Treats for Cat with FLUTD

[xlynnbbyx]

Hi my name is Christen I’m new here I’m a fur mom to 2 cats and 1 dog. My cats are both boys both neutered. I have Scooter who is an orange cat and will be 5 years old next month. Then there is Casper(yes named after the friendly ghost)a mainly white cat with a little bit of orange who is 1 years old. If my profile pic is available that is my boys there. Anyway Scooter was rushed to the emergency vet September 9th. I had noticed the day before on the 8th there was blood in his pee. I knew it was him cause Casper doesn’t cover up what he leaves behind. Scooter came in the bathroom and I could tell he was having a hard time urinating and more blood showed up. I couldn’t get to the emergency vet then cause it was storming in my area. I called our regular vet they said get him to the emergency vet asap. When we got there after waiting for awhile the vet attending to him said he had blood in his bladder which was very concerning to her. She was originally talking a 2 to 3 day stay with surgery which would have cost up to $6,000. No way I could of afford that the limit on my Care Credit was $3,000. Which meant I would have either surrendered him and they would give him a home after he was better or euthanize him as he would of became blocked which thankfully he wasn’t. Neither was an option the vet said she wanted to test his kidneys if they were fine that my not be necessary. Test came back fine his kidneys are working normally as otherwise he is a healthy cat. He was basically diagnosed with feline lower urinary tract disease he had a UTI basically. He had to stay 24 hours in the vet to get flushed out and medication which he responded to perfectly. He was sent home with medication(which he finished Sunday) and recommendation of being on either Royal Canin or Hill’s urinary food. Thursday September 14th he had a check up he is doing good. Still has to be on prescription urinary food. I asked about Purina’s Urinary food since it is reasonably priced. But vet said no it doesn’t have what he needs so it was either Royal Canin or Hill’s c/d. I choose the Hill’s c/d cause Royal Canin made him throw up. Of course I did my research on Hill’s I did see some negative reviews but every site you find it on it has mostly positive reviews. To me the more positive reviews you read then you know it has to be working. Besides each cat is different so that is why you get mixed reviews. With it being hard to separate them to feed them Casper is eating the food too. They get both Hill’s wet & dry food. Both boys love it although neither has thrown up like they often did on Friskies(their normal brand). Casper’s poop looks better on Hill’s too.

Anyway my thing is treats both of my boys love treats. While Casper can still have cat treats my vet said Scooter can every now and them. But I was wondering about people food as treats. Example if I boil chicken for soup or dumplings I give them some of the chicken. If I use canned tuna I give them the juice that is drained from the tuna. They don’t get it a lot but still their favorite. I was wondering if it’s still ok to give Scooter the chicken or tuna juice? He has a check up in 3 weeks I will ask my vet then. But I was wondering if anyone who feeds their kitty urinary food do you give them treats? If so what treats do you give them?

sorry this is so long but I appreciate any feedback on this so thank you in advance.

 

[MoMoMeow]

Hi my name is Christen I’m new here I’m a fur mom to 2 cats and 1 dog. My cats are both boys both neutered. I have Scooter who is an orange cat and will be 5 years old next month. Then there is Casper(yes named after the friendly ghost)a mainly white cat with a little bit of orange who is 1 years old. If my profile pic is available that is my boys there. Anyway Scooter was rushed to the emergency vet September 9th. I had noticed the day before on the 8th there was blood in his pee. I knew it was him cause Casper doesn’t cover up what he leaves behind. Scooter came in the bathroom and I could tell he was having a hard time urinating and more blood showed up. I couldn’t get to the emergency vet then cause it was storming in my area. I called our regular vet they said get him to the emergency vet asap. When we got there after waiting for awhile the vet attending to him said he had blood in his bladder which was very concerning to her. She was originally talking a 2 to 3 day stay with surgery which would have cost up to $6,000. No way I could of afford that the limit on my Care Credit was $3,000. Which meant I would have either surrendered him and they would give him a home after he was better or euthanize him as he would of became blocked which thankfully he wasn’t. Neither was an option the vet said she wanted to test his kidneys if they were fine that my not be necessary. Test came back fine his kidneys are working normally as otherwise he is a healthy cat. He was basically diagnosed with feline lower urinary tract disease he had a UTI basically. He had to stay 24 hours in the vet to get flushed out and medication which he responded to perfectly. He was sent home with medication(which he finished Sunday) and recommendation of being on either Royal Canin or Hill’s urinary food. Thursday September 14th he had a check up he is doing good. Still has to be on prescription urinary food. I asked about Purina’s Urinary food since it is reasonably priced. But vet said no it doesn’t have what he needs so it was either Royal Canin or Hill’s c/d. I choose the Hill’s c/d cause Royal Canin made him throw up. Of course I did my research on Hill’s I did see some negative reviews but every site you find it on it has mostly positive reviews. To me the more positive reviews you read then you know it has to be working. Besides each cat is different so that is why you get mixed reviews. With it being hard to separate them to feed them Casper is eating the food too. They get both Hill’s wet & dry food. Both boys love it although neither has thrown up like they often did on Friskies(their normal brand). Casper’s poop looks better on Hill’s too.

