What food replaces Hill's s/d for my cat's urinary blockage?

Hill's (Science Diet) makes a prescription urinary s/d diet and a c/d diet. If it is SO, then it must a diet made by Royal Canin. Royal Canin S/O diet is OK to feed to all the cats as is Hill's c/d multicare diet. The s/d diet is probably OK if it is only going to be a short term diet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I politely disagree with your Vet. I do not recommend over the counter urinary diets for cats who have been obstructed. It is a life threatening condition and not to mention expensive issue. I wouldn't risk a non-prescription diet. They are not comparable to the prescription options. I recommend, if your cat will eat it, an all canned food prescription urinary diet like Hill's c/d, Royal canin SO or Purina UR. Increase water intake where ever possible (adding water to the canned food, water fountains, etc). If you decide to go with an over the counter option then go with the lowest ash and do all canned food. I wish you the best!

Moving forward, you will need to feed Frodo a prescription diet for cats who have urinary problems. I recommend Royal Canin S/O. These diets are formulated to promote increased drinking and urination. They also affect the urine pH to prevent the formation of crystals and one type of bladder stone. You will want to have his urine checked at least twice a year for infections and crystals until you know things are stable. I've got my fingers crossed for you and Frodo!

I understand how difficult this can be! Unfortunately, there is no shot or other type of medication that can take the place of Winston's prescription diet - this is very important to help prevent a recurrence of his urinary blockage. However, if it's hard to feed him in isolation, it's perfectly fine to feed the Urinary S/O diet to all of the cats in your household unless they have special medical requirements of their own - many of my clients do this to avoid making feeding times complicated, if they have multiple cats :)

I would strongly advise against this. I would keep him on some form of food labelled for urinary crystal prevention. Urinary blockages can be a fatal emergency. Royal Canin, Hills, and Purina ProPlan are the three foods that use the most science in their nutrition. I have never heard of young again. Any of their foods that are labelled "S/O" are meant to prevent the formation of urinary crystals. Many urinary diets do have an increased caloric amount, and I sympathize that can be a struggle, but it is related to what keeps their urinary tracts healthy. You can try feeding canned food that is watered down to lower some calories. The extra water and hydration is great for the urinary tract as well. Feeding the food out of toys and feeders, instead of bowls in meals, to encourage their working for food and hunting behaviors can also help with their food intake.

The prescription diet is required for pets that have been found to develop urinary crystals/stones. If your vet detected crystals, then she must be on the urinary food or she could develop a urinary stone and possibly even require surgery in the future. We as veterinarians are told that pets shouldn't have anything in addition to the prescription diet b/c this could potentially lead to failure of the diet to help regulate her condition. However, you can opt to get some of the canned Hill's S/D food to mix in with it. I hope that this helps. Best of luck with Mamie moving forward. Take care.

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.