First of all, Mythie has developed a liking for luke warm green tea. Is green tea toxic/bad for cats? Does anyone know? She keeps pestering me for some when ever i have any... Do i say no? or is it ok to let her have a sip? Or is a huge no no to let cats sip green tea full stop. ?
Secondly, being the doting parents that we are, we've decided to start ph testing the cats urine at home every couple of weeks. Our vet has said this is fine if we're looking for early signs that their urine might be getting above the proper ph... And also that this will alert us to any possible crystals or U.T.I. as soon as possible. Has any one else tried this? And how good an indicator of crystals/UTI is ph testing the urine?
Since tea contains caffeine, don't allow your kitty to drink it.
While pH strips can help monitor pH levels in the urine, they should not be used as a substitute for a true and complete urinalysis which measures several components of the urine (ketones, glucose, specific gravity, bilirubin, protein, etc). It should not be assumed that crystals are discovered based on a urine strip alone, the most appropriate method of detecting them is in the urine sediment under slide exam.
If one or more of your kitties is prone to infections or crystal formations, get regular urinalysis re-checks done to stay ahead of the problem. (as well as monitoring drinking input, urine output at home)
It depends on the individual cat, prior problems if any, and if they have a history of UTI's or crystals. If that's the case, I suggest as often as your vet recommends (because he knows your cats best) or at the first sign of a UTI or of course, blockage. (straining to urinate, not using litterbox, squatting in unusual places, producing only drops of urine or none at all, blood in the urine, painful abdomen, etc)
If none of them have a history of UTI's or blockages, then simply follow up with an annual health exam. I don't advise owners rely on urine test strips alone to monitor, unless there is already an ongoing condition that requires it.
Well that's the thing... Bobbie does have a condition. She has had crystals in her urine on two occasions. The first time we found a bit of blood in the kitty litter, and the second time i just had a feeling that something was wrong and then we took her in and they found crystals in her urine.
By the time they are straining to urinate they would have been in discomfort for some time right? And we were hoping that the ph testing would give us an earlier indication that something was wrong so that we wouldn't have to wait for her to start straining to go...
The odd thing is that our vet said that we can ph test her at home and as soon as it starts getting a bit on the high side to bring her in for a test... But if that's not accurate then i wonder why he suggested it?.... I think i'll ask him whether he thinks it will be effective enough to at least be an indication of wether we need to take her in to be tested fully... and see what he says. We have to go get her Walthams tabs today anyway.
Yzma, you can certainly use them if you wish, there is no real harm in doing so (just didn't want to give the impression they are a sole indicator of crystals). Since I now know that Bobbie has a history of crystals (I assume struvites?), then yes, the pH strips may be useful at home if the pH runs on the high side.
Don't always assume that your kitties would alert you in the beginning to a potential infection or crystal formation. Some cats will of course show the typical signs, others don't until a crisis occurs. Since you are very observant, and you know your cats well, you know what to watch for and what is concerning. In any event, if you find the pH levels to be abnormally high, get a urinalysis promptly to differentiate between infection and crystals.
I think i'll ask him whether he thinks it will be effective enough to at least be an indication of wether we need to take her in to be tested fully... and see what he says. We have to go get her Walthams tabs today anyway.
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