My cat has bladder crystals. Can I give him urinary care treats?

Smokey is adorable! I love black cats. Any treat that is given occasionally is okay. Hill's has a page that tells you how to make treats from their prescription diets here. https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/nutrition-feeding/healthy-homemade-cat-treats. The main thing is to to ensure that Smokey gets lots of clean fresh water all the time and make sure he's drinking. Feeding canned food is a way to ensure he's getting more water but I know some cats prefer dry to canned and can't be convinced otherwise.

Special diets like the Royal Canin urinary diet work by keeping the urinary pH at a good level so crystals are less likely to form. So by feeding treats this may have thrown off the urinary pH and caused crystals to form. For this reason it's recommended to only feed the prescription diet. Feeding an all canned version of the prescription Royal Canin diet may be even more beneficial in preventing crystals so if Nila will eat canned food I'd recommend the canned version of the diet. Blood in the urine can also be related to urinary tract infections and bladder stones. It sounds like your veterinarian may have ruled these issues out, but if Nila has not had a urine culture or X-rays of her bladder these may be indicated (especially if the problem persists). Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Nila!

An over the counter urinary care diet should be fine to give if you have concerns. I would also recommend regular yearly rechecks of urine with your vet as this is the best way to monitor Mushu for any changes that may need treatment or a switch back to a prescription medication again. If you do notice him having any issues again, a vet visit more quickly for treatment is best.

As with all treats, moderation is the best approach. You can give Ashton cat treats here and there and they will not mess up his diet, if you feed one or two a day. However, instead of food treats, treat him with cat nip sprinkled on a towel....he will love this even more. Prescription urinary health food usually has to come from the vet.

I'm very sorry Lil Man was just diagnosed with feline urinary syndrome. This is a great question! There are a few veterinary treats that are low in phosphorus and sodium. I recommend Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Cat Treats and Vetri-Science Renal Essentials Feline Bite-Sized Cat Chews :-)

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Speedy. If his veterinarian has recommended a prescription diet, then he should stay on one. Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Urinary SO, Hills Veterinary Diet C/D or Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets U/R are all great choices to help prevent crystals in his urine. I hope this information helps!

Purina Friskies is a low/mid grade quality food and I would not be surprised if his crystalluria returns. He really needs a prescription diet such as c/d from Hills or a similar formula from Royal Canin. Your veterinarian should have this food available, or be able to send you to a store to purchase with a prescription. I have also had good luck using Crystal Stone Formula ( a Chinese herbal), but this is a prescription herbal. I would be happy to consult with you about this. I would recommend a prescription diet for at least 6 months prior to trying to wean off of it. If you absolutely CANNOT get a prescription diet, I would focus on a high quality, high protein diet, but NONE will dissolve and prevent crystals as well.