Hi everybody. We got our boy (possible Siberian mix but unsure) when he was approximately 8-10 weeks old back in June of this year.
The first week we got him, he had constant diarrhea. Then he started throwing up so we switched from wet food to commercial raw and it was like a flipped switch. No more diarrhea nor throw up. He also has a fountain he drinks from occasionally. All in all, I felt he was healthy and doing well. Coat is soft and shiny, but could be because he's still a kitten.
Fast forward a few months to a couple days ago when he's getting neutered. He was required to do a blood test prior to the neuter and they said his urea levels were high so he'll be required to do a urinalysis alongside the neuter. We get back the results and it shows trace protein, high pH level of 8, minor struvite crystals, specific gravity of 1.034, and USG of 1.040 on the refractometer from the clinic. The vet tells me that high pH levels cause crystals and that he's dehydrated. The cause is his diet and recommends me to get Royal Canin specialty kibble or wet food.
I'm so upset as I felt we were doing everything right to prevent crystals. He's so young and he already has issues? The vet also said the stones can develop to be fatal for male cats.
Reading online says raw foods should have low pH levels? Why is he so high? Raw food has 75% moisture, why is he dehydrated? I'm at a loss. Is this genetic? Should I get another opinion? Any input is greatly appreciated.
We've fed him a variety of commercial raw brands and proteins but we have settled on Tollden Farms and switching up the proteins. Been on mainly Tollden Farms for approximately a month now. We also feed him the occasional gizzard, chicken heart, and wing tip. He gets a few small pieces of Pure Bites beef liver as treats and dried sardines even rarer as treats (maybe a 1-2 times a week if any).
I've started adding a tablespoon of water to his raw diet. Might slowly add a bit more each time to see how picky he is with how wet his raw food is. We used to give him a lot of water with his canned wet food and he wouldn't eat if it was too soupy.
Has anyone had a similar issue?
The first week we got him, he had constant diarrhea. Then he started throwing up so we switched from wet food to commercial raw and it was like a flipped switch. No more diarrhea nor throw up. He also has a fountain he drinks from occasionally. All in all, I felt he was healthy and doing well. Coat is soft and shiny, but could be because he's still a kitten.
Fast forward a few months to a couple days ago when he's getting neutered. He was required to do a blood test prior to the neuter and they said his urea levels were high so he'll be required to do a urinalysis alongside the neuter. We get back the results and it shows trace protein, high pH level of 8, minor struvite crystals, specific gravity of 1.034, and USG of 1.040 on the refractometer from the clinic. The vet tells me that high pH levels cause crystals and that he's dehydrated. The cause is his diet and recommends me to get Royal Canin specialty kibble or wet food.
I'm so upset as I felt we were doing everything right to prevent crystals. He's so young and he already has issues? The vet also said the stones can develop to be fatal for male cats.
Reading online says raw foods should have low pH levels? Why is he so high? Raw food has 75% moisture, why is he dehydrated? I'm at a loss. Is this genetic? Should I get another opinion? Any input is greatly appreciated.
We've fed him a variety of commercial raw brands and proteins but we have settled on Tollden Farms and switching up the proteins. Been on mainly Tollden Farms for approximately a month now. We also feed him the occasional gizzard, chicken heart, and wing tip. He gets a few small pieces of Pure Bites beef liver as treats and dried sardines even rarer as treats (maybe a 1-2 times a week if any).
I've started adding a tablespoon of water to his raw diet. Might slowly add a bit more each time to see how picky he is with how wet his raw food is. We used to give him a lot of water with his canned wet food and he wouldn't eat if it was too soupy.
Has anyone had a similar issue?