Back from ER Vet -please, suggestions on how and what to transition to all wet

Ok, I'm going to transition to an all wet diet. I just took Dante to the ER vet as I noticed he'd go to the pan and either nothing, or very little was coming out (and he's usually a big twice a day pee-er). Otherwise he was eating fine, poo'd ok, and was drinking from his fountain. But, of course, work tomorrow and a holiday today!

Vet said his bladder was very small, indicating he wasn't blocked, but also unable to obtain a sample at the moment. For the moment, he got both an antibiotic and pain shot, and I've got a course of Baytril for 9 days. Vet said I was smart to not wait, and that I shouldn't panic, but watchful waiting for now.

I asked whether I should change my cats' current diet of wet in the morning and evening, with kibble out for the rest of the day, as they're both grazers, to an all wet diet. Vet said couldn't hurt at al, and said I should transition gradually due to possible digestive upset. He also did not recommend a prescription food at this stage of the game, as Dante has not had blockage issues in the past. Of course, if it continues, in he goes later this week to the regular vet for continued diagnosis vet advice.

So, having said that, I guess I was thinking just upping their wet food by about a tablespoon or so each meal (2x daily) - and gradually eliminating the dry and hoping for the best. I'm gone from home from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, basically, so no noon time feeding of wet, and I'm not comfortable leaving the wet food out more than 30 minutes or so tops. Does this sound reasonable? Any hints (especially with the baytril - I was thinking chicken baby food at this point).

Also, the ER vet did not recommend any specific wet food at this point - I've been feeding Nutro and Authority as my kitties seem to like those most (I've tried Innova, etc., but didn't go over as well) - but I'm not wedded to any particular foods if there's something better I can try. Both of them are about 6-7 years old - guesstimate since both were adopted as adults.

Thanks in advance, and thank goodness for ER vets - costly, but heaven-sent.

Here are three how-to articles. They all ultimately transition to raw, but hopefully, the canned stop halfway will be helpful to you...

http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitionin...o_Canned_Food_

http://www.rawfedcats.org/practicalguide.htm

http://fnes.org/index.php?option=com...eding&Itemid=3

Thanks - luckily, mine have so far always enjoyed certain wet foods, so I'm hoping the transition goes reasonably well, without a lot of stomach upset, and having some guidelines will be reassuring. I still don't feel confident about going raw safely (more my limitations than any particular raw diet, per se).

I'm just hoping Dante feels better shortly - at this point, I'd be delighted if he pee'd outside the box!!! Vet felt that may be some irritation going on, but thought that we'd probably caught anything in good time. So glad I woke up late today and was just home cleaning and could keep an eye on him going to the box more frequently than normal. At least he's been eating and drinking ok, so I don't feel quite as panicked.

I felt so bad - yet the vet said that they tend to see 5-10 cats a month at ER, where sometimes the cats have been vomiting and feel like they have a baseball in their bellies before the owners get into the vet. I kept thinking not only of the huge expense at that point, but how poorly the cats must have been feeling.

A good number of the authority cans have fish pretty high in the ingredients---I'd check that and maybe rethink some of them. If I had a cat prone to blockages I wouldn't feed it.

Leslie

Thanks - I've been looking at my little cans of Nutro & Authority, and it does seem a lot of them have fish as a fourth or fifth listing - and those are the chicken dinners! I think I'll be wearing my reading glasses and reading lots of labels. Are there any particular wets that seem to work well for the blockage-prone? As I mentioned, the E-vet didn't think we needed to do prescription yet, and that wet in general was a good idea at this point, but I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Originally Posted by darlili

Thanks - I've been looking at my little cans of Nutro & Authority, and it does seem a lot of them have fish as a fourth or fifth listing - and those are the chicken dinners! I think I'll be wearing my reading glasses and reading lots of labels. Are there any particular wets that seem to work well for the blockage-prone? As I mentioned, the E-vet didn't think we needed to do prescription yet, and that wet in general was a good idea at this point, but I'd appreciate any suggestions.

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I've had good luck with Pro Plan for Urinary Tract Health (canned) when my cats were having issues. Now it also comes in a larger 5.5 oz can. When I was buying it, it was only in those teeny 3 oz cans. I also used Nutro Max (the little cans) at the time. When they were ok on those, I started adding in Fancy Feast and Friskies for variety in the canned food. Friskies has Special Diet cans that are good for cats with urinary tract problems.

