Our youngest was diagnosed with a Severe UTI

Oh your poor baby!

Unfortunately, the corn helps create a neutral pH in the bladder, which is what they need to prevent the crystals. Two of our boys had struvite crystals at one point (close in time to each other), and one had calcium oxalate crystals. We didn't switch to the prescription diet, and the crystals came back. We switched to the prescription diet, and the crystals didn't come back.

Sometimes an all wet diet will work. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we have to put aside our notion of healthy and our understanding of what is best for cats and give them what their bodies respond to.

Are you feeding him the c/d wet? Or just the dry? Or both?

I'd get him stabilized, then slowly reintroduce other wet food. Sometimes keeping their urine dilute is enough. But some cats are just ... very sensitive. There are several kitties here that if given even the smallest amount of fish (as a main ingredient) and they immediately have bladder/uti problems. So it really just depends upon your kitty and his sensitivities.

But if he has a severe uti after having suffered for a month... I wouldn't worry about switching any time soon. He's going to need at LEAST a few months.

My boy is on CD for crystals - and I'm thrilled to pay for a food that keeps him healthy (like, no crystals and great bloodwork his last senior panel). I really don't find the price that high - it's a very dense food, so work with the vet re portion size. I'm not paying any more than for any other premium food out there, gauged on how long it lasts - and, of course, having a healthy cat is priceless.

Myself - don't care if the internet doesn't like Hills or Science Diet, or even if the ingredients look odd to me, as a lay person - the key thing is a healthy cat. I actually thank God that Hills is out there - otherwise it's very probable my boy would have had a very painful death.

If you want to change foods, I beg you to work with your vet - make sure she's in the loop regarding what your cat is actually eating, and make sure you get in for urine checks pretty often til he's stabilized.

But please consider that Hills CD, like other prescription foods, has a long track record of actually working - to me, and my boy - that's what counts. BTW, if it's difficult to feed one cat the CD and not the others, it may be useful to know that CD is considered a maintenance food for adult cats. My girl has eaten it for two years and, knock wood, also had great results in her last senior panel.

I wish you luck and hope your little guy is feeling better -I had a UTI myself last year and it was so painful.

I would first of all remove the Nutro entirely. (If that means tossing your whole bag of food because its mixed in there, then so be it.)

If your vet wants him on the medicated food exclusively, do what he says. Transistion him over to it, and don't stop until all signs of UTI are gone. Then, slowly introduce one kind of wet. No fish flavors. Take him back in after a few weeks to be retested. If he is in the clear, then stick to a wet only diet. If the UTI returns, I'd say he might have to be on the medicated food for life, yes.

I also recommend reading this: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

I am so sorry for your kitty....
The new diet, Is it Hills (Prescription) or Science Diet (OTC, can be purchased anywhere)? There is a huge difference in between the two, even though they are from the same manufacturer.... Hills is considered part of the therapy - alongside with medicine, almost like it. Science Diet is another thing entirely. Hills works really well for what's intended.

I totally agree! Spud had bladder crystals and spent a week at the vets with a catheter in place. I got him to the vet in the nick of time. He was a year and a half at the time. He was put on CD and the only other time he had a problem was when I tried another food. He ate CD for the rest of his life. He went to the Rainbow Bridge in April, he would have celebrated his 17th birthday a few days ago. So CD helped my Spuddy live a long, healthy life. Both Siam and Thai ate the CD along with Spud even they had no UT problems. Everyone thrived on it.

I'd just like to add in - I have a kitty who has had UTI problems, blood in urine, etc - severe. I have to keep him on the C/D or his problems return. He gets wet food daily, but otherwise eats only C/D.

My Beeba had crystals 2 years ago. Has been on C/D since. He may be for the rest of his life.

I would follow the vets instructions.

In the case of crystals, their food is their medicine.

^^This!

i think it depends on the severity of the crystals. my cat had them and we put him on an Rx diet for urinary issues. this worked well but I thought it would be worth a shot to see if we could switch to an all-canned diet selected to maintain proper pH and keep him hydrated. he's been on it for several months now and has no recurrence of crystals (had a few urinalyses done in that time). but i guess some cats are more vulnerable and need the special food that can dissolve crystals. but it might be worth a try.