Anyway my thing is treats both of my boys love treats. While Casper can still have cat treats my vet said Scooter can every now and them. But I was wondering about people food as treats. Example if I boil chicken for soup or dumplings I give them some of the chicken. If I use canned tuna I give them the juice that is drained from the tuna. They don’t get it a lot but still their favorite. I was wondering if it’s still ok to give Scooter the chicken or tuna juice? He has a check up in 3 weeks I will ask my vet then. But I was wondering if anyone who feeds their kitty urinary food do you give them treats? If so what treats do you give them?

sorry this is so long but I appreciate any feedback on this so thank you in advance.

I give my kitty with FIC/FLUTD prescription food as well! He's had a bad time with stress related Idiopathic Cystitis, and needed surgery for it as well as the diet change.

It's a bit trickier for me to give him treats outside of his meals because he also has EPI, which means he can't digest food without an enzyme powder. Before his issues with FIC, I'd give him whole freeze dried minnow treats because I learned that he can digest them without the enzymes, but then I was told that fish isn't that good for cats with bladder problems like this so I cut that out. It's not that they can't have it completely, as I give him one from time to time, it's just that it shouldn't really be a main portion of their diet.

Right now, I give him plain freeze dried chicken breast (you could either make it or buy it, I usually buy it) and plain chicken treat squeeze tube things for when I mix in his supplements. I also do the same with beef, just a few plain cuts of it cooked as a special treat for him. I think as long as it's plain it doesn't affect him. So I think the chicken you've been giving could be okay, if your kitty is not showing any signs of a flareup with their issues.

As for tuna juice, I'm not sure since it's fish. If you're not giving it frequently like you said, say like once a week or something, I think it could be fine. An alternative could be beef broth or chicken broth, as well, if your kitty would like it. That could also be a good source of extra water, which is very good for kitties with bladder issues. Always give extra water.

As always keep a close eye on your kitty to make sure they're okay when testing stuff like this, and definitely consult your vet too beforehand like you said.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I presume since the ER vet was talking about surgery, that she saw crystals in his urine? Do you know what kind?

My cat had oxalate stones at the age of 5 and had to have surgery to remove them (unlike struvite crystals that these prescription diets can supposedly dissolve). Then, she was placed on Hill's and was on it for many, many years before she stopped wanting to eat it. She was eating both the dry and the canned versions, so one thing to do is give your cats the canned versions too if you don't already, due to the moisture content. The moisture helps to keep a cat's bladder flushed which reduces the accumulation of crystals that can irritate the bladder lining, which can cause inflammation and blood in the urine.

I gave my cat treats throughout the entire time she was on the prescription food, and I don't think it presented any issues for her. I don't personally think that human chicken and some tuna juice as treats would be something I would be worried about if I were you. There are some urinary care cat treats that I suppose you could try, but I still don't believe in depriving any cat from getting some treats that they really like.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, check into Safecatch tuna. They have low mercury products (they use skipjack) and one variety is also low/no sodium.

