When cats are stressed, they tend to urinate more frequently and in small amounts, which can lead to a build-up of crystals because their bodies don't have enough time to flush them out. Therefore, giving your cat a stress-free environment is essential for preventing struvite crystals.
"The most important step to preventing recurrence is to feed a prescription diet." Additionally, you will need to increase your cat's water intake in order to make your cat's urine less concentrated. In most cases, using the canned version of your cat's prescription diet will keep the urine dilute.
Experts aren't exactly sure why crystals increase and form stones. Some of the suspected causes have to do with feline diet, dehydration, lack of activity, inflammation and infection, and the acidity levels of the cat's urine.
It's been noted that urine crystals and struvite stones occur more often in male cats, since their urethras are narrower than female cats'. Siamese, Himalayan and Persian cats also seem more likely to develop struvite stones, which leads some animal health experts to believe the cause can be genetic.
However, there are factors known to increase the chances of your cat having struvite stones which include obesity, decreased water intake, and one of the most common causes, stress.
What ingredient in cat food causes urinary crystals?
Urinary diets have restricted amounts of minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium, which can contribute to urinary crystal and stone formation.
Diet is the most common management strategy since there are several commercial diets designed to treat and/or prevent the most common types of crystals/stones including: Hills c/d or s/d. Royal Canin Urinary SO. Purina UR.
Top ingredients include pork liver, carrots, chicken, tuna, rice, spinach, chicken fat and fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Also containing important vitamins and minerals, the amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium are controlled to prevent crystal formation.
Struvite stones only form in alkaline environments (pH >7) and are always associated with urinary tract infections from urease-producing bacteria such as Proteus. Virtually all infectious urinary organisms make urease except E. coli, Citrobacter freundii, Streptococci, and Enterococci.
Diet can play a role as well. Cats who eat high-mineral or unbalanced diets may have excess calcium and phosphorous in their urine, leading to the creation of bladder crystals and stones. Additionally, if your cat is stressed, they may avoid their litter box and stop eliminating.
Certain diseases, like diabetes and kidney disease, can encourage the formation of crystals. Specific breeds, such as Siamese, Persian, and Burmese cats, are also slightly more prone to developing urinary crystals.
Other example of acidifiers are cranberries (cranberry powder), vitamin C and sodium bisulfate. Acidifiers can be given to cats to decrease the pH of their urine to make it more acidic, this will re-establish the 6.0 - 6.5 pH range.
Hill's nutritionists & veterinarians developed Prescription Diet s/d clinical nutrition to support a cat's urinary health. In fact, s/d is clinically tested to dissolve struvite stones in as little as 6 days (average 13 days). This dry food has a chicken flavor and an irresistible taste that cats love.
Many vets will recommend high-quality wet foods because they've seen canned food reduce crystals in their practices. Regardless, adequate hydration is imperative for felines who tend not to drink enough water.
Examples of these diets include Hills Prescription Diet® s/d® or c/d®, Royal Canin Urinary® SO™, Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary UR Urinary™, and Rayne Clinical Nutrition Adult Health-RSS™. These formulation help dissolve struvite stones that are already present in the urine and prevents formation of further stones.
An abundance of certain minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium --- often found in grocery store brand cat food --- can cause crystals to form in the urine, which sometimes leads to urinary stones.
What is the best water for cats with urinary problems?
CATWATER – Urinary Formula is a distilled natural spring water, which means that it contains no minerals. With its perfectly balanced pH, between 6.2 and 6.4, CATWATER – Urinary Formula offers the best conditions to help prevent urinary problems in cats.
While cranberries are known as a UTI treatment in humans, they can also be used to treat a cat's UTI. The acidity of cranberries can lower the pH of your cat's urine, which can help treat a UTI and stop it from coming back. However, there will be no way to confirm that your cat specifically has an infection vs.
With its enzymes, important vitamins and minerals, and gut-friendly bacteria, all-natural Apple Cider Vinegar for cats, or ACV, can be a powerful holistic healing tool, promoting your pet's digestion, repelling parasites, and even breaking up bladder crystals.
Dear Readers: Does your dog or cat drink tap water? This could possibly lead to medical problems for the animal. Tap water can contain high amounts of calcium and magnesium, which can contribute to crystals forming in the urine, urinary tract infections and incontinence, among other issues.
In cats that already have FLUTD caused by stones, avoid fish in their diet. Salmon and tuna are common sources of struvite crystals, and can exacerbate the inflammation already present. FLUTD and other urinary problems can be a source of major aggravation for both you and your cat.
Struvite stones can often be completely dissolved in both dogs and cats using special diets. These diets encourage greater water consumption, contain controlled amounts of protein and certain minerals, and also alter the acidity of the urine.
Acid Washing: A light spray of ferric or citric acid directly onto the struvite can help dissolve precipitation. Ferric chloride reduces the pH of the sludge and is used to bind the soluble orthophosphate preventing struvite formation.
Cats of all ages may develop struvite urolithiasis. The median age of cats with struvite calculi was 5.75 years in one study,11 which was significantly younger than cats with calcium oxalate calculi. Cats older than 4 years are 2.5 times more likely to develop struvite calculi compared with cats younger than 4 years.