Food for Chronic UTI's?

Does anyone know of a quality food that is for cats that have Chronic UTI's? Tiki gets them frequently & my vet at the time told me to get a food that was specifically for that problem. My only problem is that both cats eat the same food & Echo is on a diet....well, it wouldn't hurt Tiki either but she's at the proper weight right now.

Since Echo doesn't have UTI problems, would it be safe for her to eat a food that was for prevent of UTI's? Right now I'm feeding them Iams Weight Control & am looking for a good quality food for them.

Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks a million!

This generally depends on what kind of UTI your kitty is having problems with. They can be caused by a too acid ph (which can lead to oxalate crystals), or too alkaline a ph (which can lead to struvite crystals). The struvite/alkaline problem is the more common problem, but the acid/oxalate problem is growing, especially with so many diets advertising that they are good for a cat's urinary tract simply because they lower the ph of the urine -- often when this is not needed!

There are several prescription foods for these problems:

For Acid/oxalate problems-- Hills X/D (formerly known as cd-o)
Eukanuba low ph/o
Purina (forget the prescription diet's name)
IVD Modified

For Alkaline/struvite problems-- Hills c/d (formerly known a c/d-s)
Eukanuba ph/s
Purina UR
IVD Control

It would be nice if there were more higher quality brands offering prescription diets -- I would love to hear if anyone has heard if any of the super-premium brands are planning on or have come out with any specialty diets.

I have heard something about giving cranberry extract and/or vitamin c, but I don't know enough about this to explain how much to use, or how it works.
I have also read that foods high in corn products can lower the urine ph, but often not with any level of control.

Hope this helps.

Aqua

Oh, and in response to the question about dieting, I think that seperation during feeding might be the best option when they are on prescription diets. I don't think it would hurt the other necessarily, unless he is prone to getting the opposite type of UTIs -- but in general, I don't like the idea of altering a healthy cat's urine ph if it is not absolutely necessary.

Also, I am not sure about the x/d, but I know that the hill's c/d diet is very rich, and many cats have been known to gain quite a bit of weight on it. One of my co-worker's cats is on this diet, and he is down to eating only 1/4 of a can per day, and is still overweight.

Just some more thoughts.

Aqua

Shell, this isn't really a direct answer to your food question, but I was rather intrigued by the use of cranberry for cats with chronic UTI's. In searching for info., I found this to be quite interesting. There are other links also as well as companies offering the exact dosage for cats. Hope this helps your sweet Tiki!

all 3 of my cats have a history of urinary tract problems (struvite crystals--all had crystals at some point in their past). 2 of them get repeat UTIs, so all 3 eat Hill's Prescription c/d dry cat food. they also get canned food each day(not hill's c/d canned because they think it's gross). i have kibble-a-holics so they get kibble and canned, even though i would like them on all canned food.

As I posted in another thread:

If you didn't know, this is what makes the "prescription" diets (they actually aren't prescriptions lol) work, at least the ones for struvite crystals, just so you understand it:

1) Low magnesium. This helps with struvite crystals, as excess magnesium results in crystals. Magnesium content should be quite low--like .06 or .07.

2) High methionine. It acidifies the urine. Higher pH is more favorable to crystal formation.

3) Salt. Just cheap, plain old salt It makes cats more thirsty, so they drink more water. More water means more frequent urination, which means less time for crystals to form. It also helps to keep the cat fully hydrated; some cats apparently have less than healthy water intakes because they eat dry food, and cats generally don't have a strong thirst drive.

Any diet that low in magnesium will work; just add more methionine to make up for it. And salt the food.

Vitamin C does help, as does cranberry extract.

And to add to the salt thing...just add more water to his food or give him canned. Cats who eat just dry food have far higher rates of crystals than cats who do not. You can try letting him drink from the faucet or get one of those cat fountains, because cats prefer to drink running water over still water.

Also, keep the stress to a minimum. Stress can result in higher pH.

The only human-grade product suitable for cats prone to crystals that I know of is the VegeCat KibbleMix, but I doubt most people would go for that because they have a thing against vegan diets. *shrug*

There are plenty of diets suitable for cats with UTIs, Weatherlight, not just the brand you use.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I'm taking Tiki to the Vet on Wednesday since I think she's got another UTI. The last time I took her, they told me her PH level was low. I'll make sure to ask when I take her in & see what they recommend to prevent these from happening.

I know Hissy has talked about Grapefruit Seed Extract before (supposedly helps fight infections or prevents infections for both humans and animals), but I'm not sure if helps UTI's. I'm really thinking about getting some of that to keep on hand in case if I need it....plus, it might help me from getting colds and such too. Bonus!

Thanks again & I'll let you guys know what I find out.

Poor Tiki - hope she's feeling better soon.

When you're at the vet, make sure to ask about the food - tell the vet about Echo's needs also, and I'll bet he or she can help you find the best food based on Tiki's test results, and tell you if it's OK to share with Echo.

My vet actually gave me samples of a couple of different types of prescription food for Oreo to try (there are now several different manufacturers of prescription diets), so we could buy the one he liked better. Perhaps your vet might even do that for you?

Not another UTI! Poor Tiki. Great job catching it so early, Shell! Please let us know what you learn at the vet and how Tiki is feeling!

Aquarius>>>I specifically said human-grade. Unless something has changed since I last looked into Hill's, they are not human-grade. Do you know of any?

Hi Shell,
I was having the same problem with my female, Sydney. We thought it was chronic UTIs but it turned out being something more serious. We had numerous procedures done to look for a potential cause and they all came back negative. However, we finally had an ultrasound done and our vet found four small stones. She is now on a dissolution diet (to break up the stones) and is feeling much better. Perhaps you should consult your vet about having an ultrasound done? Your case sounds quite similar, and, if nothing else, you can rule out stones.

Thanks Candy! We're off the vet in less than 2 hours, so I'll definitely be asking about the food, ultrasounds & the whole nine yards. I'll let ya'll know what happens!

Many thanks to you all!

Good luck!

Weatherlight, would you care to post your email and/or empty your PM box...I would like to discuss some of the supplements and food that you have mentioned. Otherwise, could you send me an email at [email protected]?? Thanks.

I just thought I'd update on Tiki & her UTI. Here's the other thread about it...
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35516

Thanks everyone!