Adopted Friend's Cat With History of Struvite Blockages

dan32

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A close friend died recently. Her 10yo male was tranferred to the NJ-SPCA per her will and he was doing terrible in a shelter type environment - so I stepped in and picked him up today.

Looking over his medical records, he has a history of struvite blockages. He came home with Purina Urinary Tract Formula dry food and Royal Canin S/O cans which his original vet had prescribed for him. The SPCA was having no luck getting him to eat anything of the prescription foods. They told me he hadn't eaten in a week.

He is alert and friendly, but also overly fat and his coat is dry, dull and shedding. I had the same lackluster response from him offering up the two prescription foods. I tried a little grain-free kibble (not prescription) I had around on him and he ate it right up. I also offered up a selection of four canned foods which he rejected all. I am thinking he is a kibble addict.

It is probably too soon to tell, but I have had six males in the past and never had one with urinary blockages. Is this due to my good care or just my luck of the draw?

I suppose the most important thing after a week of not eating at all is to feed him whatever he wants, but my other two brothers have made the conversion to a commercial raw diet and their coats are immaculate and glossy in comparison. Ideally, if he (a third resident) is to merge into the household - all three will have to eat something similar. Having one cat with a special diet and two on something else just won't work around here.

Do you think if I could gradually convert him to raw that his blockage problems will resolve? He really doesn't seem to want the prescription foods at all.
 

ritz

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I just typed a lengthy response and lost it... burrr...
So briefly:
First I'm sorry for your loss of a friend, and second, thank you for taking on your friend's cat. I know that means a lot to your friend.
Personally, I wouldn't feed a cat who has a history of UTIs dry food, prescription or otherwise. At the least I'd feed him canned RX food. Dry food is, well, drying, and one of the ways of preventing sturvite crystals is increase how much water a cat drinks, in whatever manner you can. Water fountain; add liquid to canned food.
If the cat has been on Rx food and keeps on getting blockages, well that's the definition of insanity (trying the same thing and expecting different results).
Personally, I would transition your new cat to timed feedings and then to canned or raw. I see by your other posts you're probably familiar with that process, but check the articles in Health for a refresher.
I feed prey model raw and Ritz loves is. She is prone to stress induced UTIs, so I use Feliway plug ins, try to keep my--and her--schedule as routine as possible, and play with her. She hasn't had a crystal based UTI since I transitioned her to raw, though she did have a bacteria based on. As much as I like raw, it isn't a cure for everything. Were Ritz to develop another UTI, I would take Ritz to a holistic vet and try other supplements and homeopathic/holistic medicine before I would put Ritz on Rx food. But that's just me.
 

goholistic

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Hi @Dan32. I also wanted to say that I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. And THANK YOU for taking in this senior boy and giving him a chance.

I agree about a high-moisture diet. Although, if he really hasn't eaten in a week, I'd be way more concerned about his organ function at this point (i.e., fatty liver). He needs to eat something. I'm not sure what canned foods you tried, but have you tried Fancy Feast, Friskies, etc.?
 
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dan32

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I am trying to cobble together some knowledge of struvite crystals. His medical records indicate he had considerable "sand" that took some time to rinse out when he was hospitalized. Right at the moment, about all he is eating is my other cat's kibble (he loves) and ate a tiny amount of HQ canned food. He hadn't eaten at all while he was at the shelter - so I figure something (kibble) is better than nothing. He is drinking water.

I did not know him personally in his home environment, but my other friend who is the executor of the will said that he willingly ate the special RX diet, both kibble and canned. He won't touch it now.

I am concerned as after 24 hrs. I am not seeing a giant urine clump in the litter box, but then only a few very tiny poops. I guess we will go to my vet tomorrow and he can show me how to tell if he is blocked. He isn't straining currently. I know this post sort of crosses over between health and diet.

I am just trying to think aloud and determine if he is going to work out in our home environment here.
 
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dan32

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Hi @Dan32
. I also wanted to say that I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. And THANK YOU for taking in this senior boy and giving him a chance.

I agree about a high-moisture diet. Although, if he really hasn't eaten in a week, I'd be way more concerned about his organ function at this point (i.e., fatty liver). He needs to eat something. I'm not sure what canned foods you tried, but have you tried Fancy Feast, Friskies, etc.?
My guys are pretty much on raw diet now, but I had some Science Diet A/D, Wellness, and Friskies left around. He ate a tiny amount of the Wellness and rejected the Science Diet A/D which surprised me because all my guys love it. I have half a mind to go out to the grocery and get some Gerbers, which in my experience if they won't eat baby food - its pretty bad.
 

