Best quality food for urinary problems?

[NameChange30]

Our girl cat has been poorly for about a month now and a urine sample analysis has confirmed that she has urinary problems (very concentrated with crystals). We're taking her in tomorrow morning for a scan and a discussion with the vet. On the phone, the vet said we'll need to give her special wet food to keep her hydrating and help reduce/prevent crystals and stones. Thing is, she's a fussy girl We were feeding her wet food (Nature's Menu) as well as dry (Orijen) but stopped as she went off it. We had some Purina pouches someone had given us, and the label said they were good for urinary health, so we tried her on that but she didn't fancy it! So, what food do you recommend? How about Hill's prescription, which seems to have good reviews? I'd like something with a high meat/protein content if possible. That's why we were giving them Nature's Menu.

*hydrated

Our cat has just had cystitis, and we put a teaspoon of water on her food,and used a syringe to give her extra water, which was no trouble at all.

We had this with our boy cat, our vet said any wet food was fine, no need for expensive urinry food.

We feed him butchers cat food, comes in an orange tin.

I would recommend buying food that is easily found in your local supermarket, nothing more annoying than a hungry cat on a Saturday night when the vet is shut😉

Thanks for your replies.

Sanchar We don't buy supermarket cat food as it typically only has about 4% meat content, which is shockingly bad given that cats are carnivores and need meat! We prefer to buy cat food with a higher meat content either online (cheapest) or at our local pet shop (if we run out). If you're interested in comparing supermarket cat food v the rest, check this out: www.scampers.co.uk/cat-food-wheres-the-meat.asp

It is really important you know what type of crystals as different crystals require different protocols so until you have spoken to your vet don't buy anything.

Thanks LoneCat. We've just got her back from the vet and she's on a prescription diet. The vet gave us Royal Canin veterinary diet for urinary S/O. She's on it for 2 weeks and then we'll do another urine test.

No stones in her bladder so she doesn't need an operation - we're very relieved!

Thank God we have good pet insurance, though. With the urine analysis, ultrasound, x-ray, food etc etc it came to about £570!!

I would take your vet's advice on a diet going forward. One of my boys is on the diet yours has been given, we give him a mix of biscuits and pouches but have his urine tested regularly anyway. It's cheaper to buy online btw.

My old lady cat is prone to cystitis, though thankfully hasn't had it flare up for a while. She's been on all three of the main dry prescription foods - Royal Canin, Hill's CD and Hill's SD. All have worked and kept her free of problems. The Hill's - one is to actively dissolve crystals, one is to stop them reforming (so is for maintenance). But I can't remember which is which!

My younger boy cat is on the same food (vet said it would be fine for him despite never having been diagnosed with cystitis), and he enjoys it too.

I top up with the occasional sachet of wet food as a treat, and touch wood they're both happy, healthy cats.

Fetch and Zooplus have both worked out significantly cheaper than buying from the vet.

Well trying to feed two cats different diets is turning out to be a bit of nightmare... Poorly cat was eating the sachets but those have run out (and the vets have ordered more but they haven't arrived yet) so now she's on the cans but isn't eating it. We are giving her (healthy) brother wet food in the hope that he doesn't steal hers but that isn't working either. Neither are eating their food and they have started eating each other's. I don't want them to go hungry and I'm very close to just giving up and putting down the high quality dry food they had before. It's not going to help poorly cat though!

ARGH

DH have been looking at the SureFeed microchip food bowls but they're so expensive and won't solve the problem if the cats keep refusing to eat their bloody food.

Correction: DH and I