Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother - Yay or Nay?

Has anyone tried giving this to their cats to cure any ailments they may have had?

If so, what did you give it to them for, how much of it did you give them, and did it work?

Also, does it help with issues such as dehydration (since it contains a lot of essential nutrients and vitamins and such) and issues related to the kidneys, i.e. crystals or stones?

Thanks!

I have never used Apple Cider Vinegar though know it has a reputation for being helpful with urinary tract issues. What kinds of problems are you seeing?  You really should discuss them with a vet first as apple cider vinegar is acidic and will change the pH of your cat's urine.  This can in and of itself cause crystals so it's best to use this remedy with care.  Again, I would discuss this with your vet just to be on the safe side. 

Okay, here it is. Bear with me here:

First the good:

My cat, Leo, is 17, yet overall, is in outstanding, I dare say "perfect" health.

• He eats well
• Drinks his water
• Has no trouble going to the litter box
• He's still alert, responding to his name and aware of his surroundings
• He still has his energy; he always jumps out from wherever he is and greets me at the door when I come home.  Then he flops on the floor and waits for me to tell him to "roll over", which he does, and he gets his treats immediately afterward.
• He still likes to cuddle and purr every night.
• He can still run at top speed... even up a whole flight of stairs!

Now for the other stuff:

• I don't think he has kidney failure, because I looked up the symptoms and I (thankfully) didn't find any matches.
• He did have crystals in his Urinary Tract.  Most if not all of them have been successfully dissolved at this point, by way of prescription diets; I had him on Hill's C/D.  He did eat it, but he wasn't too crazy about it, so he's now on Purina UR Veterinarian food, which he likes.
• He does need to put on some weight, but this is not kidney related.  He lost 3 lbs. when he got sick from a bad can of C/D, resulting in him throwing up and pooping everywhere.  (I thought he was done for right there!)
• Fortunately, we took him to the vet for that and got it under control.  I do know that he is still capable of putting on the weight, because he did briefly gain some of it back when we were giving him "Friskies Special Diet", which he loved and ate with gusto.  It was also said to maintain urinary tract health as well.
• The only reason this didn't continue was because Friskies discontinued the food; "low sales" they claimed.  (I would've bought their whole inventory!)
• One of the doctor's at Purina's Veterinary Department said that they could work out a weight gain regimen with my vet to help Leo regain his weight.
• Another concern of mine are his teeth and gums.  His teeth are still strong (as I sometimes find out the hard way), but he does have some tartar on his gums.  For now, I'm giving him "Dental Fresh for Cats" water additive to keep his oral health as good as possible.  For the first time in his life, Leo has minty fresh breath!
• A dental cleaning with anesthesia is out of the question at this point in his life for obvious reasons, but a company called "Houndstooth" is said to be able to clean a pet's teeth and gums without anesthesia.  I talked with one of their representatives and the procedure sounded safe enough (they take the animal's age and overall health into consideration as part of their way of doing things).
• As I said before, Leo has no trouble in the litter box, though sometimes when he goes in to the box, I hear him meowing.  I'm wondering if this has more to do with him or the litter itself?  It does tend to harden after a few uses.
• His eyes look a bit sunken into their sockets too.  I'm told hydration can help with this.  Can it?
• He did have a couple of nosebleeds a few weeks ago.  I recall him having a nosebleed when looking for his favorite food, almost like he was panicking.  Once I gave it to him, his nose stopped bleeding almost immediately.
• There is also the possibility that he ruptured a vessel in his nose after sneezing, which he had done in the past, or maybe it was from the dry heat in the house during the Winter months.  Thankfully, he hasn't had any nosebleeds in a couple of weeks now.
• He may have dehydration.  He likes to drink from the sink, but just yesterday, I caught him drinking out of my rinsing cup (it was clean), and he was really lapping it up.  He came back seven times, and seven times I refilled the cup and he drank from it for a while.  At least when he finished, his coat looked smoother and felt fluffier.  If he continues to drink like this, is it good if it yields positive results?
• Going back to my original question, does Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother contain the nutrients found in hydration fluids, or at least similar ones?
• Or does it create a "chain reaction" of sorts where it first clears up any present problem (if any) and encourages more eating, drinking, energy, etc.?
• Lastly, his bottom lip seems to be drooping a bit.  The "Houndstooth" dentist said this could be a dental issue; maybe swollen gums or something with his nerves?  Everyone else is saying that it's just aging, but I can't help but think it's something else.

Phew!  Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to just let everything be known.  Any input would be appreciated, especially ones from people who have used ACV w/Mother for any kitty ailments.