UTI Rx food...how long to see effects?

Hey folks,
After a third trip to the vet, we now have yet another antibiotic perscription and she's put him on Science Diet c/d food... So I've got a couple of questions for those of you with UTI cats are are on or have been on the perscription food:

1. How long did it take for you to see some "results" from the food?

2. How long did you keep your cat on the food before trying a non Rx food?

3. Did you feed only the Rx food, or supplement w/ others (like wet food)?

The vet said that he's probably got FLUTD, but x-rays showed no crystals...So we're still in the dark on cause, at this point I'm just hoping that the food will help control the problem, as he's stuck on the back porch until this gets worked out.

Thanks for your help!
Art

1. likely a few weeks... I retested in a month but the cat only at the wet for that long

2. Immediately for dry since she did not like the RX dry

3. RX wet with non RX dry

the dry was cleared by the vet ... note it was For CRF not UTI ...

Uti without crystals I would ask the vet for NO Rx at all

FLUTD is a generic term used for a multitude of lower urinary tract disorders such as crystals, bacterial infections, stones and cystitis. Depending on exactly what your cat has, the antibiotics aren't going to help you. Xrays don't always show crystals nor stones. You have to do a urine culture to test for crystals and bacteria infections. You might have to resort to an ultrasound to find stones. And you might have to have a biopsy to verify cystitis. I just went thru this with my cat Muddy.

So unless you verify exactly what your cat has, its hard to say when or if you'll see effects from the prescription food. If the bladder is inflamed from crystals, stones or cystitis, antiobiotics will act as an anti-inflamatory and your cat will show improvement for a couple weeks after he finishes them. If your cat is on repeated prescriptions and it keeps reoccurring, it may not be a UTI (e.g. bacterial) at all.

If its something else, then you want to talk to your vet about long term diet change. Wet food that is grain free and high in protein can be your best friend. But realize that most vets do not sell quality food.

I hope this didn't confuse you. After what I've just gone thru with Muddy, I question a simple UTI diagnose without lab proof.

Coco has been on C/D for 1.5 years. We are getting Canned Royal Canin Urinary Food next Week. The Vet ordered it yesterday. Today Coco was screaming in the Pan again and sqauting. We went to Vet and just got back. The Ultrasound shows a thick Bladder again. She got 2 bottles of Antibiotics again. It really depends on the Cat how long they stay on the food. Coco we tried to take off but it came back everytime. Did your Vet do a Ultra Sound. Coco had Bladder Stones with a Staph Infection the first time it happened. She has Crystals in her Urine now with a Infection. What antibiotic did you get? Coco has been on a few. It takes 6 Bottles everytime she ha a Infection before its Neg. She is on Cefa Drops now.

Thanks for your replies.
Sharky- He HAS shown crystals in the past (visits #2 and 3), just not any this time... I would keep him on all wet, but he does not like it at all. Rx diet is C/D dry...I was afraid to get them to order the wet as he usually hates wet food in general.

Before the perscription diet, I had been trying to switch him and his brother over to Max cat adult... Hopefully, if the Rx diet works, I can slowly switch over to that as the regular food...from the ingredients they sound similar.

Momofmany- I think that the urinalysis did show bacteria and white blood cells, as well as some blood in his urin. I believe they did some sort of cystitis screen during his last visit and it was negative (not sure if it was a biopsy though). I had been feeding him several types of wet, including EVO 95% meat wet, but he really doesn't take to the wet well, so getting him to eat it is a pain (I hate wasting food that is over $1 a can).

The vet did not do an ultrasound... I don't think they have an ultrasound machine. I might have to go to Auburn to get that done...Or call around and see if any of the other vets in town have one.

mews2much- Zeniquin is the antibiotic, vet also perscribed cosequin (last visit) which I've been dosing him with twice a day..I'm hoping that will help strengthen his bladder, no matter what the source of the infection/crystals.

I'm just hoping that I didn't bring this on by feeding him and his brother EVO dry... Although if that was the case, his brother would be having similar problems as well. *sigh*.

Thanks for your replies,
Art