Don't Feed 'Veterinary Diet' for Urinary Disease in Cats?

Many cat owners are recommended to feed their cats specific "Veterinary Diet" dry food to help manage and prevent urinary tract disease and crystal formation. However, is this truly the best approach? In this video, Dr. Andrew Jones dives into the story of a cat that continued to suffer urinary blockages despite being on a prescribed dry diet. He breaks down the potential issues with these diets, discusses the causes of urinary tract diseases like cystitis, urethral obstruction, and infections in cats, and provides healthier alternatives that could support your cat’s urinary health more effectively. Watch to learn what you can feed to help prevent urinary problems in your feline friend!

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⚠️ Disclaimer: This video is designed for educational purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for professional veterinary care. For any health-related queries, always consult with a qualified veterinarian.

[jeansteegal]

My cat HATED the cat food for his crystals that the vet wanted him on, it would take him 4 days to eat one serving of it. I switched him back to his regular food and put 1/2 cup cranberry juice in with his water everyday and he lived till he was 20 and never had any kidney issues.

[Goldthecat]

I remember the vet being against me feeding my cat only wet food versus 1/2 the hills c/d and 1/2 wet food. He’s been on just wet for two years and hasn’t had any issues with the urinary crystals, just turned 4. I hope to have him 20+ years my special boy.

[soulsister]

Thank you so much for offering pet owners an alternative view. My story is similar to many...my male ragdoll suffered with 2 serious bouts of crystals requiring catheterization. HORRIBLE and something didn't seem right with all the recommendations I was receiving, including "official diet for CKD". After much research, I switched to a homemade raw food diet. We call it "soup" as it is the consistency of soup. More liquid SHOULD decrease incidence of crystals. Well, it did decrease the recurrence but he suffered another bout and I decided to look into the water I was using as I am on well water. Knowing that minerals contribute to crystal formation, I found out that my well water was extremely high in mineral content! I now use an RO filter to make his "soup". My RO system adds calcium and magnesium back AFTER 3 carbon filters strip all other 'poisons' out. To his 'soup' I add additional distilled water, about 2 tsp, per meal...very 'soupy'. Ever since I ceased using my well water, my sweet Teddy has not had another issue with crystals...about 3 years now!! Just wanted to share how something like "water" which is so key to our pets diets NEEDS to be evaluated. We are what we EAT and DRINK :)

[amyabjork]

Thank you for being a GOOD DOCTOR!! ❤ I feel like so many veterinarians (and MDs for that matter) are in it for money, or at least don’t think for themselves. They pitch us whatever they’re programmed to. 😢

[djladygee]

Some important points are missing.

-Crystals are made under specific PH, where certain minerals are increased, and form crystals under specific conditions. Royal Canin attacks both of those, dissolves crystals already created, keeps PH at healthy level, and prevents formation of new crystals. Regular wet food can not do this. Royal Canin also increases drinking.

-Water is super important, but if you give cat a hard water like we have in London, this increases the minerals intake in unhealthy levels for the cat. So you need to give only filtered water. Super important.

-Get a water fountain with filters in a style if drinking your pet prefers. This increase the drinking

-Stress can influence all of the above. Reduce stress. Increase activity.

-Litter. If litter is not clean enough cats will hold urine in for longer thus impacting on PH, and crystal formation potential. So keep litterbox clean and offer more then one box if possible.

-Wet food, very important. But alone not enough. Perhaps the raw diet might be the best if you can afford it. But realistically how many of us can. So include specialised Royal Canin wet food, or best wet you can afford.

Royal Canin saved 2 of my boys after the blockages, but only by following other methods above equally. They never had a recurrence and died years later of old age.

Of course some of the methods mentioned may work on some cats, of course. But considering the price of unblocking and hospitalization I had to pay, would I risk not using Royal Canin? Personally, no.

So please mention all the relevant elements of the causes and solutions, which will help us understand the desease and future prevention of recurrences. Royal Canin obviously worked for 2 of my boys and I am grateful to them for creating this veterinary food.

[illyanka]

Sulfur is what clears out those crystals. Protein has sulfur (meat only, not from beans). What really works is to mix egg yolk in with the wet cat food every once in a while. Plus, I add additional water to the canned cat food.

