Cat help...

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James
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 5:18 pm

Cat help...

Post by James »

Ok, i have a cat named Nick who is 21 pounds(Yeah i know, whoa). He Recently started peeing in different spots around the house which he has done before. We brough him to the vet and found out he has a blatter infection, crystals in his urine. So we now give him 3 types of meds each day. Now the vet told us to stop feeding our cats(we have 3) dry food during the day, and only to feed them wet food once in the morning and at night. We also had to buy a different type of wet food, which they do not seem to like. One of my cats who is 3, just licks it the food, and walks away. I am worried about them, i wouldn't want to starve them to death. what should i do?
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Traci
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Re: Cat help...

Post by Traci »

Hoiw old is this kitty?

1) Was usine glucose tested?

2) Was blood glucose tested?

I ask because overweight cats MUST have these tested, especially if they have recently or suddenly lost weight. Diabetes is a major concern in these cats and if your vet never tested for urine and blood glucose, he could be missing early signs of diabetes.

Another concern is his instruction to cease dry food and feed only canned. The problem with this is your overweight cat who has FLUTD. If he's overweight, feeding two small amounts of canned food a day could actually cause significant weight loss too severe and too sudden, and then he WOULD be at high risk for diabetes (if he isn't already). The diet plan must be slow and gradual to PREVENT this disease and other major health issues that relate to weight gain or weight loss.

3) What type crystals? (struvite or oxalate?)

4) What are the three medications?

5) What is the brand, type of wet food? Is it prescription diet, if so, exact name please.

6) Depending on the type of crystals will depend on the type of food prescribed. Depending on that will depend if it's truly acceptable to feed the other cats (A dissolution formula for example is NOT appropriate to feed the other cats -- dissolution formulas are ONLY intended to be fed short term, re-evaluate urinalysis, then make appropriate choice for a management-type diet once the crystals are dissolved or resolved. It is the management type diet that could be fed to the other cats depending on the prescription diet and the other cats' health statuses).

7) It is not always necessary to transition a FLUTD cat onto strictly canned food. Some cats might benefit from canned only, but the vet needs to take palatibility issues into account as well. Prescription dry diets can often achieve the same purpose. Most importantly is providing your cats with fresh clean, available water daily.

8 ) You need to call your vet and discuss this with him. You need to inform him one or more of the other cats refuse the diet. And if the FLUTD cat is refusing the diet, then it's incumbent upon the vet to choose another prescription diet in either another texture (canned vs dry), or another veterinary brand more palatable to your cat.

9) If the vet won't address your concerns, see a new vet who will.
..........Traci
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