I'm getting contradicting information about this problem and I'm hoping someone might be able to help me.
My 12 y/o cat is prone to calcium oxalate stones and crystals. He refuses to eat canned food so I've been feeding him dry and he drinks plenty of water and urinates with no problems. He developed an allergy to his prescription dry food. The vet put him on another brand that is different than what I'm used to. His previous food(s) were always specifically for calcium oxalate prevention and promoted a high pH of above 6.6. This new food is to prevent both calcium oxalates and struvites. It promotes a pH of between 6.0 to 6.4.
With the old food, he always had a urine pH of around 7. He had issues with calcium oxalate stones/crystals twice while he was on it but I think that's because a family member allowed him to eat small amounts of regular cat food over a period of several weeks or months (I didn't know this at the time). About one month before he was put on the new food a urinalysis showed calcium oxalate crystals in his urine with a pH of 7. An x-ray showed nothing in his bladder or urethra but he has a stone stuck in his ureter which has been there for a few years. All the blood work was normal.
I'm concerned that this new food will cause him to develop more crystals and stones or make the one in his ureter bigger. The pH is what is troubling me. I get the impression that he is prone to the calcium oxalates, so putting him on a food that promotes a much lower pH where the oxalates could form seems foolish to me. But then, these foods must work or I would imagine that they either wouldn't exist or vets wouldn't use them.
There really aren't any other dry foods that promote a higher pH. There is one, but with the food allergy it probably isn't going to work. For all I know, he could still have the allergy with this new food.
I'd like to get him to eat canned but I'm sure it will take a long time to get him to eat it, if ever. I had a difficult enough time trying to wean him.
What do you all think about this new food as far as the pH goes? Is my concern justified or am I overreacting? I did mention it to the vet, I forgot what he said, but basically he said it shouldn't be a problem. I trust him, but he's getting all his info from the food companies which I don't trust.
I cannot afford to feed my cat a raw/homemade diet. I have to draw the line when it costs more to feed him per day than it costs to feed me. I mean really, that's just ridiculous.
My 12 y/o cat is prone to calcium oxalate stones and crystals. He refuses to eat canned food so I've been feeding him dry and he drinks plenty of water and urinates with no problems. He developed an allergy to his prescription dry food. The vet put him on another brand that is different than what I'm used to. His previous food(s) were always specifically for calcium oxalate prevention and promoted a high pH of above 6.6. This new food is to prevent both calcium oxalates and struvites. It promotes a pH of between 6.0 to 6.4.
With the old food, he always had a urine pH of around 7. He had issues with calcium oxalate stones/crystals twice while he was on it but I think that's because a family member allowed him to eat small amounts of regular cat food over a period of several weeks or months (I didn't know this at the time). About one month before he was put on the new food a urinalysis showed calcium oxalate crystals in his urine with a pH of 7. An x-ray showed nothing in his bladder or urethra but he has a stone stuck in his ureter which has been there for a few years. All the blood work was normal.
I'm concerned that this new food will cause him to develop more crystals and stones or make the one in his ureter bigger. The pH is what is troubling me. I get the impression that he is prone to the calcium oxalates, so putting him on a food that promotes a much lower pH where the oxalates could form seems foolish to me. But then, these foods must work or I would imagine that they either wouldn't exist or vets wouldn't use them.
There really aren't any other dry foods that promote a higher pH. There is one, but with the food allergy it probably isn't going to work. For all I know, he could still have the allergy with this new food.
I'd like to get him to eat canned but I'm sure it will take a long time to get him to eat it, if ever. I had a difficult enough time trying to wean him.
What do you all think about this new food as far as the pH goes? Is my concern justified or am I overreacting? I did mention it to the vet, I forgot what he said, but basically he said it shouldn't be a problem. I trust him, but he's getting all his info from the food companies which I don't trust.
I cannot afford to feed my cat a raw/homemade diet. I have to draw the line when it costs more to feed him per day than it costs to feed me. I mean really, that's just ridiculous.
