food suggestions

My sister has 2 very big male cats. They are a little overweight but not as much as people think. They are just very very big cats. They are also very picky cats. One had a urinary tract blockage and now occasionally starts having problems with urinary leakage that goes away with pain killers. They were put on wet food because of that. However they keep getting tired of wet food and after going through all the wellness flavors are refusing food again. Prior to that they started refusing evo. They actually prefer dry food to wet food. I'm going with my sister to a few stores to look at various pet foods available. Do you think she could go back to dry? Any brand suggestions for wet or dry?

You have lots of questions.

Have she talked to her vet? PLEASE do if she has not ..
What dry food are they eating?

My boy had crystals - I beg your sister to talk with the vet and see if a prescription diet is in order to treat the urinary issues. If so, there are dry versions in all the lines. My boy doesn't care for wet, so I've gone down that road.

and, no, prescription food isn't all that expensive. But for the cats' health, please consult with a vet.

Personally I think prescription food is overpriced and no better than middle quality foods out there. The stuff her vet has suggested neither of us would ever feed a pet. I probably wouldn't even give it to my chickens and they are garbage disposals.

Originally Posted by Akane

Personally I think prescription food is overpriced and no better than middle quality foods out there. The stuff her vet has suggested neither of us would ever feed a pet. I probably wouldn't even give it to my chickens and they are garbage disposals.

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You do understand that RX foods for animals = a prescription for a human or an animal...

RX foods have MEDICAL reasons and Lots of research to back them up..

If Your child or yourself had a uti and the dr told you to eat specific foods , would you ?

Originally Posted by Akane

My sister has 2 very big male cats. They are a little overweight but not as much as people think. They are just very very big cats. They are also very picky cats. One had a urinary tract blockage and now occasionally starts having problems with urinary leakage that goes away with pain killers. They were put on wet food because of that. However they keep getting tired of wet food and after going through all the wellness flavors are refusing food again. Prior to that they started refusing evo. They actually prefer dry food to wet food. I'm going with my sister to a few stores to look at various pet foods available. Do you think she could go back to dry? Any brand suggestions for wet or dry?

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How about rotating some canned foods? I have to do this with my one kitty who has kidney failure as he will eat 1 can of one food then refuse to eat it again. So I'll rotate different types of food - which probably won't help stabilize his kidney levels but he has to eat!!! So my suggestion is to find a few canned foods your sister's cats like and rotate them. If one of the cats has a urinary problem, I would strongly suggest staying with wet - also, dry food can contribute to weight gain. If rotating does not help, then ask your vet about the urinary formulas both in the wet and dry. Hills has c/d which is a maintenance food for urinary health - they make canned formulas with chicken or seafood and a dry with chicken. Royal Canin makes Urinary SO in dry and canned; Purina makes Urinary STOx in dry and canned - lots of options.

Try to look for canned foods with less than 0.1%magnesium - you don't want an extremely high level of protein but an adequate one as cats need a higher level of protein than dogs. No fish-based foods as the magnesium content is high. There is now a bit of 'controversy' as to whether magnesium contributes to urinary crystoliths but to me better to be safe than sorry. Most foods do not list the magnesium content so you may have to contact the manufacturer for that information.