Struvite Crystals

How long should you use Hills S/d? I am giving my cat 1/4 dry s/d becuase she will not eat the wet. I am mixing Friskies special diet with Newmans Own 2-3 x a day....canned food. I just dont think she should be on c/d or s/d for long. I have already read the catinfo.org.

has anybody just did thier own thing  and the crystals went away??  What tests should the vet do to make sure they are gone? blood work? urinalysis?

Has anyone had a sterile urinalysis done?

Do not change food until you have discussed with the vet.  He has all the information on how bad the crystals were in your kitty.  Every cat is a different case.

My cat Beeba is still on C/D.  He blocked 3 years ago.  I look at it as medicine for that is what it is.

If you start adding foods and changing things around, he could block again.  I cannot stress enough.  Do not change any food until you check with your vet.  You wouldn't change antibiotics or heart meds without checking.  This is the same thing.

I agree. Don't change the food without talking to your vet. I have had two blocked cats. Both of them ate the prescription food for the rest of their lives. Muffin is still eating it now. My vet told me he could block again and you don't want to rock the boat. Does your vet know you are mixing in the Friskie's. If he doesn't you might want to tell you vet the cat won't eat the S/D and get the vet to change his food to some other UR food that the cat will eat. We had to try three different kinds to get one Muffin would eat last year after he had surgery for Cancer. His appetite went downhill and he would no longer eat the prescription food he had eaten most of his life. We finally got him to eat a combination of UR Purina wet and dry.

Good luck with you cat.

I am giving her 2/3 s/d and 1/3 c/d.....we are transitioning to Hills c/d . I did tell the vet and she said as  long as the prescription diet was 2/3 of her main food....we would see how she did.

How did your vet do a urinalysis?  I am trying to catch a sample on my own....I did once before.

Diana Crabtree said:

I am giving her 2/3 s/d and 1/3 c/d.....we are transitioning to Hills c/d . I did tell the vet and she said as  long as the prescription diet was 2/3 of her main food....we would see how she did.
How did your vet do a urinalysis?  I am trying to catch a sample on my own....I did once before.

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I don't remember about that. It has been too many years ago. My cats developed the crystals at a young age. Speedboat was 13 when he died and it was not from any urinary problem. Muffin is still living at age 13. He has eaten the prescription food for 10 years. He was totally blocked two times and kept several days at the emergency clinic. My cats didn't stay on the SD long. I do remember that. They are transitioned to C/D or W/D for long term maintenance. They got so they wouldn't eat the S/D. The vet said the C/D or W/D would be okay for them and they ate it many years. Muffin was changed last year when he had surgery for an abdominal mass which turned out to be liver cancer. He now eats Purina UR wet and dry.

Did you read the Urinary Tract Health section on catinfo.org? It addresses all of your questions - when to use s/d temporarily, why free catch samples are not accurate, which tests are done to see if the s/d is working, etc.

Check out a thread LDG started about struvite crystals with one of her cats. She even got rid of sludge left in the bladder.

I have been through this 3 times w/ angel in the past year. (Thank goodness for care credit!!!)

 Thank goodness never a blockage, but lots of struvite crystals in the bladder. They were visible during an ultrasound. I agree w/ everyone else. Angel is now on Purina UR,  (after trying everything else) & will probably have to stay on it for yrs. if not forever. (I also still mix filtered water in w/ his food).

I have been able to catch a sample by just quickly, but swiftly swooping under him from behind just as he is squatting. HOWEVER, it is hard to get a good urinalysis form this, & they usually want a "fresh" sample, which means slightly sedating her for a catheter to be used.

When I have done it, I made sure the container (small, shallow jar) was very clean, then put some alcohol in it to shake it around, (to get the inside of the lid too), then let air dry for sanitary reasons. This way, I know the jar is sterilized.  The most important thing is, you HAVE to get it there with in 20 Min's. or so. If it sets to long, it will develop crystals on it's own, & that's why it's hard to get a "real" sample reading from it.

I have threads I started each time angel had one, if you want to check them out for info as well. I got a lot of great advice from others on this site.

I would strongly recomend LDG's thread as well, as she is the main one who has helped me so much, so many times!

I wish you luck with all of this,  I know it's not fun to go through! Keep us posted.