Cat Food For Bladder Health

Hills Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Canned Cat Food

Hills Science Diet Urinary & Hairball Control falls just in between our other two wet cat food picks on price and nutritional value.

It ranks as one of the most affordable foods for promoting a healthy urinary tract and has the added bonus of reducing furballs by incorporating a natural fiber blend.

As with the other urinary health cat foods weve picked out for you, it contains the optimal level of magnesium to help restore a balance to the pH levels of your cats urine.

Hills science are well known for manufacturing some of the best healthy cat food that combats a range of different common illnesses in cats. Much like the Purina formulas, each of their veterinarian developed cat foods are nutritionally complete, so can be used daily for each meal.

Hills 100% satisfaction guarantee will have you covered even if your cat doesnt like it. Money back guarantees are a great sign that manufacturers have confidence in their product, and this makes it a great option for fussy felines.

As with most diet changes, Hills suggest that you gradually introduce your cat to this food. You can transition by feeding an ever increasing amount of the new food and decreasing amounts of their old food over a 7 day period. This should be plenty of time to avoid any disturbances in their appetite or gut.

How Nutrition Can Help:

Nutrition can help in 3 ways

Different types of stone require a different type of diet below are the SPECIFIC diets for each type of stone

Hills Prescription Diet C/d Multicare Feline

The Hills formulation is prescription, as noted in the name, and comes in two flavors: Ocean Fish and Chicken. Hills states that their formulation can be fed long term as a way to reduce the recurrence of urinary stones. And say their food is: Clinically tested to dissolve struvite uroliths in as little as 7 days . As with the other brands, the Hills cat food controls levels of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus to help limit the creation of crystals and stones. Potassium is also added to interrupt bladder stone formation, and vitamin B6 also helps to decrease oxalate formation.

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What Is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

FLUTD stands for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and is a term used to describe any group of disorders or diseases that affects the lower urinary tract in cats. The most common disorder of the group is feline idiopathic cystitis . FIC involves inflammation by an unknown cause, but stress is thought to be a significant factor. FLUTD is also associated with the formation of crystals/stones in the urinary tract that can cause numerous and painful ailments for your cat. The two most common types of crystals/stones are struvite and calcium oxalate. FLUTD is serious and requires medical attention. Fortunately, you can help your cat recover with treatment from your veterinarian and the right nutrition.

Best For Overweight Cats: Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet Weight Management + Urinary Care For Cats

Obese cats are at a higher risk for a myriad of health issues, including those connected with urinary health. But in addition to treating their urinary problems, you should also try to help them get the weight off. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet Weight Management + Urinary Care for Cats is formulated to do both: this prescription diet promotes healthy weight and optimal pH urine levels. The low-kcal kibble has low levels of fat and is also enriched with L-carnitine which supports weight loss, and at the same time, it has controlled mineral levels and the addition of DL-methionine to acidify your pets urine and prevent crystals and stones from forming. Grain-free and protein-packed it is made with deboned chicken as the first ingredient and has a savory flavor that your chubby kitty will like. The trick is that the formula also has increased fiber levels so your pet will feel fuller for a longer time, which essentially puts a stop to overeating, even though it tastes great.

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The Best Cat Food For Urinary Tract Health Is Rich In Moisture

Moisture is the single most important dietary factor to defend against feline lower urinary tract disease . FLUTD describes the conditions that affect the lower urinary tract .

High-moisture food keeps water flowing through your cats system, flushing out mineral deposits and helping prevent infection. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of high-moisture food, showing that it can help reduce FLUTD recurrence and may prevent it altogether.

Why high-moisture food, though? If hydration is key, why not just give your cat a bowl of clean water?

Cats evolved as desert animals, adapted to life without water bowls. Instead of getting thirsty and drinking as dogs and people do, cats get most of their hydration from their prey, such as a mouse, which is 65-80% water. The best cat food for urinary tract health is equally juicy, effortlessly providing all the moisture your cat needs without relying on the water bowl.

Signs Of Utis In Cats

• Straining to urinate
• Urinating outside of the litter box
• Licking at the urethra
• Increased frequency of urination

Cats that have urinary tract infections are likely to be uncomfortable when they urinate. This discomfort or pain may sometimes cause them to cry or vocalize when they urinate. Straining to urinate and urinating small amounts frequently is also commonly seen.

A cat with a urinary tract infection may also lick at its genitals in an attempt to ease the discomfort and will also often urinate outside of the box. This may occur on the floor right beside the litter box or in other places such as the bathtub or carpet.

