Need more advice from those with cats with crystal problems

I don't know if Morgan has crystals or not. He is at the vet for the weekend. He is a diabetic kitty that is currently being controlled by diet, Purina DM dry. I've never tried giving him the DM canned. I do give him a teaspoon of usually Nine Lives Tuna Select in the morning and the afternoon as a treat. I don't want to have to give him insulin shots again. I think I remember someone here having a kitty or kitties on a grain free dry food for their crystal problems. Maybe I'm getting a couple of ailments confused. I'm going to do research this weekend to be prepared when I go back to the vet's office on Monday. I was just wondering if there was anyone with a cat with this condition. Morgan may have a bladder infection without crystals. The vet didn't do any tests while I was there other than to check and say that his bladder was not full at that time. While I wait for a definite diagnosis, I gather information about all possibilities. Thanks in advance for any additional insight or advice.

Hi! I'm sorry to hear that Morgan isn't feeling well! Hoping for a good report soon!

Kim:)

I posted on Cat General!!! However, I hope that all will be well for Morgan and you, too!!!

I'm sorry to hear about Morgan.:( My cat Storm has had crystal problems and has even been blocked two times before so he had the PU surgery. He used to be on Royal Canin Urinary S/O formula but is now on the grain free Innova Evo dry and canned food. He's been doing great and hasn't had any more problems since being on this food.:)

I do make sure to give him plenty of canned food and I mix in some water with it too. I give him this mixture 2 times a day. His last blood test was even better than his previous last 2 have been and nothing had changed except for his diet. I hope that Morgan will feel better soon. I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

It totally depends on which kind of crystals it is - the foods that will make one kind go away can make the other kind worse!

Smudge had struvite stones which were cleared up by Hill's c/d, but he's not diabetic, so it's definitely a question for the vet.

Please keep us posted!

Love, Columbine

My Siamese boy, Ming, suffers from crystals and blockages from time to time. I feed him the Purina One for Urinary Tract Health and the Friskies Special Diet for Urinary Health. Both seem to do him very well and my other cat enjoys them also (always a plus) . My vet told me to avoid any kind of food that is fish flavored as that can aggravate the condition. So, I feed him the Friskies wet morning and night, 1/2 can at each feeding. He also gets a cup of the dry per day. On top of that, he gets 10 mg. of amitryptiline once a day. He has been on this regimen for awhile now and has not had any crystals or blockages so far (knock on wood!). Sometimes diet alone can control it, but my poor kitty has meds on top of it.

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Originally Posted by columbine

It totally depends on which kind of crystals it is - the foods that will make one kind go away can make the other kind worse!

Smudge had struvite stones which were cleared up by Hill's c/d, but he's not diabetic, so it's definitely a question for the vet.

Please keep us posted!

Love, Columbine

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I had the same experience as Columbine. Vet said my cat must be exclusively on Hill's CD, and the most common reason for recurrence is owner noncompliance. Hope Morgan is better soon.

If it is crystals Morgan has, I hope a diet will help clear it. How old is he?

Fister had stuvite crystals years ago, and in spite of feeding him strictly Hills S/D for a long time, they came back. He finally got the big operation, and he has not had a problem since. :)

My best thoughts to Morgan, and to you! :)

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Originally Posted by columbine

It totally depends on which kind of crystals it is - the foods that will make one kind go away can make the other kind worse!

Smudge had struvite stones which were cleared up by Hill's c/d, but he's not diabetic, so it's definitely a question for the vet.

Please keep us posted!

Love, Columbine

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Exactly. My advice would be to take your vet's advice on what diet would be appropriate. Different stones form in different pH of urine, even a tenth of a change can be the difference between forming stones and not, so it is vital to stick to a diet that works. And sometimes it isn't cheap, but all too often clients will stick to it for a bit, think "oh they're better now", switch to a cheaper food, then BAM problems start all over again.

Especially because of the diabetes, I would definitely ask your vet's advice. Even if it means having to give insulin shots again unfortunately.

Morgan does have crystals, but I am not sure which kind. I didn't get to talk to the vet because I had to take my car in to be serviced and was there ALL DAY LONG and still have to go back! But that's a story for a different thread. I did talk to the vet briefly on the phone. He said Morgan's blood work was all very good. He is changing his food for 30 days then we'll recheck things, like his sugar level. I'm not sure what food he's getting, but I think it is Hills. My mom picked Morgan and the food up for me, and I haven't seen it yet. Believe me, I'm very strict with Morgan's food. He is strictly rationed with what and how much he eats. That's what I have had to do to make sure his sugar is regulated and how we got off the insulin shots in the first place. I'll discuss this in detail with the vet when I talk with him in the morning. Morgan couldn't eat the canned food, he kept throwing it up. He does that with most canned food, there are only a few brands and flavors that he can eat. I do have to watch and make sure he urinates daily. The vet said that he would hold it and then pee a huge amount once a day. But that he was peeing enough when he did that. It may have been because he was in a strange place with a different litter box. I'll keep an eye on him here though! I just love watching the litter box. :rolleyes:

ETA: His food is Hills S/D. I went to see the nutritional chart at the diabetes website. They say about this food "S/D (short-term use only!!!)". Does anyone have any experience with S/D?

I think I may have figured out the answer to my previous post. I'm mostly posting this here incase someone comes later searching this topic. It seems that the s/d is used on a short term basis to dissolve the crystals, then usually a switch is made to a different kind of food like the c/d to prevent their return.

I talked to the vet today, and he wants Morgan on the s/d for 4 weeks or so. He said that I should be able to tell that he's doing much better then. If he seems ok, I don't need to bring him back in but should switch his food back to the DM food for his diabetes. I'm not sure how this will work since it won't really be doing anything for preventing the return of more crystals. I'm going to see how his diabetic symptoms seem then, and I may then switch to the EVO food that Storm eats. The vet said he isn't concerned about Morgan's sugar levels. They were very good. But of course I was strictly watching his diet. I'm a little uneasy about all of this, but will wait until the 4 weeks of the s/d food is over and then make a decision. So for I've been digging in the litter box for treasures all day. Morgan has peed adaquate amounts 4 times today. YaY! He did go and have some sprinkles one time this morning, but all the other times were small clumps. Because of the diabetes, I'm used to him peeing larger amounts but am happy with 4 moderate clumps.

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It seems that the s/d is used on a short term basis to dissolve the crystals, then usually a switch is made to a different kind of food like the c/d to prevent their return.

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Yes, that's usually the way it goes, it's the same here with my Luna. But even though she's on a low magnesium diet (like in c/d), the struvite crystals often return, so I always have to watch her closely, and whenever she starts peeing outside her box, I need to have her urine checked and usually, it would show new crystals.

There are some supplements for kitties with struvite problems, like cranberry products. It's important to keep the pH value in their bladder acidic. However, this goes only for struvite crystals.