Help ! Switching my cat from Hills W/D Low Glucose

Hello ! My cat is 10 years old and a few years ago he had crystals in his bladder and urethra. He was eating sugary commercial foods then. This happened to him when he was around 3. Our vet prescribed him the Hills W/D dry and wet food which he has been doing ok on. I know this isn't the healthiest food for him and want to switch him to something better since we spend so much money on it. I also am looking for a food that isn't vet prescribed. I have been pushing off switching him due to lack of knowledge on this subject but I am also so very nervous to switch him to a different food after him being on the Hills for so long, and I also would be devastated if the crystals returned. Any recommendations on a comparable food would be appreciated. Thank you so much for reading .

There is a similar thread posted today asking the same question http://www.thecatsite.com/t/287783/which-prescription-food-is-best-for-preventing-crystals-in-urine See that for some suggestions. You can search the forum for other threads on diet and urinary issues.

Hi Tully, I took my cat off of the Hills C/D dry at the end of August and Royal Canin SO canned a month ago...he's now on commercial raw, low carb non-prescription canned food.  I'm monitoring his litter box behavior/clumps carefully to see how he does on this food...then get a urinalysis done on him in a few months with bated breath...I will post an update when that time comes as I, too, had the same questions about switching off of prescription food completely.

I would take him off all dry food. You can add a little water to his food (about 1 tablespoon) to make sure. Pick a food that is high protein and low carb, as carbs will cause the urine pH to rise. You want food that is 10% carbs or less.

You can read about how to feed you cat here:

http://www.catinfo.org

Dr. Pierson also publishes nutritional content charts:

http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

If you can, test his urine with urine pH strips. This provides feedback as to how his urine is reacting to the food change. You want a reading of around 6.5. Urine readings can fluctuate throughout the day, so take several before making conclusions.