Perscription Diets and Cystitis

Hello everyone,

I feel like I have done all the research I can, asked all the questions I can at my vet's office, and I still cannot find the answers to any of my questions.  The thing with asking my vet, is that at the end of the day, she is making money off me buying prescription food and she is making money off my animals pain; with that, I cannot and will not accept her advice as being the only advice.

My poor kitty is only 3 years old and has had quite a run-in with health issues.  She was given to us by a farmer that didn't want kittens on his farm,  and as you all probably know, when animals are given to a shelter, they don't always get a good fighting chance at being loved.  

As a kitty, the poor girl had a snotty nose (literally blowing snot bubbles) and I would constantly have to wipe her nose and drain the mucus from her nose.  Soon after, she stopped eating and scared me half to death.  One surgery, and many visits to the vet later, it was announced she had pancreatic issues.  We were able to get this issue under control with a W/D wet prescription diet,  however it is VERY costly, and continues to go up in price, yet my vet tells me this is the only diet for her.

I consistently read that this diet is NOT what is is cracked up to be, and it is not helping manage her cystitis.  My vet recommended and MORE EXPENSIVE PRESCRIPTION DIET, and that's when I knew, you're not helping me, you're earning off my poor fur baby's misfortune.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me.

Is there a diet I can give her BESIDES this w/d that can help her manage both issues?

I have tried the Feliway spray, i've tried playing with her more, she is on an anti depressant medication.  She has three litter boxes that are cleaned daily, she has LOTS of toys and LOTS of trees, scratching posts, and places to hide.  I mix lots of water with every meal, give her fresh water daily, and have fresh water available throughout the house.  I have tried mixing fishy oils and things to that effect in her water.....

I'm at a loss.

Any suggestions? Things I can try that I haven't?

This is NO quality of life for her, and she is only three.

Signed,

A DESPERATE mother

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about nutrition than I am will stop by and address your questions, but I do have an observation to make.  When you stop trusting your vet to put your cat's best interests before her own, it is often a sign that you need to find another vet.  You could at least get a second opinion and if it confirms your current vet's diagnoses and treatments, you'll have more peace of mind if you keep going to her.  It is really important to trust your vet, especially when you have a kitty with a lot of health issues.  The following article might be helpful:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-do-i-choose-a-veterinarian-for-my-cat

BTW:  it sounds like you are doing everything right when it comes to taking care of your kitty.  She obviously lucked out with a loving home - it was her lucky day when she was given to you.  And, since I see this is your first post - Welcome to TCS!  

So by cystitis, you mean urinary tract issues, right?

There's helpful info here about diet and urinary issues: http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

Jsarvari said:

 
I consistently read that this diet is NOT what is is cracked up to be, and it is not helping manage her cystitis.  My vet recommended and MORE EXPENSIVE PRESCRIPTION DIET, and that's when I knew, you're not helping me, you're earning off my poor fur baby's misfortune.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me.

Is there a diet I can give her BESIDES this w/d that can help her manage both issues?

Click to expand...

If you do not want to feed the prescription food, you don't have to. The vet can make suggestions and recommendations on treatment and diet, but they're just that - recommendations and suggestions, not an ultimatum or the one and only choice available. It's up to you the owner to do your own reasearch and make a decision. Feel free to seek out a second opinion from another vet.

For urinary issues you want to feed as much canned food as possible to keep the cat well hydrated and the urine diluted so that crystals and other stuff doesn't form. For pancreatitis, it's though that low fat food may help. I found this TCS thread on what to feed a cat with pancreatitis: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/187107/help-with-diet-for-cat-with-pancreatitis-please

Thank you very much I will check that out!

Yes that's what I'm referring to.

It is so nice to have somewhere to go and get another owner's opinion or advice, and know that you're not alone having to deal with this as it is very heart breaking.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to give me any advice you have; you have no idea how much it helps.

I'm sorry that things are so frustrating! Have you found any other vets in the area who could give you a 2nd opinion? You definitely don't *have* to feed a specific food, even if it's vet recommended.

So your cat has prancreatic issues and urinary tract issues?
I second the suggestion that you are free to seek out another vet for a second opinion. It's really important to have a relationship of trust between you and your health professional.
Our Raw & Home Cooked Forum may be very helpful to you if you're looking to really educate yourself about cat food. It's a pretty full-on undertaking to start with though, but if you really want to move away from the Hills prescription diets, it's important to make informed decisions about what to feed her instead.
My cat Pushy had a lot of trouble in his early years with crystals and we had him on the Hills c/d for quite a while. I do believe it helped him and I do recommend it still to get the situation under control. Now he's on a wet diet of various brands which I rotate through the week for variety. They're not prescription, but his condition has been managed so we don't need the Hills anymore.

Thank you everyone for you response, it is very much appreciated.

There is another vet in town, but only one that I can go to for a second opinion.  I live in a very secluded small town, so it makes it hard when it comes to second opinions, however I do have one lined up for her.  I have a huge book on nutrition and food that I have found VERY helpful when it comes to nutrition, but I'm trying to feel out some other canned foods and get more information before I attempt to do the switch to a raw diet as she will probably adjust easier to a canned food than raw food.  Yes, she has pancreatic issues and urinary issues (the vet refers to is as cystitis), so it makes it hard to be able to deal with both, without making one or the other one flare up, which is why I am taking my time and seeking others advice that have experience with this.  Which wet brands are you using in place on the prescription diet?