Terms you might not know:
FLUTD: Feline lower urinary tract disease
Cystitis: Inflammation of the bladder
Mucosa: the delicate lining of the bladder & urethra
Introduction
Cats need high protein diets and proteins contain high amounts of minerals or "ash" (magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, and oxalate being the most troublesome).
Cats also tend to have very concentrated urine making them especially prone to urinary crystals and other urinary tract problems.
But many dogs have urinary tract problems too. Especially after middle age sets in.
For both cats and dogs; lower urinary tract problems include:
1. Non bacterial cystitis or inflammation of the lower urinary tract in young cats associated with stress
2. True bacterial bladder infections in cats & Dogs
3. Inflammation and infections associated with urinary crystals in cats and dogs.
4. Bladder Stones of different types in cats and dogs
All of these conditions are discussed on our AnimalPetDoctor.com pages about urinary tract diseases, and all of these conditions can benefit from treatment with therapeutic diets.
This page is about the different diets and supplements used in veterinary medicine to treat, prevent, and manage urinary tract infections, inflammation, crystals, and stones.
Diets I recommend for Cats with lower urinary tract problems:
Hills C/D MultiCare for Cats: Very successful at treating and preventing urinary tract diseases from recurring. This new formulation is good for all types of bladder crystals and stones and also stops pets from having recurring bladder infections.
Contains controlled levels of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and oxalate to reduce building blocks of crystals and uroliths, as well as enhanced vitamin B6 to help decrease oxalate formation and excretion in the urine. Generates an environment that is unfavorable for the development of uroliths due to the addition of antioxidants, Vitamin E and beta-carotene. c/d® Multicare Feline is formulated to avoid excess sodium and has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil that help break the inflammatory cycle associated with the most common causes of FLUTD.
Royal Canin's Urinary SO for Cats: Also very successful at treating and preventing urinary tract diseases from recurring. This diet is my second choice and recommended for those cats that just don't like the flavor of Hill's C/D diet or for those few cases where the Hill's diet isn't working.
Formulated to promote increased urine volume and body water turnover, prevent the formation of both struvite and calcium oxalate crystals. Unlike Hills CD Multicare, this diet has high levels of salt (to increase drinking and voiding). Controlled amounts of magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and oxalate.
Diets I recommend for the treatment and prevention of urinary tract disease in dogs:
Royal Canin SO Diet: My first choice for dogs as it is more all purpose; good at preventing struvite as well as calcium-oxalate crystals and stones in dogs.
Increased sodium chloride content to promote increased urine volume
Moderately restricted magnesium levels
Controlled levels of calcium and oxalate
Moderately restricted phosphorus and protein content
Enriched with antioxidants
Hill's C/D Diet: Good for the prevention of struvite crystals and stones in dogs, but not for calcium-oxalate. Good at preventing recurring urinary tract bacterial infections. Urinary tract disease is associated with the build-up of crystals and stones in the urinary tract that can cause painful and bloody urination and potential blockage in your dog. One type of crystal that forms in a dog's urinary tract is called struvite. Prescription Diet® c/d® dog food is formulated specifically to provide nutritional management of dogs with struvite-related urinary tract disease.
In addition to medications like antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories that may be needed short term, the following supplements that may be helpful for short or long term use:
Glucosamine: This neutraceutical is well known as helpful with the management of joint inflammation, but it's also good at protecting, healing, and soothing the delicate tissue lining the bladder and urethra.
Omega Fatty Acids: Helpful in maintaining the health of connective tissue, blood flow, and repair of bladder and urethral mucosa.
Anti-inflammatories: My favorite for cats and small breed dogs is Duralactin Feline flavored suspension which combines good relief from irritation and inflammation along with omega fatty acids.
For bigger dogs I like Duralactin flavored tablets.
Urinary acidyfiers: (CranVet) Cranberry extract and other supplements are available to acidify the urine which can be very helpful in SOME types of urinary tract problems such as recurring infections and in pets prone to struvite crystal formation. BUT; not as good as the therapeutic diets and NOT appropriate for pets prone to oxalate crystals or stones.
On Other Pages:
The therapeutic Diets & Supplements we recommend for diabetes
The therapeutic Diets & Supplements we recommend for senior or aging pets
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Allergies to fleas, pollens, molds, dust mites, and certain foods are a major c
As an aside; the diets available in grocery stores and pet food stores that claim to "Aid in the prevention or urinary tract diseases" make that claim because they have added some form of acid (usually phosphoric acid) to the diets which makes urine in the pet eating the food more acidic. This does in fact, help prevent some types of urinary tract problems. But these are not therapeutic diets and are inadequate or more harmful than good for other types of urinary tract problems. The therapeutic diets recommended on this page are far superior.
On Other pages we discuss the special diets and supplements use to treat:
Please visit our other Pages on this Site:
Revolution Frontline Plus Comfortis Vectra3D Promeris CapStar
Program 6 Month Injection for Cats Sentinel KnockOut House
KnockOut Premise Advantage Multi PrevenTic Collars
Revolution Advantage Multi TriHeart Plus
ProHeart 6 month injection
Inteceptor Sentinel
Panacur ProFender Pyrantel-50mg Revolution Advantage Multi
Inteceptor Sentinel
TriHeart Plus
And The Very Best Products Available For:
ZymoxHC FoxNest Ear Cleaner Mometamax Acrexx MalOtic
Phytosphingosine Hydroxyzine Tris8 Duralactin OFA's
Exotic Diets
Phytosphingosine FoxNest Medicated Shampoo Relief OFA's Zymox
FoxNest OatMeal Shampoo Hydroxyzine The Furminator Exotic Diets Hylyt Shampoo Genesis Spray BioGroom Natural Scented Shampoos MaloKet
Zymox VBG Cream Nolvasan Malotic DermaGel Bag Balm
Fly Repellent Vet Wrap
Biotene MaxiGuard Oral Gel Greenies TD OraVet Kits Gum Vaccine
ProPectalin DigestRite DiaRobe CatLax DiaBac Pancrazyme
GastriCalm K-Pectin
Duralactin Dasaquin SynoviFlex ChondroFlex for Cats Rimadyl Adequan
Tramadol AntiOxUltra
Special Diets Duralactin AntiOxUltra OFA's
Reconcile/Prozac DAP Collars & Plug-Ins Elimiodor Forbid
OFA's AntiOx SAM-e CranVet MultiVitamins PetTinic Milk Replacer
Bottles & Nipples Slentrol Reducing Diet LeanTreats
Prescription Therapy Diets
Urine Off The Equilizer Eliminodor Pet Candles ThioTrol Skunk
The Furminator Shed Guard OFA's Phytosphingosine
AllerPet for Humans MicroChips Pet Insurance Pet Candles Bag Balm
Dog Appeasing Pheromone Feliway Spray PetGuard
