Struvite Crystals?

Does anyone have suggestions on maintaining a cate diagnosed with 2 struvite crystals?

I have a 1 yr old, neutered male on a combo of dry and wet Holistic Select food.
I noticed he was straining to urinate and took him to the vet. The culture showed crystals.
They put him on the standard S/O diet (animal bi-products?) and he cleared the stones and is using the toilet again.

Now I am worried about starting the Holistic food again.
I've been mixing water with his food now but may be overdoing it.

I also bought Nature's Herbs for Pets: Urinary Relief.
www.onlynaturalpet.com
The reviews seemed positive for crystal relief.

Anyone with experience on this subject?
Thank you!

Hi and welcome to the site!! I don't have any up to date experience with crystals. It was many many years ago I had a cat with crystals and my vet at the time put him on Hills W/D. But a lot of things probably have changed since then. I currently and just recently am having an issue with blood in one of my cats urine but no crystals showed up. I also feed and rotate Holistic Select wet and think it is an excellent diet but would be concerned to use it again as well. I am questioning my cats diets now too. The one thing I have been reading about urinary issues is to go to an all wet diet for the cat. Will be interested to see who else comes along here with information. Much luck to you and your kitty

I have a cat who had crystals, and he is on the Royal Canin SO diet. I just posted about him in another thread because he appeared to have a blockage last night, and I was concerned about the crystals returning. He needs another checkup tomorrow morning (and I'll update that thread then - I'm about to fall asleep right now), but right now its looking like he has some inflammation, but no crystals.

So I'm telling you that because when he did have crystals it was BAD. Between the crystals and the bladder stones it was an overall horrible situation. He's been on the SO diet since then. That was almost 2 years ago and even with this problem he is having right now, he still seems to be crystal free.

So while i understand the want and the need to feed your cats holistic food, I also just want to say that prescription diets are prescription diets for a reason. It actually really bugs me that there is so much stuff out there about how cat foods with animal by-products and fillers are bad for your cat. In a healthy, normal cat, I completely understand why you would want to feed a better diet than what is in most prescription food. But in a cat with a medical problem, the prescription food was created, tested and used to prevent that problem from re-occurring. Its not an actual medicine, but it functions like one. So to me, I may not like that animal by-products are one of the main ingredients, but you know what? Moses almost died from his crystals, and ever since he started eating the SO food hes been crystal free. So there is clearly something in that food that is keeping him healthy. I'm not against holistic food and the obviously healthier food, but just please keep in mind that its a prescription diet for a reason. I have heard way too many stories about cats with crystals who were given a prescription food that their owner took them off of for various reasons (cost...or the fact that they didn't like the ingredients) and the problem came right back. I know that there are definitely cats who have had crystals, and eventually gone back to a non-prescription food and have been fine, but you really don't want to mess with something like crystals. Its something that can get really bad, REALLY fast. So just because you personally don't like the ingredients, just remember that its designed to serve a purpose. I'll feed my cats animal by-products, grains and fillers if it keeps them healthy!


ETA: I do know that adding water to a diet for a cat with crystals is a good thing, but since it really is a problem that can turn very serious, very quickly,I'd really discuss it with your vet to see what he thinks. I'm not saying to always blindly trust the vet, but I'm saying to ask questions. Ask him why he recommends a certain food and not another food. Do some research on why the food is designed the way it is and the MANY cats that have led very healthy lives on it. There's more than one urinary diet out there, so you could have very well found a holistic one, but just don't switch to it without talking to the vet first. And just remember that what looks like bad ingredients to you, are ingredients that are keeping your cat crystal free. Good luck with this!

My boy was diagnosed with struvite crystals two years ago come September. He's been on Hills C/D wet and dry, and, knock wood, no crystals have reappeared.

My strong, and urgent, advice to you is to work with your vet regarding care and diet.

While some of the prescription foods may not look 'good' to us laymen, those foods are designed for a reason - to treat a specific condition or disease. No one on the internet has examined your cat.

Again, if you are really resistant to using the prescribed food, please please please keep your vet in the loop as to exactly what you are prescribing as diet for cat, and please take the cat in for frequent urine checks (and know exactly where your emergency vet is - these peeing issues always seem to come up nights, weekends and holidays). And, you can always get a second opinion.

Good luck - I'm still on constant pee patrol, because these crystal issues can go bad very very quickly.

Good advice there.....work with the vet. Crystals can be life threatening. Don't go it alone. Your vet needs to be in the loop.

My Beeba had crystals 2 years ago. Went on Hills s/d and then transferred to c/d. Has been on that since.

May not be the best ingredients, but it is medicine. Just as amoxy, or Baytril is a med....the food is too.

It can be daunting to deal with these nasty things...but following the vets advice and not making any changes on your own is the key to success.

Hey there! My cat Vestrial has had an ongoing issue with crystals. He was first diagnosed when he was three i think...hes fifteen now. I tried all of the prescription foods, and it seemed that for a while there i had to rotate them, after three months or so we would have another er visit. I give him blue buffalo wilderness dry food and wet food now, it has worked for the last three years, he also has a fountain with distilled water. I have no idea if the distilled water actually helps, but because of the ph balance of the cat effecting crystal production i read somewhere that distilled water may help. The fountain helps with enticing him to drink more. Getting water into thier system is imperative, my boy eneded up with rine like syrup at one point and had to have water put under his skin to flush him out. So i would recommend wet food and a fountain!