Some cats with urinary tract infections will also have blood in their urine and this may be seen in the litter box or on the floor, but can be hard to see in clumping litter.

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The Best Cat Foods For Urinary Health

Because each cat food tackles urinary disorders in different ways, and has different nutritional values, were going to take a closer look at each and explain why theyve earned a place on our list.

With cat foods aimed at curing specific ailments, you can expect to pay a slightly higher price than a regular cat food. Premium cat foods should always provide a nutritionally complete meal for cats, but these foods go a step above and target the issue at hand.

With this in mind, heres our list of the top cat foods for urinary health, with effectiveness and value for money in mind.

Purina One Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food Best Value

Purina is known as a budget company. However, its ONE line is exceptionally high-quality while remaining inexpensive. For cats with urinary problems, Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food is a solid option. This food is formulated with low magnesium, which can prevent the creation of bladder stones and similar problems. This brand adds antioxidants, which may help prevent urinary problems. As a pH-reducing food, this can also keep infections at bay.

However, this food does have lower-quality ingredients than other options. This is one of the reasons that Purina can keep the foods cost so low. The first ingredient is corn gluten meal, with the second being whole ground corn. Corn is a starchy vegetable and is often considered a grain. Cats do not need it to thrive, though it does provide a few nutrients. However, cats can have difficulty absorbing and using nutrients from plants like corn, so it likely isnt doing much for your cats nutrition.

Chicken is included as the third ingredient. This is a high-quality option and suitable if your feline is not allergic to chicken. This is the best cat food for urinary tract health for the money.

This does require a veterinary prescription, so it is only available to felines with diagnoses of urinary tract problems.

To conclude, this is our third pick for the best cat food for urinary health available this year.

• Large amounts of grain included

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Final Thoughts On The Best Cat Food For Urinary Health

My personal preference for the best urinary cat foods would be Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food, Adult, Urinary & Hairball Control. The main reason I picked this variant is that my cat wont ever walk up to the water bowl unless she really needs to drink. And theres no way to coax her to drink more water.

So, wet cat food is a must to increase the moisture content in her diet. Then another reason for choosing this variant is the formulation. It has the right balance of all the nutrients needed to promote urinary health.

The taste is enticing and a high-quality protein source means your furry feline will be able to maintain her muscle mass. I suggest you buy the bigger packaging as it is more cost-effective.

Our Top Urinary Cat Food

We pick Forza10 Active Urinary Dry Cat Food as the best urinary cat food. Firstly, we base our selection on the specialization of the health benefits. Most urinary cat foods purport to improve overall urinary health. Such food will have limited ingredients to accommodate all ingredients for urinary tract health.

When UTI cat food targets a specific part of the urinary tract, almost all ingredients improve the specified part maximally. So, your cat tends to benefit more from specialized urinary food than generalized ones.

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Royal Canin Feline Urinary So Dry Food Best Dry Cat Food For Urinary Health

Royal Canin makes our list again with this Feline Urinary SO Dry Food that is formulated to support the good health of the bladder and entire urinary tract in adult cats.

We found the food very effective, especially when cats get bored with or refuse to take wet food, which happens pretty often. Like other foods from Royal Canin, this food is also very effective for supporting whole body health.

The food is formulated to promote an environment that discourages the development of calcium oxalate crystals. All the minerals used in this food are carefully balanced to ensure that your cat only gets what it needs for building strong bones and a strong immune system.

This implies that in addition to reducing the risk of urinary crystals, your cat will also be able to fight other diseases and ailments.

Pros

Is There Any Chance That Bladder Stones Can Be Dissolved Rather Than Resorting To Surgery

The opportunity to dissolve bladder stones in dogs, called dissolution, depends on the composition of the stones. Unfortunately, the most effective way to know the composition of a canine bladder stone is to remove one and have it analyzed. That said, it may be possible to draw some conclusions about the composition of a bladder stone based on crystals identified during the urinalysis. Also, it may be possible to retrieve a small bladder stone for analysis via a urethral catheter.

Your veterinarian will work closely with you to determine if attempting medical dissolution is a reasonable option for your dog. In most cases, surgical removal of bladder stones is the treatment of choice. Surgery provides the following benefits:

• prevents blockage of urine outflow, which is a true emergency.
• relieves the dog of the discomfort of stones in the bladder.
• allows bladder healing to begin.
• allows for definitive analysis of the stone, which provides the best opportunity to prevent recurrence.

