DL-Methionine?

Hi,

My cat is a 10 year old, neutered male. He was under the weather recently for a couple of days due to a hair ball, which thankfully he managed to cough up.

I went to pets at home to get hair ball paste the other day which I have been giving him every night without issue.

He has never had a UTI and he is happy, eating, playing and weeing and pooping. I haven't been using clumping litter so at the moment, I am unable to be sure of how much he is urinating. I did notice the other day that he went in his litter box, dug around and then walked out, he did it a couple of times. He wasn't meowing or showing any visible discomfort.

When I was in pets at home I saw this:


Is this okay to give him for a few days just in case he is having any issues? It has DL-Methionine as an ingredient. Would it create problems if he had no issues in the first place? The assistant at the shop said that it wouldn't do him any harm. Would it help prevent a UTI? I have googled this but I haven't found an answer!

I would be grateful if anyone could advise as I am torn, I don't want to do more harm than good.

Thank you for reading.

I wouldn't want to use it unless on a vet recommendation. DL-methionine is a urine acidifier - very necessary to break up struvite crystals, but too much of it can actually contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, which cause just as many problems and are much harder to treat.

Given that your boy has no history of UTIs, and provided he's getting a balanced diet, there is absolutely no reason to add in a supplement like this

If you think there might be a problem brewing, the best thing you can do is boost hydration (by giving wet food with a little added water, and maybe making flavoured water as a special treat for him).

If you continue to have concerns, then a vet check is absolutely the way to go. All urinary tract issues are much easier to treat when caught early

Thank you so much! I won't use it.

When I read your message, I immediately mixed some water into his wet food and he's eating it! I think he prefers it a little wetter [emoji]128512[/emoji]

I feed wellness grain free wet and dry but he likes wet food much more and hardly eats the dry.

I am going to book him in to see the vet for a check up.

Thank you for the very helpful information and advice, I'm so grateful you replied.

I'm taking him to the vet today, I might just be worrying about nothing but I know my cat and in the evenings I am more worried. No serious signs but he is just a bit different. I just want him to have a check up so I know that he is okay. If he is unwell for any reason, then we have got it early and can treat it.

thank you for your advice, the water in his wet food has worked really well!

Glad the water in the wet food went down well

Let us know what the vet says

Back from vet:

I explained all the little things that I'd noticed and was concerned about and she checked him over.

She said that she wasn't sure but he may have a slight heart murmur on the left hand side. She said for his age, that could be normal and they don't treat for such a slight murmur. To have him checked every 6 months or if I notice any changes.

Or

Because he has a history of cat flu, when I adopted him from the rescue centre when he was six months old, he had cat flu so bad he was sneezing blood. Poor boy, we got him well again and he hasn't had it since. She said he could have been stressed out after the hair ball issue and that has instigated a bout of flu again. Hence why it may not be a heart murmur on left hand side.

I asked about a possible UTI and she said that she couldn't feel any issues there but we are going to test just to be sure, so they gave me special litter which is non-absorbent so I can take a sample for them.

I hope it isn't a murmur. I will see what the test shows up and keep an eye on him.

Thank you again for your help, being able to hydrate him more has been such a help!

Sorry for not replying sooner :anon:

It's great news that it doesn't seem like there's a uti. :cross: that the urine tests come back clear

Poor baby - it sounds like he's really been through the mill with his flu/URI when he was younger. :cross: that he's just a bit congested at the moment - whilst a heart murmur isn't the end if the world (voice if experience here ), it'd be far better if it's something curable.

Mega for a speedy recovery.