What makes Hill's prescription ?

Hi Everyone, I just went thru 2 exhausting days with one of my boys at the vet on a urinary issue. I took him off the street a year ago. He's maybe 7 or 8 years old. I've fed him good quality grain free food from the day I took him in. Who knows what he's eaten all the years before. Now Hill's SD was prescribed. The ingredients are crap, I already knew this beforehand. But which ingredient makes this a prescription food? In this case which ingredient causes the struvite crystals to dissolve ? Is it a combination of the ingredients? How does it cause the crystals to dissolve? Why not in a medicine or supplement form?  Why doesn't Hill's put this information on the packaging or on their website?

Excuse me for asking so many questions, I've been asking myself these questions repeatedly. I believe these are obvious questions,but I don't see any answers. Just trying to make sense of it. It's easy for these industries to take advantage of people in desperate situations, if that is what's happening here.

I'm gonna spend hours doing research and see if I can figure out  an equivalent formula , with quality food in it.

Thanks for listening.

The primary active ingredient in the prescription urinary formulas is DL-Methionine. Its an amino acid that acidifies urine, therefore breaking down struvite crystals (the most common type). It IS a fine balance, though, as if the urine becomes too acidic it can actually contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, which are much, much harder to treat.

It is possible to get DL-Methionine in supplement form, but it's use has to be very carefully monitored by you and your vet. Usually, this means very frequent urine testing using Ph urinalysis strips to be sure you have the dosage right.

To be honest, the Hills/Royal Canin prescription foods are supremely good at doing their jobs in these situations, and I wouldn't recommend going against veterinary advice until things have thoroughly settled down. By all means, investigate the supplement approach - but only in consultation with your vet.

The other huge thing you can do to help matters now and guard against future flares is to keep your cat really well hydrated. The better hydrated the cat, the less concentrated the urine, and so the lower the risk of crystals forming. The extra hydration also helps to flush out any crystals currently in the bladder.

These articles may help explain things more clearly:-[article="29715"][/article][article="30756"][/article][article="31120"][/article]
I hope your boy makes a speedy and full recovery

Columbine said:

It is possible to get DL-Methionine in supplement form, but it's use has to be very carefully monitored by you and your vet. Usually, this means very frequent urine testing using Ph urinalysis strips to be sure you have the dosage right.

To be honest, the Hills/Royal Canin prescription foods are supremely good at doing their jobs in these situations, and I wouldn't recommend going against veterinary advice until things have thoroughly settled down. By all means, investigate the supplement approach - but only in consultation with your vet.

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IME (our last cat and a few at the shelter), the supplement isn't readily accepted even when added to a cat's favorite food. I'm sure there are exceptions, and you might be lucky enough that your cat is one of them. Our last cat had struvite crystals and was a very picky eater who insisted on variety, so we ended up giving him Hill's, Royal Canin and a German prescription food, all of which worked.

Yes, after 3 days my cat isn't showing a liking to the Hill's. He's only into his 3rd can. He definitely likes variety. At this rate there is no way he's getting enough DL-Methionine. How much of this acid should they be getting a day to make a difference? I can try the other prescription brands, but I may already be stuck with a $50 case of food. Do I take a chance with the other brands? The supplement form may be the only way to go.

It's worth giving the Royal Canin a try. See if you can get a couple of sachets/cans rather than a whole case to test it out. Most vets will do that for you. If that doesn't work, then talk to your vet about trying the supplement instead, but don't do anything without consulting with them.

Pazzo said:

Yes, after 3 days my cat isn't showing a liking to the Hill's. He's only into his 3rd can. He definitely likes variety. At this rate there is no way he's getting enough DL-Methionine. How much of this acid should they be getting a day to make a difference? I can try the other prescription brands, but I may already be stuck with a $50 case of food. Do I take a chance with the other brands? The supplement form may be the only way to go.

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My cat's not a fan of the urinary tract health foods either. He will finish off most of a 3 oz can of  Pro-plan Focus  in the morning but after that it's a battle for the rest of the day when it comes to feeding. He is very resistant to eating the foods I've tried over the years. It would be great if someone would come up with something to add that would fool them into thinking the struvite dissolving food was regular food...lol

I had a boy with crystals. Both him and my other kitty hated the Hills C/D or S/D but then they started making the chicken and rice stew and both of them loved it. I used a combination of the Hills C/D dry and the Royal Canin Dry (I can't recall the code for it, but the one for crystals) and the wet stew. Purina also did a urinary food that was flakes of food in gravy that both of mine loved. Definitely try a few brands. I'm not a fan of Hills either but they have their place in certain instances.

I swear by Royal Canin. Saved my cat with digestive problems

Hey everyone. Thank you for your replies. I'm using the DL-Methionine in supplement form in a good quality food. My boy has improved and he's doing fine.

But, I'm stuck with a case (minus a couple of cans) of Hill's SD and an opened but barely used bag of the dry. I don't know what to do with it. Is there anyone here or do you know someone that can use this food, free of charge , In the vicinity of Bronx, NY ?

So glad to hear your boy's doing well now. That really is great news!

Why not contact your local shelter and see if they can use the leftover Hills?

Pazzo said:

 
Hey everyone. Thank you for your replies. I'm using the DL-Methionine in supplement form in a good quality food. My boy has improved and he's doing fine.

But, I'm stuck with a case (minus a couple of cans) of Hill's SD and an opened but barely used bag of the dry. I don't know what to do with it. Is there anyone here or do you know someone that can use this food, free of charge , In the vicinity of Bronx, NY ?

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I'm glad he's doing well. Hills offer a palatability guarantee on their foods so as long as they're barely touched you can return them to the store for a refund The unopened cans shouldn't be a problem at all but the other stuff can go back too.