This can also be helpful;
Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake - TheCatSite

 

[maggie101]

What made them come to the inclusion that he has fLUTD?

 

[white shadow]

"... check into Safecatch tuna. They have low mercury products..."

Any mercury in a can of tuna..............will be found in the flesh/meat of the fish , not in the water used to process it.


And, on the brand's advertising spin

One of the tuna brands we tested, Safe Catch, notes on its cans that it has the “lowest mercury of any brand.”​

​

While Safe Catch did have relatively low levels of mercury, we found that most of the other light or skipjack tunas were also low, and the differences in average mercury levels between the Safe Catch cans we tested and those from most other brands were very small. Similarly, the mercury levels in Safe Catch’s albacore tuna was close to most of the albacore samples from other brands we tested and one brand, Bumble Bee, actually had lower levels. Safe Catch’s Wild Albacore tuna costs up to about $5 a can and its Wild Elite light tuna up to about $3.50, compared to less than $2 for light tuna and less than $3 for albacore from Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, and StarKist. (Wild Planet’s skipjack and albacore costs up to about $3.50 and $5.60, respectively.) - How Worried Should You Be....consumerreports.com​

 

[fionasmom]

Or is the vet talking about PU surgery? I just went through a very similar experience with a 2 year old neutered boy.

Whole Life Pets
The chicken treats are very popular at my house. They are pricey, but you aren't going to throw handfuls into their snack dishes.

 

[Alldara]

What made them come to the inclusion that he has fLUTD?

I believe FLUTD as a term is now an umbrella term for a variety of issues including stones and idiopathic cystitis (if I'm not mistaken).

 

[Alldara]

Hi my name is Christen I’m new here I’m a fur mom to 2 cats and 1 dog. My cats are both boys both neutered. I have Scooter who is an orange cat and will be 5 years old next month. Then there is Casper(yes named after the friendly ghost)a mainly white cat with a little bit of orange who is 1 years old. If my profile pic is available that is my boys there. Anyway Scooter was rushed to the emergency vet September 9th. I had noticed the day before on the 8th there was blood in his pee. I knew it was him cause Casper doesn’t cover up what he leaves behind. Scooter came in the bathroom and I could tell he was having a hard time urinating and more blood showed up. I couldn’t get to the emergency vet then cause it was storming in my area. I called our regular vet they said get him to the emergency vet asap. When we got there after waiting for awhile the vet attending to him said he had blood in his bladder which was very concerning to her. She was originally talking a 2 to 3 day stay with surgery which would have cost up to $6,000. No way I could of afford that the limit on my Care Credit was $3,000. Which meant I would have either surrendered him and they would give him a home after he was better or euthanize him as he would of became blocked which thankfully he wasn’t. Neither was an option the vet said she wanted to test his kidneys if they were fine that my not be necessary. Test came back fine his kidneys are working normally as otherwise he is a healthy cat. He was basically diagnosed with feline lower urinary tract disease he had a UTI basically. He had to stay 24 hours in the vet to get flushed out and medication which he responded to perfectly. He was sent home with medication(which he finished Sunday) and recommendation of being on either Royal Canin or Hill’s urinary food. Thursday September 14th he had a check up he is doing good. Still has to be on prescription urinary food. I asked about Purina’s Urinary food since it is reasonably priced. But vet said no it doesn’t have what he needs so it was either Royal Canin or Hill’s c/d. I choose the Hill’s c/d cause Royal Canin made him throw up. Of course I did my research on Hill’s I did see some negative reviews but every site you find it on it has mostly positive reviews. To me the more positive reviews you read then you know it has to be working. Besides each cat is different so that is why you get mixed reviews. With it being hard to separate them to feed them Casper is eating the food too. They get both Hill’s wet & dry food. Both boys love it although neither has thrown up like they often did on Friskies(their normal brand). Casper’s poop looks better on Hill’s too.

