Do I need prescription c/d or regular urinary food for my cat?

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.

Hello. Unfortunately, the over the counter urinary diets just do not match up to the prescription ones. You may need to try Mischief on another brand, like Royal Canin to see if he will accept this one. There are also different versions of the C/D that he might accept better, but if & when you go to switch, just be sure to take your time. This will help Mischief to accept the foods, better. One trick I like to use is to take a glass jar & add enough dry kibble so there is 75% old & 25% new food. Put the lid on & let this sit for a day or two to let the smells & flavors blend. Every week, decrease the old food & increase the new, & hopefully he will find this acceptable. Hope this helps & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Regular food is much less effective in preventing recurrent urinary tract issues in cats which are very prone to repeat episodes - it is impossible to say how sensitive he is and without trying you will not know but there is a chance he could relapse on ordinary canned food. Urinary diets tend to be adjusted to maintain urine pH to prevent crystals and are restricted in minerals and use only high quality protein sources to minimise the risk of urinary tract issues as well as providing an important source of fluids compared to dry food. The very best option in affected cats is urinary canned food but in many cases a high quality, commercial canned food is sufficient - if he relapses on this you will have to source the urinary prescription food as a treatment and prevention

Without a full diagnosis of the actual health conditions it is almost impossible to advise on a suitable diet - kidney failure, urinary stones/crystals, urinary tract inflammation, incontinence and bladder tumours can all cause urinary tract symptoms in older cats and each require slightly different management - I recommend you contact your vet to discuss exactly what types of food are most likely to help Patches. When it comes to kidney and urinary issues however, high quality, specialist prescription diets are preferred as they are tailored to prevent progression and reduce severity of clinical signs and are worth the investment, even if you can only stick with them for 8-12weeks to allow stabilisation

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!

In mild cases, any wet food may be sufficient to keep the urine suitably dilute to prevent recurrence but i would recommend 6weeks of the specialist urinary wet food to stabilise and maximise recovery. If symptoms recur then i would recommend urinary food only thereafter

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.