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If you give the s/d kibble make sure to add water to it - the more the better. If he doesn't eat it within an hour you have to throw it out because it will spoil.
 
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dan32

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I'm not having an easy time of this. I took him in to my vet - he isn't blocked. It seemed the primary focus from the NJ-SPCA was his two previous bouts of crystals - so I was also worried about same.

But probably eating at all is the issue at the moment. He is eating such a paltry amount of anything I can think to offer, baby food included. It has been difficult getting him to eat even 1/4 of a can at a sitting. I have to continually fluff it up and re-offer it to him. I am giving plenty of congratulatory pettings and pep talks, but eventually he just shuts off and goes to sleep.

Having had sick kitties in the past, even 1/4 of a can twice daily isn't a whole lot. I have tried Cypro and it doesn't seem to do anything to him. Maybe just talking to myself here. I should expect I think that he would start to recover after five days here away from the shelter.
 

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Is he still eating the kibble?  I agree that sometimes just getting them to eat is the best thing one can do for now.
 

ritz

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He could not be eating because he is depressed, mourning the loss of his former owner. How long has it been between the time your friend died and you picked him up from the shelter?
Here is a recent article about cats and mourning.
And I agree: right now the important thing is to get him to eat anything, though I vote for baby food--it has water.
 
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dan32

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I absolutely think he is mourning his former owner and his former life. He was put into a cage at the SPCA for two weeks and refused to eat anything at all. He has been here for a week tomorrow and is eating about 1/2 can (6 oz) daily plus some kibble. He is fairly chubby, so the reduced intake may not be all bad.

I was watching a PBS series called "My Wild Affair", about people who have raised wild animal babies. This particular episode was about a woman in Africa who attempted rescuing a two week old elephant orphan. She had pretty remarkable success for a number of months, until she has to leave for a few days to attend her daughter's wedding. The poor elephant pines for her so bad that he refuses eating and dies within a few weeks. This same woman is still tending to elephant orphans today 40 years later and what they learned was to rotate caretakers daily, so the animals don't bond too tightly to one person.

I saw that and thought of this poor cat boy who probably only knew his mom (my friend) his whole life. He is 10 years old, so probably set in his ways. It has made me think that any cats who only live with one person may bond too tightly to them.

It is my ultimate goal to merge him into the household and my other two boys are timed raw eaters (they just eat everything until its gone), so getting him to eat when the food is served will be key for his success in the house. I guess until he can eat that way, I will have to hold him back from joining the household as my other two will just eat everything out from under him.

So worst case may be that it takes him longer to assimilate than I originally thought. I am thinking to put up a screen door between him and my boys and try feeding them simultaneously on both sides of the door, so he can see the routine without having his food robbed. He ate pretty good straight through tonight, although there is still some daydreaming going on.
 

peaches08

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It is my ultimate goal to merge him into the household and my other two boys are timed raw eaters (they just eat everything until its gone), so getting him to eat when the food is served will be key for his success in the house. I guess until he can eat that way, I will have to hold him back from joining the household as my other two will just eat everything out from under him.

So worst case may be that it takes him longer to assimilate than I originally thought. I am thinking to put up a screen door between him and my boys and try feeding them simultaneously on both sides of the door, so he can see the routine without having his food robbed. He ate pretty good straight through tonight, although there is still some daydreaming going on.
I have a new kitty myself, and like your household I feed raw and timed meals rather than free feeding.  My problem is the opposite of yours, this new kitty needs weight, but we have the same problem in that it's raw or nothing in this house due to the health needs of my other 3.  What I did was new kitty (Freckles) had to live on my sun porch away from the other kitties so he could have free fed dry.  I worked on assimilating them to each other using techniques form other members here, but I had to pick up and lock up the dry to do so.  When I was asleep or at work, Freckles was locked up with his dry.  I slowly introduced the raw and now I'm at the stage where it hurts his feelings to be locked up from others so the dry is about to be over with.  I have to police meals because my others will walk right up and take Freckles food, and Freckles will back away and let them.  He is a slow eater right now, I sure hope that changes.  If not, it isn't like policing meals takes that long.

I realize that you're just trying to get him to eat at all, so I wonder if time alone may help, since new kitties even if friendly are stressful?  Maybe by himself but with a radio playing?  That's not the same as alone in a cage at SPCA since he smelled and heard other animals.
 
