Is it true that feeding my cat only dry food causes kidney stones?

A well balanced dry food should not cause kidney stones, which are indeed very rare in dogs (certain breeds such as dalmations have higher risk and should be fed a specialised preventive diet either wet or dry; this would not be recommended in all dogs). Bladder crystals can occur with highly concentrated urine where dogs do not drink sufficiently and can be aggravated with poorly formulated diet. In such affected dogs specialist wet food is generally prescribed but this would not lead to a conclusion that dry food is unsafe for dogs

Hello Cats can develop urinary issues for lots of reasons including stones and infection. Sometimes we never know the cause. It is unlikely that mild dehydration would've caused an issue leading to an obstruction. I would check with the veterinarian that diagnosed your cat about what caused his obstruction and how to best for prevent a recurrence in the future.

There are many different opinions about pet food, even in the veterinary community. I think it is fine to offer canned and dry food to cats. Most people will leave dry food out and will offer the canned food once to twice a day but don’t leave that out as it will spoil. If the cats are heavy, look for low-calorie foods. Dry food isn’t that good for the teeth unless it is a special dental formula. These formulas have kibble that will not break until the tooth is fully engaged into the kibble. Otherwise kibble only helps to keep the tips of the teeth clean and not the gumline. Kibble is however not bad for the kidneys. Canned food is better for the kidneys because of the water content but if kidney disease does develop, cats will need a special diet for kidney disease. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions about Moe and Mac.

No, this is absolutely not correct to say that. kidney failure can be cause by various reasons but in most cases the exact reason is unknown. when kidney failure is already present, dry food and food with high protein levels can cause the kidney failure to get worse faster.

I am not familiar with any foods that cause kidney disease - if that was true it wouldn't be sold any more! Cats in general are prone to developing kidney disease as they get older. When that happens, we often change them to a different diet that is lower in protein and has some difference in minerals to decrease the load on the kidneys.

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.

Kidney disease in cats, in most cases, is caused simply by a loss of function overtime. I think we see this more in cats because they tend to live longer than dogs, sometimes on the upward end of 15 to 20 years. As the pet ages, so do the cells that make up the kidneys, and this results in a loss of function (kidney insufficiency). In theory, yes we can preserve kidney function by adding more water to their diet. But I think that at some point the kidneys will still lose function because that is what happens naturally as the pet ages. With all that said, I still encourage owners to feed their cats wet food and use kitty water fountains whenever possible, to preserve kidney function for as long as physically possible.