My current group of cats only likes Friskies and Fancy Feast (or Pro Plan) for canned food. I still feed dry food, but I feed 2 Friskies cans per day also (4 cans/day if it's Fancy Feast). Stimpy was blocked when he was about 1 1/2 -2 yrs old. Nabu had crystals at about the same age, and again when he was 3 or 4. They are 9 and 12 yrs old now. I've managed them this way for years now.

Good luck! Sending healing for your kitty.

I second the avoid fish ... and watch the magnesium and cal to phos ratios( this goes for dry , canned , raw or homemade ) ...

chicken baby food laced with tuna or clam juice maybe??

I have always fed Lucky Friskies Special Diet in the wet food. I usually get the beef, he likes it best. I have never, knock on wood, had any trouble with a urinary problem. I have tried the more expensive brands and he won't eat them. I do stay away from the fish ones though. And I do keep dry out all the time but he really likes his wet food. He would eat it all day if I let him. But I am lucky, he will drink water during the day. And you might try a dry food for urinary health. Good luck!

Terrific job getting Dante to the vet so quickly!

Since you are already feeding partly canned, going gradually to all canned should not be too much of a problem, bur you can always add a probiotic for a few days to guard against tummy and intestinal upset.

The one problem is that 12 hour span that they are used to having food to nibble on, do you think they really eat much of the kibble during the day anyway?

They can adjust to scheduled feedings though. Dante's life may depend on it.

I agree with no fish flavor added(yes you have to read the labels), and find foods with little or no grains, no wheat especially, and no gluten.

Baytril is notoriously bitter and nasty do you ahve the liquid or tablets?

if you need help with medicating techniques just ask, I have many.

A urinalysis is very important to know just what you are dealing with, but of course being on the antibiotic now, is not the time to try again. Usually about two or three weeks after the antibiotic is done your vet can try again to check his urine. You can plan it to bring him in with a full bladder..I have tips on that too if you want!

Please keep us updated on Dante.

Thank you all so much - I believe Dante had a nice big pee somewhere between midnight and 3:00 am this morning (yes, I was checking all the pans a lot last night - I'm so tired!!!), and I was thrilled. I'm hoping all continues to go well, and am planning on calling the regular vet for a follow-up consultation in any event, but crossing my fingers we won't have to have a rush visit.

My girl is a grazer, and I have seen her visiting the kibble bowel during the day and evening. Dante is more of a eat a lot at one time and then stop. I'm sort of hoping that she'll enjoy the wet food so much that she won't mind loosing the kibble. The bad part is he can jump anywhere she can so I can't just put a separate dry bowl somewhere. Oh, well....

I've got Baytril tablets, and got a pill smasher - vet had suggested that, and then mixing with a nice smelly food, either the baby chicken or some sort of Friskies, and I do have a can of Trader Joe tuna for cats at home. While, after reading your posts, I'm going to look very hard for wet food that does not contain fish - and bless you for the suggestions - I figure if the tuna covers the Baytril for a bit, that's only a good thing at this point. Hey, the vet had mentioned a fairly new long-duration anti-biotic shot that just came out in the last few months. Unfortunately, only one manufacturer and it's fairly expensive, so not every vet is carrying it yet, but wouldn't that be a great thing for some cats and their parents. Sadly, ER vet didn't have this shot in stock yesterday.

Sharky, what ratios should I be looking for, do you think?

And, again, thank you for all the good vibes - I'm sure they did Dante good last night!

PS - ok, how do you get a cat to have a full bladder when you want him to? In the past, I know they were able to get a sample from Dante (of course, not yesterday when I really wanted one!), and I'd hate to leave him at the vet long enough for his bladder to fill if he's not, ah, cooperative at the follow-up appointment. I do take some comfort in his having a full blood panel at the end of May, and his work-up was perfect at that time. And ER vet said he looked and felt basically great yesterday.

Mazy has to have periodic urinalysis. I feed her a watery meal (water added to canned food to make a gravy) about an hour before we have to leave for the vet, then put her in her carrier and she has to stay in the carrier until vet time.

I hate doing it, I'm sure it causes some stress, but these tests are important. Having to leave her at the vet all day while they wait for her bladder to fill would be much more stressful.

I hope you can get the baytril in Dante that way, but I don't know. It's very bad tasting. When I give baytril I put it in an empty gel cap capsule. You can buy them on line or with a prescription from your vet at a compounding pharmacy.

Keep us posted!