Anyway my thing is treats both of my boys love treats. While Casper can still have cat treats my vet said Scooter can every now and them. But I was wondering about people food as treats. Example if I boil chicken for soup or dumplings I give them some of the chicken. If I use canned tuna I give them the juice that is drained from the tuna. They don’t get it a lot but still their favorite. I was wondering if it’s still ok to give Scooter the chicken or tuna juice? He has a check up in 3 weeks I will ask my vet then. But I was wondering if anyone who feeds their kitty urinary food do you give them treats? If so what treats do you give them?

sorry this is so long but I appreciate any feedback on this so thank you in advance.

IF your cat is on a diet to dissolve crystals then he can't have any treats until your vet okays it.

After your vet okays it, tuna juice and chicken occasionally will be fine. Even the odd dry treat will be fine, however, the more moisture a cat with FLUTD gets, the better.

Churu or other tube like treats are awesome. Freshpet moist kibbles are a great one or rehydrating some freeze dried treats or food.

This is the handout my vet gave me years ago: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

here is an updated one by a different website: Cystitis and Lower Urinary Tract Disease in Cats | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals


Personally my (now late) cat Nobel did well on Purina urinary. We did prescription diet for 1 year and then switched to their "over the counter" of the same line. My young boys have no issues but still regularly eat the wet urinary food as they got used to stealing Nobel's. I add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of water to each.

For treats, I always got a small bag of another type of dry food that contains cranberries, blueberries or similar to keep the PH balance of his urine up.

if you can get your car eating ANY wet food with added water once a day (though personally I avoid friskas as I had serious issues arise and was told by both emergency and reg vet that friskas was high in salts).

i always encourage people to give at least one can of wet food per cat per day as it avoids a number of health issues. More wet is better, but some people can't afford that. (Better a homed cat then stuck in shelter.) With two cats, that's easy as you can split a small can of wet between each of them morning and night, and add some extra water to it. Mix the water in and you're good to go!

if you can't afford urinary specific wet food, I've also had good luck with Fancy Feast, Iams Perfect Portions and other types of Purina with added water, depending on what's on sale. Nobel had 10 years of remission from FLUTD and passed away at 17 from another condition. Those are all wet brands that he's eaten during remission. He also had Wureva and Go when on sale.

 

[stephanietx]

It's okay to not give treats. I seldom give me cats treats and when I do, I just use a few pieces of their dry food. (They eat mainly wet)

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I didn’t read replies.
No treats. Your vet wants him on that diet for a reason. Just feed him that food only and water. It’s important. There is a pH level your vet is trying to get and keep in your cats bladder and feeding anything additional will mess that up. Think of it this way, what’s better, no treats or euthanasia/re-homing?

If you are not feeding canned, try to get them to eat the canned version of the prescription diet. It is much better for them.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

Hi. I presume since the ER vet was talking about surgery, that she saw crystals in his urine? Do you know what kind?

My cat had oxalate stones at the age of 5 and had to have surgery to remove them (unlike struvite crystals that these prescription diets can supposedly dissolve). Then, she was placed on Hill's and was on it for many, many years before she stopped wanting to eat it. She was eating both the dry and the canned versions, so one thing to do is give your cats the canned versions too if you don't already, due to the moisture content. The moisture helps to keep a cat's bladder flushed which reduces the accumulation of crystals that can irritate the bladder lining, which can cause inflammation and blood in the urine.

I gave my cat treats throughout the entire time she was on the prescription food, and I don't think it presented any issues for her. I don't personally think that human chicken and some tuna juice as treats would be something I would be worried about if I were you. There are some urinary care cat treats that I suppose you could try, but I still don't believe in depriving any cat from getting some treats that they really like.

I’m not sure if the emergency vet saw any crystals cause at the time she said all she saw was blood. She only mentioned surgery if some test she did showed his kidneys were not working properly. But tests showed his kidneys are functioning normally. He is overall a healthy cat this is the first time I have had an issue with him in the 4 well he will be 5 in 2 weeks years I have had him. On the paper given it says Feline lower urinary tract disease - bacteria in urine. Both of my cats always get both wet & dry food if I don’t have wet on hand I put water on the dry food. Just both of my boys like the occasional treat every now & then.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

What made them come to the inclusion that he has fLUTD?

