Cat has struvite crystals

Rua1

Hi,

after noticing a lot of blood outside our cats litter box and around the house, and rushing him down to the vet, our cat has been diagnosed with struvite crystals/FLUDT. He wasn't blocked when we took him down, thank god.
He's been given the hills veterinarian s/d wet/dried food for the next month or two, and then onto the hills c/d diet.

He was previously on RC fit, and some meat pouches from the supermarket. I think the vet said that it's OK to continue to feed him these wet pouches after he finished the canned s/d food. I'm not sure though as I was in a bit of shock. The vet definitely did say that he needs to stay on the c/d diet for the rest of his life. What do other people do with their cats? I know the c/d pouches are quite expensive. The dried food isn't so expensive, but I thought we needed to avoid this.

anniehoo

This paper here is worth reading on the University of Minnesota,Urolith Centers website. This lab are world renowned for interpreting crystals/uroliths in most species of animal and their advice is excellent.

Here is another link

with some very good advice:

wrote:

Nutritional Considerations:Diets restricted in phosphorus and magnesium that promote formation of acid urine (i.e. pH 6.4),
minimize formation of sterile struvite uroliths.
 Extreme and prolonged reductions of some risk factors to minimize struvite urolith formation,
including formation of acidic urine, may increase risk for calcium oxalate urolith formation.
Therefore, we do not recommend long-term feeding of foods promoting urine pH < 6.2. 1
 High moisture foods (i.e. canned formulations) maybe more effective because increased water
consumption is associated with decreased urine concentrations of calculogenic minerals and
increased crystal evacuation. With persistent struvite crystalluria, feed canned foods and/or add
increasing amounts of water to food until specific gravity is less than 1.030.

I wont quote the medical aspect as that's for your vet to determine.

mymo

We have had this problem with some of our cats, I feed a mix of wet good quality wet food (bozita grain free) with a bit of water added, dry food (mix of good quality grain free and a food called Specific veterinary for crystals, cheaper and better quality than the Hills, which vets get paid for selling by the way) and some raw, mostly chicken wings, mince and chunks of meat like stewing steak.
A water fountain is good for getting them to drink more. I fed a completely dry diet if different foods for the problem for 3 years and it reoccurred several times, since feeding the mix diet it hasn't happened in almost 4 years.