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dan32

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Thanks Peaches08 for the similar story. I put up the screen door between the new boy's room (the basement) and the upstairs so that he can meet my others (supposedly) through the door and get to know them. They are dying to meet him and already clawing at the screening - they also love to go down in the basement, so I am not sure which they want.

The new boy ate pretty puny tonight. He sort of licks excitedly at the wet food initially and then looks off into space after a few bites. It is a real trial getting him to finish off 1/4 of a 6 oz can at a sitting. I have had sick kitties before and I am remembering at least a 6 oz can per day should be going down. I barely know him so I am NOT going to force feed him. He either picks up on his own or... hate to say... he's not dying here on my watch.

Well, too soon to say all that I suppose. He was 16# previously from his medical records, then 14# recently when I took him into my vet last week. I would rather see him lose a few more pounds, but not at the expense of his health. He has been here a week now, I would think he should be adapting to the routine. All of his eating is spotty - kibble also. Yes, I have tried baby food also.
 

peaches08

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Years ago when I moved Grey (RIP) from free-fed dry to timed canned, I had to feed her using a spoon.  Yes, scooping up a little food in a spoon and feeding her that way.  Don't laugh, it got food into her until she got the hang of eating pate food.  Dry kibble sticks to the tongue and enters the mouth...pate keeps dropping off.  So I can see the confusion.  Taste differences too, mourning, etc of course all comes into play too.

How's he doing now?
 
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dan32

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Well, his appetite has improved greatly. I have learned that he does not particularly like his RX food, after successfully baiting him with Fancy Feast. He likes fish flavors in FF and my guy's GF kibble. I did get him to eat a small amount of raw as a snack item.

So, a couple of things now that he is eating - but still confined to the basement. I have been feeding him somewhat less than normal because he really needs to lose a couple of pounds more. I go back to my original question, in that food seems to be the stumbling block to his success.

Can non-RX food be fed that can act as a substitute for prescription RX food for struvite crystals? If I understand it right, they add acidifiers to the RX food to bring the urine PH down - but he doesn't really like it. What can I substitute for trying to force down a script-only food I don't really want to buy and he doesn't really want to eat? I never really had a cat with crystals before.

PS. The double standard in food (my guys getting raw), him getting Fancy Feast is already causing divisions. Suddenly my guys on raw are sniffing all that FF wafting by and not as enthusiastic about their raw. I have to get all three on the same page to preserve the sanity. I worked so hard getting my boys on raw that I think I will have to try and convert the new boy also.
 

ritz

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Can you test his urine on a regular basis?
You can add l-methionine (which is what is in the Rx foods), but you MUST monitor the pH level of his urine. Otherwise, you run the risk of him developing Oxalate crystals which cannot be dissolved.
Also, maybe I missed it, but how much water is he drinking. That is a/the key to preventing crystal formation.
Hopefully people with more knowledge about preventing crystals will offer their opinion/advice.
 
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dan32

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I guess I could test his urine. I had read about doing that. Gee, we barely know each other...

He is drinking a good amount of water and nice sized clumps in the litter box. I have been trying to downplay the kibble. He likes canned food OK. I had hoped to get him on raw. Just wondering if the raw in itself would resolve things. Or is litmus paper the proof?
 

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I too am sorry for your loss. God bless u for rescuing the kitty., I have one young male that would eat only grain free kibble and did not drink much, and another cat with crystals. My vet said from now on to feed dry as a snack only. They all eat grain free canned food with extra water added. My kitty that was blocked up now eats only Royal canin so urinary cannd food. Try the Weruva paw lickin chicken or the Steak frites or any one your kitty may like....it is also grain free. Good luck !!!!!!!!!!!! My cats lick their plates clean !!!!
 

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I guess I could test his urine. I had read about doing that. Gee, we barely know each other...

He is drinking a good amount of water and nice sized clumps in the litter box. I have been trying to downplay the kibble. He likes canned food OK. I had hoped to get him on raw. Just wondering if the raw in itself would resolve things. Or is litmus paper the proof?
My understanding is that the raw diet is acidic.  He might take to raw, give him time!
 

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Meat is naturally acidifying. A diet that's mostly meat (whether canned, cooked or raw) and is high in moisture may be all he needs. Or it may not, but it's worth a try, and if it isn't enough you can add l-methionine as well.
 
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