The paper given says Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease- bacteria in urine. I think it’s a fancy way to say UTI.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

Or is the vet talking about PU surgery? I just went through a very similar experience with a 2 year old neutered boy.

Whole Life Pets
The chicken treats are very popular at my house. They are pricey, but you aren't going to throw handfuls into their snack dishes.

I think the surgery she was talking about was to surgically put in a catheter to flush him out. Said there was bacteria in his urine that caused it.

 

[Alldara]

The paper given says Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease- bacteria in urine. I think it’s a fancy way to say UTI.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

FLUTD is different from a UTI though a UTI might cause FLUTD.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I’m not sure if the emergency vet saw any crystals cause at the time she said all she saw was blood. She only mentioned surgery if some test she did showed his kidneys were not working properly. But tests showed his kidneys are functioning normally...The paper given says Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease- bacteria in urine. I think it’s a fancy way to say UTI.

If not for crystals/stones having to be removed through surgery, the only other surgery that I know of would be to remove a kidney, or repair one of the ureters that leads from each kidney to the bladder. Short of that, I don't know, and I cannot believe that would have been the vet's thoughts.

Yes, and no, about FLUTD being a fancy name for a UTI. There is so much more to it than that, and maybe you can start here in getting up to date with these articles.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (flutd) - TheCatSite
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life - TheCatSite

 

[maggie101]

Since an infection is easier to take care of than a disease I hope it's just uti. Fingers crossed!

 

[xlynnbbyx]

If not for crystals/stones having to be removed through surgery, the only other surgery that I know of would be to remove a kidney, or repair one of the ureters that leads from each kidney to the bladder. Short of that, I don't know, and I cannot believe that would have been the vet's thoughts.

Yes, and no, about FLUTD being a fancy name for a UTI. There is so much more to it than that, and maybe you can start here in getting up to date with these articles.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (flutd) - TheCatSite
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life - TheCatSite

I don’t even know why she said that since she came back and said his Kidneys are functioning normally. He did stay for 24 hours to get flushed out which he responded wonderfully too. The only symptoms he had was blood in his urine and he would frequently go to the litter box and pee like small amounts when his normal amount was huge clumps. He did not yell in pain or anything else. He did yell in the car on the way but he was picking up on my stress. He has been off antibiotics since Sunday. Every time he goes I check his pee which is normal. They put FLUTD on the paper but then says Bacteria in Urine. So I am thinking that means it was a Bacterial Infection. Nothing about crystals or anything

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, then, I have no idea what any surgery would have accomplished, and glad it did not come to that. Cats can have urinary issues without necessarily yelling or crying in pain, btw (including mine).

If you read the articles, bacteria in the urine can be caused for any number of reasons. If not for crystals/stones, it is often considered to be from inflammation in the bladder which can end up leading to a UTI. The reasons can vary from lack of moisture in the cat's diet, to stress, to anatomical issues, to food issues, to you name it.

I hope you are right that it was 'nothing more than a bacterial infection', but if it turns out to be a recurring issue, there is a reason behind why it is happening. It is tough sometimes to figure that out.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

So, then, I have no idea what any surgery would have accomplished, and glad it did not come to that. Cats can have urinary issues without necessarily yelling or crying in pain, btw (including mine).

If you read the articles, bacteria in the urine can be caused for any number of reasons. If not for crystals/stones, it is often considered to be from inflammation in the bladder which can end up leading to a UTI. The reasons can vary from lack of moisture in the cat's diet, to stress, to anatomical issues, to food issues, to you name it.

I hope you are right that it was 'nothing more than a bacterial infection', but if it turns out to be a recurring issue, there is a reason behind why it is happening. It is tough sometimes to figure that out.

They said they could have done a culture to find out exactly what causes it. Which I wish I did that but the bill was already $1,370 I couldn’t afford anymore test. I think maybe he got into something that caused it. I also blamed myself cause I thought I caused it by letting him have milk. Having OCD & Anxiety is not fun to deal with regularly adding a fur baby getting sick whew it’s worse. I have to pay off Care Credit first so I’m hoping to avoid any more emergencies with any of my furbabies. It’s one of these times I wish animals can talk to tell us what is going on.