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What is a good dry cat food for a kitty who is overweight but is prone to stuvite crystals?

I have a kitty. A big kitty who has been molly coddled food wise due to the fact that he is prone to FLUTD and obstruction. He is almost 8 years old and although he is a long cat he weighs about 20 pounds. Thank goodness he hasn’t obstructed in over 2 years but he has obstructed at least 7 or 8 times in the past. I want to get him on a diet of sorts but am afraid to give him food like Science diet R/D because of the magnesium and calcium content and that’s what the vet always gives him when I mention his weight. Unfortunately he always obstructs with it. :/

Hi there…Having both FLUTD and a cat that is overweight will require a delicate balance of diet so I’ll do my best to explain the needs of both first then how you can achieve weight loss and management as well as avoid future recurrences of FLUTD symptoms.

A little background about causes of FLUTD. It is caused by several factors, and combinations of these factors, which include obesity, stress, urinary pH, water and fibre intake in the animal’s diet. Recurrence is common with FLUTD cats so preventive measures such a canned food diet to keep hydration levels high plus any other ways to encourage more water consumption is a must, easy access to multiple litter boxes in addition to regular check ups as well as supplementation with prescriptions depending on the severity of the condition.

Cats who eat dry cat foods tend to suffer from recurring episodes and this seems to be a common denominator with cats diagnosed with various types of FLUTD. The idea is to acidify the urine because cats with FLUTD have low urine pH so your goal is to reverse this and canned foods have been known to achieve the results.

Additionally, most commercial grade cat foods contain corn, corn meal which are fillers (carbohydrates) that bind the dry food together as a way of keeping foods lasting longer. Try finding cat food products which are devoid of these ingedients. The first ingredients should show chicken, chicken meal, etc. Most show the first ingredients as corn on the ingredient labels. IAMs, Science Diet, Purina, Whiskas, Friskies …all have corn listed as the main ingredient. Cats who eat these tend to always feel hungry because the carbs don’t metabolize fast enough and cats are obligate carnivores so they need a diet devoid of these types of carbs. Products such as Innova EVO, Nature’s Variety Prairie, James Wellbeloved (for UK residents), are premium brands. Most cats who eat these find that they do not eat to eat as much because their appetite is better satiated.

Additionally, it’s important to schedule feed a cat so you can monitor servings taken in during the day. Each product lists the recommended servings based on a age and weight. For an overweight cat you would be reducing the intake gradually by 10% each week that the vet recommends is an appropriate caloric intake. Cats who are switched from a free-fed diet should be fed multiple times a day (if permittable) such as once in the morning, mid-day, and then evening before your bedtime.

When switching to a new brand of cat food it is also important to note that sudden changes can cause sever bowel distress. Cats have very sensitive digestive systems so the quick change will cause bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. Any vet can confirm this fact. Cat food should be changed gradually by mixing the current brand with the new brand over the course of several weeks. For example you would take 3/4 servings of the old cat food to 1/4 servings with the new for one week…then the next week 1/2 to 1/2…then following 1/4 of the old to 3/4 of the new in the third week before completing the switch in the final week. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&aid=100

Furthermore, some cats can take off the weight faster by feeding a canned food diet, which is very helpful for cats who suffer from FLUTD. For some reason the hydration in the canned products helps metabolize food better and are also completely devoid of carbohydrates, which is more optimal for the feline’s body and while at the same acidifies the urine pH which is perfect for cats who have FLUTD . When cats eat raw meat in the wild they get hydration from the fresh meat juices as well as some roughage from the animals who are natural herbivores. A mixture of canned and dry are always best for cats in the long-term, which many people are unaware of. We are have been exposed to so many commercial ads regarding dry food for cats, but in reality it’s the manufacturer’s who benefit rather than the cats. Cats are not naturally designed to eat dry–the products were designed for convenience for the owner.

Here’s an article about commercial cat food; dry vs. canned, proper nutritional needs, etc: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/cat-food/review.html

Finally, most cats become bored with toys quickly. It’s important to rotate them by hiding them and then bringing them back out again so the appear to be like new toys. Interactive toys are the best ones to use to get a cat moving such as a laser light. Most cats love chasing the light. The goal is to get the cat to move back and forth at least for 5 minutes to begin as some tire more easily than others especially if they are overweight. You can increase play time more if they enjoy it. Some cats love chasing feather teasers tied on a string too. Experiment to what gets your cat moving. Just please remember most overweight cats tire easily so keep the sessions short and fun. Interactive toys are the best ways to get your cat to exercise rather than leaving toys for them to play with. They only bat at those and really don’t move enough. Not only does the interactive toys work better, but it’s a bonding experience for both of you as well.

Here are some websites that I’ve researched to help prepare for the long road ahead to minimize the repeat episodes:
FLUTD (also formerly known as FUS):

http://www.hdw-inc.com/healthfus.htm

http://www.thensome.com/flutd.htm

http://www.fabcats.org/flutd.html

http://www.vet.uga.edu/sams/courses/urology/lectures/Lecture06_FelineIdiopathicCystitis.pdf

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html

http://www.holisticat.com/fusfaq.htm

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