Stinky Poo, NASTY breath, UI issues

Hi all! I need advice. Here's my dilemma:

We have three cats. Currently ALL of them are eating SD C/D. My boy, LB, has a narrow urethra and prone to crystals and blockage. I CANNOT, separate everyone at feeding time. They all want to eat out of the same bowl even.

C/D is wet. I want to supplement with a good dry, I HATE C/D's ingredients, but it works. So I am not switching.

I USED to feed C/D, along with EVO or NatBal Grain Free varieties. Everyone did well on that.

I then read here, that Grain Free is a HUGE no no for UI kitties. So I switched to the original NatBal. I think it's called Ultimate or something. Anywho...the smell of the Poo is HORRRRRREEEEEEENNNNNDDDOOOUS!!

OMG! It's like sweet and SO potent, it infiltrates ALL the fabrics in the house. Even AFTER I stopped the food and changed the little box, it was 2 days before the scent was completely gone from the house.

I REALLY need a HIGH QUALITY, food, good for breath, coats, shedding etc. Minimum grains, and good grains at that, which will be good for my UI kitty as well. (Along with C/D) Btw, he did just fine with the grain free combined with C/D, I just don't want to take the chance.

I am at a loss. I've be searching the forums and am just more confused than ever.

THANKYOU!

Have you considered Hills dry CD kibble? My boy needs CD for his UTI issues, and he and my girl are both getting both wet and dry CD at this point. My boy did have some poo issues as we were switching, but I think the fish wet CD just didn't agree with him - he seems fine on the chicken wet CD, and they both adore the kibble.

At least with regards to your one boy, I seriously wouldn't do any switching without a consultation with your vet. The internet is nice and everything, but it's just not a substitute for the vet that's caring for your pet.

Originally Posted by darlili

Have you considered Hills dry CD kibble? My boy needs CD for his UTI issues, and he and my girl are both getting both wet and dry CD at this point. My boy did have some poo issues as we were switching, but I think the fish wet CD just didn't agree with him - he seems fine on the chicken wet CD, and they both adore the kibble.

At least with regards to your one boy, I seriously wouldn't not do any switching without a consultation with your vet. The internet is nice and everything, but it's just not a substitute for the vet that's caring for your pet.

Click to expand...

I don't want to switch. I will keep them on c/d. They have always been on a high quality dry as well, and have done just fine. I just stopped the grain free dry I was feeding because I found out it could be a problem because it was grain free. I don't know what dry food to feed them to replace the grain free. I want to feed them a good, natural food. No corn, or wheat, good grains only. But I'm at a loss.

I am just wanting a dry food to replace the grain free that I was feeding. They will always get the C/D as well.

Just again, with the one boy at least, I would definitely consult with the vet regarding any diet change - including from a dry to another dry, even if supplemented with the wet CD. If I misread you, I apologize.

Honestly, at least with the one cat, I wouldn't base a decision on any internet forum's advice - most of them are neither vets nor certified feline nutritionists, and ingredients that don't look good to a lay person may have medicinal effects that are needed for a particular cat.

But good luck - choosing a food is just a nightmare in many respects, and sometimes the ones that look best on the label, well, just don't work with the kitty.

What about C/D dry and a high quality grain-free wet?

Really, your male should be on c/d only. dry or wet or both, it should be the only thing he eats. I wouldn't be willing to risk it, myself, not with a male with blockage problems.

Sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. The c/d kibble is made the way it is (with corn) for a reason. And that reason is your boy who blocks. I'd love to have Mazy on a "better" food, but any time I have tried to change her the crystals come back.

And of course as was already said, please consult your vet before making any changes in your FLUTD boy's diet.

PS

Mazy (who eats c/d kibble only) has very sweet breath, and her poops are the tiniest and least smelly of all three cats.

In fact her's hardly smell at all.

The fact that they are tiny means that her little body is using as much of the food as possible, and getting the nutrition from it she needs.

Foods full of junk make for big poops. Mazy's poops are petite!

C/D is only meant to be used for 12 weeks though. A longer term plan needs to be established (with the help of the vet involved of course).

I didn't ask in my first post though, why are you not able to separate your cats for meals? I also had 3 cats up until a few weeks ago - just 2 now. 1 with food allergies, 1 with FLUTD and the other had neither problem. It didn't take long for them to figure out the routine and they all wait in their individual feeding places for food.

Originally Posted by whiteforest

C/D is only meant to be used for 12 weeks though. A longer term plan needs to be established (with the help of the vet involved of course).

I didn't ask in my first post though, why are you not able to separate your cats for meals? I also had 3 cats up until a few weeks ago - just 2 now. 1 with food allergies, 1 with FLUTD and the other had neither problem. It didn't take long for them to figure out the routine and they all wait in their individual feeding places for food.

Click to expand...

Hills Prescription c/d multicare is a maintenance food, fed for life.

Hills Prescription s/d is meant for short term use.

I also have three cats and feed three different diets. Cats are not difficult to train to this method.

Originally Posted by otto

Hills Prescription c/d multicare is a maintenance food, fed for life.

Hills Prescription s/d is meant for short term use.

Click to expand...

You're probably right. It's been a while since I dealt with the prescription diets as they never worked for my cats.

First off. Thanks! I do totally appreciate the advice. We take LB in for testing regularly, and the vet said he is fine to supplement with a normal dry as long as he keeps testing well. He just doesn't have any suggestions solid suggestions. (as they are all trained to push SD) the natural foods to them are all the same.

