feeding other foods while on prescription diet

As you might have seen from my other threads, I've just started Nedicks on a prescription diet as she has been diagnosed with bladder stones (struvite and calcium oxalate). Right now though she is feeling punky from the cystitis, and groggy from the painkillers, and she's not too keen on eating. She is on antibiotics, so I want her to have something in her system, so her tummy doesn't start bothering her too. I know that I'm not supposed to feed her any other kind of cat food, because it will defeat the purpose of the prescription diet, but do you think it's alright to give her a little baby food if she'll take it? (Ingredients on the jar say ground chicken, water, and corn starch).

To be honest I would not want to tell you it's ok if you Vet instructed otherwise - I know you want the best for your baby. That is why I would redirect this question to your VET!!

I also wish your baby a very very speed recovery - please give her plent of kisses and scritches.

I think if your cat's not eating the priority is to get some food into her - any food - as it's dangerous for her to go too long without eating. However, I would give your vet a ring first to discuss it. Have you tried mixing something strongly flavoured/smelling in with her prescription food to make it more appetising?

I would talk to the vet first, that food you're feeding her is supposed to balance the PH, giving her something else defeats the purpose of that. You could always get her some of the canned.

We've got the canned too, but she's not too excited about that either. I got her to eat about a tablespoon of it earlier today, but that's been about it. I guess I'll call the vet and see what she says. Thanks guys.

Talk to the vet about a different brand of Rx... when Kandie needs Rx she will eat the purina stuff but not the science diet

She only just started on the prescription food this morning, so I think it's too soon to say whether she just doesn't like the food. But I really think it is more that she isn't feeling well, because yesterday she wouldn't eat her old food either.

Awwww, Polly knows how she feels. Polly also has cystitis. Luckily, Polly started eating the prescription food right away. Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you other than what people have already suggested. To second sharky, my vet's office said that if Polly didn't eat the Hill's rx that they could try another brand.

She's doing a bit better today. She had some canned food for breakfast, and a little kibble, but I'm starting to suspect that she has her appetite back and that the issue is she just doesn't like the food--a little while ago I caught her snarfing around the floor eating stray pieces of her old food that had fallen on her placemat. The vet put her on Royal Canin SO 30, which is for kitties with struvite and calcium oxalate crystals, and I don't know if there is another brand that puts out a similar food. I seem to remember that the last time we made a food change she was a little reluctant at first, but then settled into it once she realized that was all there was. So I'll give her a little time to get used to it. At least she is eating the canned in the morning, so I know she won't starve.

awwww-- poor baby

We are same boat together my girl in on science diet prescription
food cat also for Urine troubles plus antiobiotics. My vet said it was o.k.to mix in as he knew the flavor is yucky.
I had 2 vets from same office looking at her last week and the one vet also mentioned that the important thing is not to let her starve cause she does not like S/D and get as much canned food in as possible. So try to mix it in a little more each time you feed her wet to try to desolve the crystals, this is what I am doing. I would check with vet regarding other brands and
see it you can mix in other brands of wet she does eat & increase
precription each time. I have not contacted my vet re purina brand
others mention as a possible alternative but I may ask to see if I can
pickup other as well. that would be more to her taste. Picky boogers.
I feed mine twice a day so she is hungry when she eats and that helps
also. It is always tempting to me at least to just give her some dry
or other but the most I do is just put a few dry (like 6 pieces) on top
of the wet food and this does get her started, kinda sneaky but works.
She ignores or try's to cover up at 1st, but within 1 hour it is all gone.

Brenda

Originally Posted by mamacat

She's doing a bit better today. She had some canned food for breakfast, and a little kibble, but I'm starting to suspect that she has her appetite back and that the issue is she just doesn't like the food--a little while ago I caught her snarfing around the floor eating stray pieces of her old food that had fallen on her placemat. The vet put her on Royal Canin SO 30, which is for kitties with struvite and calcium oxalate crystals, and I don't know if there is another brand that puts out a similar food. I seem to remember that the last time we made a food change she was a little reluctant at first, but then settled into it once she realized that was all there was. So I'll give her a little time to get used to it. At least she is eating the canned in the morning, so I know she won't starve.

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Polly eats Hill's c/d (before, she was on hill's s/d). Maybe your girl would like that better?

I think she's starting to realize that this is all there is to eat, because she's eating more today. She just hates change I guess.

Brenda, a couple years ago the vet put our other kitty, Nathan, on S/D and like your baby he wasn't wild about it either. On the recommendation of our pet supply guy--and after consulting with our vet of course--we switched him to Hi-Tor Felo Diet (they make dry and canned), which is actually not a prescription food, but it's designed for urinary health, kind of the over-the-counter version of Hill's. Don't know if it's available in your area--our pet supply guy used to order ours special for us--but if it is you might want to talk to your vet about whether it's right for your kitty (it also has the added bonus of being less expensive than the prescription). Nathan's done great on it for the past 2 years, and would still be on it if Nedicks hadn't developed her own issues requiring an even stricter diet.