Urinary blockage from cat food a thing of the past?

[doomsdave]

I got my first kitty back in 1977 and I fed him commercial dry cat food, and he developed a urinary blockage and nearly died.

Vet said to give him cat foods like Tender Vittles and Science Diet which had lower ash content.

Do cat foods still cause that problem? Not like I’m nostalgic or anything …..

 

[maggie101]

Dehydration is one thing that can cause blockage so food does matter. My cat had struitive crystals and was on Hill's c/d after 2 months she was clear so I slowly put her on commercial food. Crystals came back so I trust that the food with crummy ingredients was worth it. My cats have been on canned since they were kittens. Now 6,7, and 8 yrs old

 

[Stargirl0623]

I'm currently dealing with a cat who blocked four times in a week; ultimately he went into spasm and needed a PU surgery to reestablish his ability to pee.

No idea where it came from, but he did develop crystals to kick the whole affair off. I'm hesitant to blame any one factor for it, but he had a bunch of the risk factors (a bit chonky, indoor cat, male, and fed primarily dry kibble). There's large sections of the internet who claim that the type of food you give them is the ONLY thing that matters, but the understanding I got after navigating this nightmare and speaking with easily a dozen different vets is that simply isn't the case. The consensus I heard was that it's very complex, and can be very frustrating as there are things you can do to help but no one definitive factor that's the root cause of UO for every single animal. Diet is a large part of the puzzle, hydration is key, exercise and weight control matter, most foods today are formulated to keep urine pH in a more acceptable range, and in difficult cases a prescription urinary diet can prevent crystal formation effectively most of the time. That said, it's not a sure bet and there's always cats who will be prone to developing them regardless of what you do, even if the owner has done everything right!

(That said, obviously I wouldn't have fed him dry food if I'd known he was prone to crystal formation! It was a local brand with clearly-sourced meat, very solid nutrition, and he had a fountain and multiple water dishes to keep him hydrated well; I did my homework before choosing which food to give him! I'd never heard of this being a problem before he got sick.)

 

[maggie101]

So true! My cat was very stressed so I think that was the cause but there is no proof. Only thing I know for sure is hydration. She has water bowls scattered around and fountains.i had a severely sprained ankle and could do not give her much attention for a month+. She is very jealous of one of my cats

 

[FeebysOwner]

If you do a search on this site alone, I think you will find a lot of people who still have cats with crystals/stones, as well as a number who have had blockages occur, not to mention PU surgery. So, to some degree, food obviously still plays a role. Canned/wet foods will likely always be better for any cat due to the moisture content (compared to dry) which helps to keep the urinary tract flushed out and therefore decreases the odds of crystal formation. Of course, genetics will also always be a factor as well.

The prescription dry foods are designed to make a cat thirsty - hence supposedly bringing about more water intake. They are also supposed to contain low levels of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus which are all minerals that contribute to stone formation, and the acidity level of its formulation (via Dl-methionine as an acidifier) is said to promote a healthy urine pH. This pretty much applies to both Hill's C/D and RC SO.

Funny you mentioned Tender Vittles! My first cat, Tawny, ate Tender Vittles all his life and never had any urinary tract issues! Tender Vittles were not the same as canned/wet food, but did have a bit more moisture than dry foods. Of course, that may have had nothing to do with his 'luck'.

I miss Tender Vittles; I thought they were are great alternative for cats who tend to favor morsel-type food over canned.