The reason I can't feed them separately is, i just don't have the energy to keep everyone apart. I weigh over 500lbs. I get around just fine, and am working out 5 days a week with a trainer (who is doing it pro-bono to help me lose the weight) but I am usually too sore and tired to chase after three very quick and in shape cats twice a day! lol!!

I plop some wet in the big dish, separate it into thirds and put some dry in the middle! VIOLA! Done!

I am just looking for a high quality, food that contains grains that my boy needs, that isn't going to make their poop atomic like the NB did!

lol Maybe I just need to get over myself and not worry so much about the kind of food I am feeding. Just as long as it works.

LB needs corn in his dry food. Corn is used for cats because it is a protein source that is low in ash and acts as a urine acidifier .

Why not just eliminate the dry food altogether, and feed only the canned?

Hill's Prescription Diet is not the same thing as Science Diet. Science Diet is a grocery store food. The Prescription foods are made specially for the disorders they target.

Vets carry them as a convenience for their clients. They could just as easily write a prescription and tell you to get it elsewhere. They do not make much profit on Prescription food sales, though there isn't any reason why they shouldn't, as it is a business and vets have to eat too.

I am grateful for Prescription foods because I don't think Mazy would have a very nice life if she was in pain all the time.

I'm glad you have LB tested routinely. I do with Mazy also. It's so important!

I don't run after my cats. They each have their own Meal Spot in the kitchen and they sit and wait there until I put a dish of food in front of them. I feed the slowest eater first, fastest eater last. They each just sit and wait. I've always fed my cats this way, not just the current gang.

Hope you can get things figured out!

Otto, you have the most polite cats in the world! My two are pretty good about liking their own bowls and spots - but, they always manage to visit each other's bowls as well - and I've got the bowls in separate rooms!

Sometimes, I think, you just have to do what works for the cats and doesn't cause undue stress for them or for you! Heck, when I was supposed to lock Dante up for 24 hours to get a urine sample with the darn plastic litter (vet couldn't get a sample as he was dry at the exam time), I don't know who was more upset, him or me. We eventually found a time when Dante hadn't yet gone to the bathroom, and I whisked him off the to the vet - and I still cringe when they take him 'back' to get the sample.

Originally Posted by darlili

Just again, with the one boy at least, I would definitely consult with the vet regarding any diet change - including from a dry to another dry, even if supplemented with the wet CD. If I misread you, I apologize.

Honestly, at least with the one cat, I wouldn't base a decision on any internet forum's advice - most of them are neither vets nor certified feline nutritionists, and ingredients that don't look good to a lay person may have medicinal effects that are needed for a particular cat.

But good luck - choosing a food is just a nightmare in many respects, and sometimes the ones that look best on the label, well, just don't work with the kitty.

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by otto

Really, your male should be on c/d only. dry or wet or both, it should be the only thing he eats. I wouldn't be willing to risk it, myself, not with a male with blockage problems.

Sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. The c/d kibble is made the way it is (with corn) for a reason. And that reason is your boy who blocks. I'd love to have Mazy on a "better" food, but any time I have tried to change her the crystals come back.

And of course as was already said, please consult your vet before making any changes in your FLUTD boy's diet.

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by otto

LB needs corn in his dry food. Corn is used for cats because it is a protein source that is low in ash and acts as a urine acidifier .

Why not just eliminate the dry food altogether, and feed only the canned?

Hill's Prescription Diet is not the same thing as Science Diet. Science Diet is a grocery store food. The Prescription foods are made specially for the disorders they target.

Vets carry them as a convenience for their clients. They could just as easily write a prescription and tell you to get it elsewhere. They do not make much profit on Prescription food sales, though there isn't any reason why they shouldn't, as it is a business and vets have to eat too.

I am grateful for Prescription foods because I don't think Mazy would have a very nice life if she was in pain all the time.

I'm glad you have LB tested routinely. I do with Mazy also. It's so important!

I don't run after my cats.

They each have their own Meal Spot in the kitchen and they sit and wait there until I put a dish of food in front of them. I feed the slowest eater first, fastest eater last. They each just sit and wait. I've always fed my cats this way, not just the current gang.

Hope you can get things figured out!

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by darlili

Otto, you have the most polite cats in the world! My two are pretty good about liking their own bowls and spots - but, they always manage to visit each other's bowls as well - and I've got the bowls in separate rooms!

Sometimes, I think, you just have to do what works for the cats and doesn't cause undue stress for them or for you! Heck, when I was supposed to lock Dante up for 24 hours to get a urine sample with the darn plastic litter (vet couldn't get a sample as he was dry at the exam time), I don't know who was more upset, him or me. We eventually found a time when Dante hadn't yet gone to the bathroom, and I whisked him off the to the vet - and I still cringe when they take him 'back' to get the sample.

Click to expand...

Both of the above posters have some wonderful insight...My advice is Talk with your vet ( this can be done over the phone) and get the % of minerals and protein and fat that would be best for the kitty in ??, then ask us

Ok! I will do just that! Thanks so much you guy. I really appreciate it. I am off to the fish store now for my other addiction. Fish keeping. lol

I have to keep the fish locked up though. Emma, our white one, is RELENTLESS. She does NOT understand "no". She will REPEATEDLY jump up and over me to get to the fish.

Her momma was a stray we rescued, helped raise her babies, spayed/neutered everyone and adopted out the lot. We kept Emma. I PRAAAAAYED for a white kitten and got TWO!! (I think I picked the best of the lot. )

ANYWAY! HA!

On the way to the fish store, I will stop by the vet's while I am out!!