Urinary problem- crystals?

amberlina

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I have a male cat who is eight months old. I recently caught him peeing on my couch. This lead me to watch him like a hawk and I've noticed after he urinates he has tiny white crystals . Been googling and wondering if they are Struvite crystals? My googling is leading me to believe the condition is stress related and there is not a medication but diet needs to change? If any one is familiar with this condition I would really appreciate some insite.:wavey::wavey:
 

missmimz

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You need to take him to the vet ASAP for a urinary culture. If he has crystals he needs meds and should eat a wet or raw food diet. 
 
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amberlina

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Thank you very much we will go in the AM. I bought him a dry food from Petco specifically to correct PH balance in cats with urinary problems but I think I will wait till tomorrow before I open it. What causes crystals?
 

missmimz

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Typically it's from dehydration from feeding and all dry food diet. Cats naturally obtain their moisture from their prey, or food, so feeding an all kibble diet leads to dehydration and thus crystals or worse a blockage. Cats naturally have a low thirst drive, which is why wet food is so important. Kibble is also high in carbs, which is also linked to urinary issues. The best thing you can do is feed an all wet or raw food diet. 
 

hellomisskitty

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Glad you are getting your boy to the vet in the morning. They'll do a urinalysis and recommend a treatment plan from there. If it's crystals, they'll likely give medication to help your little guy feel better (i.e. Pain meds of some sort), fluids and then a prescription canned diet which will hopefully work to dissolve the crystals. Once the emergent situation is under control and the crystals are dissolved, you can explore transitioning off the prescription diet to a canned/raw diet of your choice. A lot of vets will tell you that the prescription diet is permanent but that isn't necessarily the case but it will get the emergent situation under control.
Your research that stress plays a part in crystal formation is correct so once your boy is feeling better, you can explore ways to enrich his environment: cat trees, interactive playtime with you, a bird feeder at a window, Feliway diffuser etc.
And as M missmimz mentioned, looking for ways to increase water consumption is an integral part in managing crystals. Things like fountains, adding water to canned food and multiple water bowls are great options.

But first and foremost is getting your little one to the vet a feeling better [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

This is an excellent resource on feline nutrition and there is a section about feline Urinary crystals:

http://catinfo.org/

Please let us know how he is doing and please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!
 
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