Cat developed FLUTD while on Raw

Hello everyone, I hope I can get some help here!  I have 2 male siberian cats.  They have been fed raw (Natures Variety Duck Medallions) and Orijen Cat & Kitten for the past couple years.  They are large cats - about 22/24 pounds.  They received about 4 or 5 one oz medallions & 1/4 cup of dry food a day.

One of my cats recently developed struvite crystals and had to be hospitalized for a little bit.  He is now ok and his urine is clear of crystals - the vet prescribed Royal Canin SO (of course..) which I've been feeding him.  I really hate feeding him this food since it's poor quality & I can visually see the difference in him too - his fur is now matte (it used to be shiny) and has a ton of mats developing.  I would like to transition him back to raw but am scared since that is what he was on when he developed the crystals.  My vet is AGAINST raw completely so they are no help.

My questions:

1. Do you think the FLUTD came from the dry food? Orijen cat & kitten does have some fish and the ash level is 8%, which I've read Ash in dry food should be max 7%.  I would not go back to dry, but want re-assurance the FLUTD crystals came from the dry food...

http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-food/dry-cat-food/cat-kitten/

2. Do you think switching raw formulas would help?  The natures variety formula used to be marketed for cats, but they had recently switched it a while ago to just be for dogs.  My cats love the duck formula, so I just kept them on it.  I've been looking into Primal Pork due to the high moisture content but am not sure!

3. I've seen the site Hare Today, but am scared to go from the pre-packaged raw to the whole prey.  Does anyone know what meat I would even get?  or supplement with?

4. Should I just stick to the Royal Canin?  

Thanks so much!

Nature's Variety Instinct does make raw cat food: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw-food-cats You must be feeding the raw duck for dogs. The raw dog food no longer contains taurine which cats need. The dry food you were also feeding provided enough taurine to prevent a deficiency.

Feed what you feel is best for your cats, no matter what the vet says. If you choose to go back to the NV raw, please fed the cat food not the dog food.

Hare-Today.com is a great place to get raw meats and organs. Start with something your cats like, usually chicken or duck. First though, figure out what kind of homemade raw diet you want to do. Some people here do frankenprey or prey model. Others follow a recipe such as the one at Catinfo.org Others use a pre-mix with raw meat, a really easy to make a complete diet. Commercial raw pet food is also an option and there are many brands out there.

It's hard to say if some dry food resulted in the urinary issue. Some cats may just be prone to urinary issues no matter what the diet is. Others can get urinary issues from stress. I don't think it would hurt to completely stop feeding all dry food. If your cats need a snack when you are not home, you can leave freeze dried or air dried raw out or some canned food in a programmable timed feeder.

I absolutely agree that some cats are just genetically more likely to get FLUTD, and the best diet in the world isn't enough to prevent it You can't point to any one food and say that was the cause.

I remember another member here whose cat got crystals despite a 100% raw diet. Her vet was supportive of raw feeding, and she was managing it by adding DL-methionine to the diet - under veterinary supervision I hasten to add. This is NOT something to play with without veterinary guidance. I just looked for the thread but 8 can't find it at the moment.

Sometimes these things just happen. You can drive yourself crazy looking for the trigger - if indeed there was an identifiable one. All you can do is go from where you are now.

I can understand you not being thrilled with the Royal Canin ingredients. I'm not either, but it is proven to to its job with the crystals. I wouldn't advise stopping it close to the crystals episode - it does help dissolve crystals so they can be passed more easily, and that will be necessary at the moment. Remember that crystals issues are most likely to recur with the first 6-12 months after the initial presentation. Personally, I wouldn't want to take away the support the medicated food gives at this stage.

Your best bet is probably to find a vet who supports raw feeding and discuss switching from the kibble to DL-methionine supplementation. I certainly wouldn't make dietary changes at this stage without veterinary advice.

LTS3, 

Thank you for your reply & the information on the raw duck with taurine - My other cat (the one without the FLUTD) is solely eating those dog medallions now, without the dry for the past month since I took both cats off the dry food.  I am going to switch him immediately & give him dry for that taurine. I hope he is ok, I didn't know it was that different, otherwise I would have switched formulas

I wish it was easier to pinpoint what caused the flutd, but I understand what you are saying.  I will definitely look at the diets you mentioned, Your suggestions are very helpful.  The pre-mix with raw meat sounds easiest, It's quite intimidating to try to make my own raw diet formula.  I am going to switch my non-flutd cat to one of the new diets and keep my flutd cat on the 2 cans of Royal Canin with a little supplementation of the raw to meet his caloric requirements for right now I think.  Eventually I hope I will transition him back to raw though.  I'll have to look into the freeze-dried too- When we went on vacation, it was much easier to tell people how much dry to feed them vs. how to thaw out and feed the raw. Thanks for the help!

Columbine, Thank you for your reply as well.  It's hard to accept that he's prone to flutd as I am the type who keeps researching like a crazy person looking for answers, but I understand what you are saying .  I am in the process of looking for a holistic vet in my area.  Unfortunately the ones close to me have less than stellar reviews... But I'm going to see.  I would love to speak to an actual vet about their diet but it seems there are a million vets in my area - and none of them support raw.  I think I may end up trying one of  the holistic ones though & seeing..  I appreciate your advice on the royal canin and keeping my flutd cat on it.  It has only been about 2 weeks since he's been back home, so you are right..Maybe keeping him on the royal canin 2 cans + supplementing his extra calories with a little bit of raw is the best idea for now.  Until I can find that vet, at least.  Thank you very much again, much appreciated.

You might want to check out the Hill's c/d food (their prescription urinary food). If memory serves, they have slightly better (ie higer meat content) ingredients. That's the only switch I'd consider at this time. I would always double check with your current vet first though