[karlawhitesides]

Good morning Dr Jones. Just to tell you thank you for caring and It is a blessing to have you in our lives. Take care and God bless you and your family

[romzkhan]

Thank you for reaffirming what I already knew! My cat has been dealing with persistent urinary issues, and her naturally anxious temperament only worsens the situation. Every vet I’ve visited has insisted on prescribing the Hill’s dry food diet. It’s always been clear to me that dry food won’t solve the problem—dehydration is a key factor in urinary issues, after all. Despite my reservations, I finally gave in after years of hearing the same advice. While she had no urinary issues while on the food, as soon as I took her off it for just ONE day, the problems returned—exactly as I suspected. It’s not a solution; it’s a temporary band-aid. I care far too much about my cat’s overall health and well-being to feed her something that doesn’t address the root cause of her issues, or promote her long-term wellbeing. I’ve had countless arguments with people about this, but they just don’t seem to understand, with the reasoning of “It’s the vet’s advice, and they know more than you.” EYE ROLL.

[larnakeane]

$ 40 dollars for a eight point.five lb bag of kibble. Corn twice is part of the ingredients. Ah Me. I am so glad this video is out. Thanks, Dr. Jones.

[MyLifewithRescues]

Wow, thanks! I've been feeding my cat this dry food product for several years after she had a bladder stone removed and cringed when I read the ingredients. After seeing this video, NO MORE DRY CAT URINARY TRACT SO FOOD. She will be getting canned. Thanks for posting this! :)

[ebperformance]

3 days ago my cat had issues urinating, he would try to go on my cloths, and my bed where he loves to sleep…….He was on dry food his entire life” I ended up feeding him wet food once a day.

When he was blocked I panicked like hell” I immediately took him off Dry food” I ended up feeding him wet gravy like food with a half of cap of apple cider vinegar…….Im down to a 1/4 of it in his food.

The apple cider vinegar tricked worked like a charm……he eventually was able to pee” I have been adding apple cider vinegar to his wet food, and he’s getting a lot better.

I also add a 1/4 cap full of it to his water……I clean his water dish everyday, I make sure his litter is clean each Day, the little also shows me a color when he urinates” it went from a brown color to a nice light yellow color…..he still needs to start exercising because he’s overweight, I also try not to stress him out when he misbehaves” no more yelling at him……however he still needs to stop clawing the furniture.

[DesertEdgeLegal]

I just learned about adding l-methionine which is similar to the ingredients added to the prescription dry food. It's $12 online and it's a powder that can be added to wet food to help dissolve crystals. The vet said cats can block up on wet food too. So frustrating.

[JordanK]

I have a cat that is not a big drinker of water even with a fountain of moving water. For years now he gets Honest Kitchen Prowl, put as much water you want with this from stewy to soupy and mix with any other food wet, a good kibble or add raw meat. My picky cat loves the taste and he always gets lots of fluid with his meals. He's nearly 12 years old, has no health issues and a perfect weight. Do your homework folks, there are always better alternatives to what traditional vets push. Keep in mind they get kick backs from the manufacturer on the foods they sell.

[AsAMuslimInJapan]

My cannot pee anymore. We've been to the ved and they put catheter to him. We went their for tye second time to put another catheter because he was able to remove it. After 30mins when we arrived home, he was able to remove it again. Now he can't pee anymore. i kept feeding him urinary SO, and his meds: Nefrotec, methiovet and cefuroxime.. No help at all. I can't go back to the vet. I don't have money left. 😭😭😭

[echastee]

What about the hills prescription diet c/d? The vet put my cat on this and it's expensive for just one cat to eat for a month but I'll suck it up if the food is good for her. If not I just wanna feed her a good wet food but idk what. For a week I've been feeding my cats seperately and giving my one cat antibiotics. She's using the litter box now and doing really well. The crystals were never confirmed so they're gunna check her urine on the 16th when she goes in to get fixed. Ive been feeding her the diet anyways because UTI in a 3 year old cat is uncommon and crystals are likely the cause. But before I feed her this diet for the rest of her life I just wanna make sure.

[mackenziecunningham]

My boy Murray died last summer with a tract infection.
My girl Sable has it now but we used her moisture with wet food and she passed her blockage.
Thank you!

[jessicalaughlin]

I love you and appreciate you so very much. I got turned away at the emergency vet because I owed them $175 I had forgotten about. I didn’t have the money, they said they can’t see him. I can’t tell you how fast my blood started boiling. I had to wait until 9 am to take him to our vet. It was the longest night and my heart hurt so bad for him. I have been online researching. He stayed overnight at our vet came home today and still doesn’t seem to be able to urinate. 😭

[cristamanwell]

Thank you my kiddo had his first episode and I'm scrambling to learn what to do for him

[eaglechas]

So what you're saying is if my cat is on urinary St/ox It is better for me to give her any kind of canned food versus the dry urinary St/ox Because honestly I really can't afford this food $107 16 oz bag

[she_sings_delightful_things]

Another terrific video....we are lucky to have you!