My cat had urinary crystals. Is it safe to add dry food to his diet?

Jerry will still get the benefits of the diet from the dry kibble so it is fine to use this. If he won’t eat the canned food, give him a water fountain as this may encourage him to drink more water. There are other diets that are indexed for crystals and he may like one of the canned varieties. I recommend to ask your veterinarian about which one is best. It is fine for the other cat to eat the diet as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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

Hello, sorry to hear about Jack. It really depends on what type of crystals your cat has, however, in general feeding canned wet food to increased moisture and water intake is generally recommended over dry food. Any wet food is preferable and it does not have to be specific for urinary stones. Some crystals are more likely to form with acidic urine and some are more likely to form with alkaline urine. However, they both benefit from having more water consumption which can be in the form for canned food. If you're unable to continue to feed the c/d food, then you may discuss transitioning to canned food with your veterinarian as a more feasible alternative. At this time, it is unclear if a urinary diet helps decrease the incidence of crystals. In regards to the nutritional content of the diet, it will be adequate to provide for Jacks' nutritional requirements as all diets are formulated following AAFCO guidelines. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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 best way to maintain his weight at 12 lbs is to measure his food and count the calories. A typical 12 lb cat should eat about 230 calories total in a day. Look at the calorie content of the food your vet prescribed and feed based on the calories per cup or per can. It is probably fine to switch to urinary care with weight management but you should check with your vet first since it is prescription diet. I would also recommend asking your vet about feeding some canned urinary food as most cats with crystals should be fed canned food, too.

Cranberry juice doesn't work very well for cats with urinary issues. Depending on the type of crystals present, it could actually make it worse. The best thing you can do for them is increase their water consumption. This can be done by adding water to their food, feeding canned cat food, and adding a pet fountain (cats usually prefer to drink from a running water source). This article talks about a similar problem in cats, but has great advice on how to improve bladder health (like decreasing stress): http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=612

Yes it is. That's because it helps dissolve crystals and has properties to increase urination and prevent further crystals from forming. If Coleman does have urinary crystals, I highly recommend feeding him this food.