Storm Has Crystals Again

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

My boy, Augustus had really severe struvite crystals. I fed him Hills S/D dry and it cleared his crystals up in no time. I am now feeding him Summit, which helps prevent crystals. The main cause of crystals in cats is Ash in their food. Too much ash causes acidic urine, which causes Struvites. Too little ash causes alkaline urine which causes calcium oxalate crystals. As long as you keep him on a high quality food, his crystals should subside. Auggys came back a couple of times, thankfully without a blockage. Hope he gets better soon!

((((HUGS))))

[TopCat3]

Please don't beat yourself up KAK, we can only do our best. And we do the best we can with the best intentions because we love our cats the best! I know how hard it is to have to feed one cat a separate diet. I have had to compromise by letting Cleo have half of her special one side of the dish and half of what she used to eat and the other cat Colette still eats, in the other side. Sometimes I have to mix it all up together. Sometimes she will only eat the other cat's and leave her dish untouched and sometimes with the half and half dish she will only eat her special diet It seems no matter what I do she will change her preference and outwit me whenever I think I've got it sussed. - (sorry that's when I've understood what she needs - for our English -2nd language friends.) You haven't been a bad meowmie at all, just that sometimes our furkids are very bad to us!!!

Have you tried feeding Storm separately in his own little room- laundry bathroom wherever? or by holding the dish to coax him to eat it? I have to do this now hard when you are working full time I know.

Anyway good luck with the discussion with the vets and let us know what transpires.

[Nomilynn]

If your other cats like it, it's safe to have them all on the Royal Canin S/O. That way you would be sure that none of them would ever get the crystals, and since boy cats are more prone to it, it wouldn't hurt.

Hopefully things will clear up for him soon!

[jenluckenbach]

Poor Storm. Some cats simply NEED to eat the prescription diet......forever! And yes, all your cats can safely eat it so then there would be no trouble with switching bowls.

Just for info, crystal formation and a UTI (urinary tract infection) are different. The cranberries might help keep bacteria from growing, but I don't think they do much to prevent crystal formation.

Using sub-Q fluid should help flush the bladder, crystals and all, but it may not be necessary. Your vet will let you know.

Now, don't beat yourself us. Many (if not most) of us have make an inadvertant error in judgement, I know I certainly have.

Storm will get better soon, do not worry.

[sasvermont]

http://www.pup-n-stuff.com/index.asp...PROD&ProdID=64

surely hope these help!

[Don Juan's mom]

Poor Storm! I'm sure the reason he was standoffish with Pearl after her spay was that the scent of the vet's office reminded him of his illness.

You be OK, too. I probably would have done the same with the information you had. Maybe if you presented some of the prescription dry food to Storm as HIS SPECIAL TREAT (i.e. on your fingers), he would eat it more readily.

Please tell him that Don Juan, Zerlina and Aunt Liz all hope he gets well soon.

Liz

[Kirsten]

Poor Storm! I hope he will feel much better soon with a new diet. I know these things are not easy, especially when it's a multicat household and different diets are required...

Could be that I'm facing the same with Luna again... Her urine sample is at the vet's now and I'm getting the results tomorrow.

Kirsten

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling better now. Storm's vet won't be in until 10am so I called and left a voice mail for her to call me at work. I'll update you tonight to let you know what she says.

I've tried feeding Storm in a separate room before and he doesn't like it at all. He's so used to being out in the main room and being able to eat near Sky and Sunny. The kittens eat in my bedroom so I'll still be able to feed them the Innova food for a while. Sunny and especially Sky will have to switch to the new special food. Storm and Sky like to eat from each others bowls.