped her. Has to be a quality wet food though - not the stuff they sell in the supermarket with all the additives!

BeardyGit

'Specifics Adult' has done the trick. He's been eating like a trooper this evening. Glad I'll be at work tomorrow when all hell breaks loose in the litter tray!