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Filtered Or Distilled Water Only

The kidneys main function is to filter out the toxins in our bodies. Since tap water can be loaded with chemicals and contaminants it is best to only give your dog clean, filtered water to drink. If you have a dog living with kidney disease like we do, you may also want to eventually invest in a slow water feeder. Dogs with kidney disease can get quite thirsty and will actually start drinking water too fast which causes its own unique set of problems.

Hills Science Diet Dry Cat Food

This happens to be one of the costliest ones on the rundown of best dry cat food for urinary health. However, you wouldnt fret a little cost for the exceptional quality that you are getting. Hill is one such brand that makes premium quality feline nourishment and addresses the requirements of grown-up felines with/without medical problems. This exceptional formula is made for felines with hairball issues. The primary ingredients are chicken, wheat, corns feast, pork fat, and cellulose. It additionally contains nutrient enhancements including the nourishment and omega unsaturated fats for skin and coat of the cat.

PROS:

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Are Prescription Diets The Only Low Magnesium Foods

Absolutely not! In the 1970s, scientists and veterinarians made between urinary tract disease in male cats and too high an ash content in cat food. Later, it was determined that only magnesiumone particular mineral in that ash contentwas responsible.

Since then, more and more companies have jumped on the low mineral bandwagon which has helped cats.

So prescription diets are far from the only choice when it comes to finding low magnesium foods.

Making Cat Food Quick Summary

Making cat food is not difficult. I am a walking disaster in the kitchen and it is my least favorite room in the house. If I can make cat food, anybody can. I wont lie it can be a bit time-consuming but it is definitely not difficult or complicated. If you can follow a simple recipe, you can make cat food. I usually prepare enough food for 3-4 months at a time but I have also used food that has been in my freezer for up to 1 year.

I was afraid that the 1 year old food would be freezer burned but I rinsed the top ice crystals off and my cats were fine with it. Andthey are normally very picky cats.

All that said, aim for no more than 4 months in the freezer since nutrients do degrade over time even when in the freezer.

The time that I spend making cat food is much less time than is involved in caring for cats that become ill from poor nutrition.

In a nutshell before I go into more detail below I grind up meat, bones, skin, and liver. I then make a supplement slurry by adding vitamin B-complex, vitamin E, fish oil, taurine, and iodized lite salt to water.

After I am sure that all of the supplements are thoroughly dissolved in the water, I mix the slurry into the ground up meat/skin/liver and then portion it into containers and put it in the freezer.

Very simple.

I also cut some of the meat into chunks for dental health when I am not being lazy.

See the Dental Health section below.

freeze the food in ice cube containers

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Best For Sensitive Stomach: Smalls Cat Food

• Made In: United States

This recipe from Smalls ticks all of our urinary health boxes and does a few things that other foods cant. For starters, its moisture-rich, meat-based, and it doesnt have too much ash.

The recipe features chicken muscle meat and organs as its primary ingredients. While its not a prescription diet, its meat-centric recipe and relatively low carbohydrate content should promote a healthy urinary pH.

Choose from minced-style recipes or classic pâté to provide your cat with protein-rich, low-carb cat food that is formulated for cats in all life stages.

Urinary Tract Infection Recovery

Although dealing with urinary issues or a bacterial infection in kitties can be really scary, the good news is that when treated early and with a proper treatment and recovery plan, the prognosis is good and most cats make a full recovery within a few weeks. Lets look at what to expect after your kitty goes through a UTI, urinary crystals, or FIC.

If your vet prescribed a course of antibiotics to treat a urinary tract disease or other infection, you should expect to see your kitty returning to normal in about 2 days and a full recovery should take 5-7 days, depending on the diagnosis. Its very important to give your cat the full course of antibiotics, even if they start feeling better.

If your cat had to have a more complicated treatment plan, there are a few things to expect. If he had to have a urinary catheter, you will likely see some redness and swelling around the area. Monitor this area to make sure no infections occur. You may also notice that your cat is licking the area as it heals. Also, after a catheter is removed, some cats may dribble urine. This is different than actually urinating, so dont worry! This is normal after a catheter.

You may also notice that your kitty is nervous to use the litter box. This is because they have associated it with the pain and stress they felt when they were facing their earlier condition. Encourage your kitty to use the litter box by keeping it extra clean at all times and removing any distractions .

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