Your Cat’s Diet Is Very Important

Most people who are owned by felines are very conscientious these days about feeding their cats a diet low in magnesium.Struvie stones in cats were seen a lot more often in the 1970’s and 80’s.  It was found that if a cat was fed a diet high in magnesium, he was more prone to developing mineral crystals in his bladder, which often led to a feline urinary tract infection.  Cat food manufacturers changed their formulas, and everyone thought the problem was solved.

But are you aware that if you feed your cat only dry food, he’s probably chronically dehydrated?  Since kidney failure is the leading cause of death in older cats, it makes sense to put these two things together.

Dry cat food has a very low moisture level, usually under 10%.  This is great if your only concern is to keep mold from growing on it, but if you’re worried about the amount of water your cat is taking in, it’s not so good. 

Cats normally don’t seem to drink a lot of water.This is because an undomesticated cat gets most of his water supply from the animals he catches and eats.  Did you know a mouse is 98% water?  Canned cat food has a moisture level of around 75%.Increase the moisture level even more by adding a little water to it.

Of course, your cat should always have plenty of clean, fresh water to drink at all times.

Stress Causes Feline Urinary Crystals

Cats are creatures of habit.  They really don’t like change at all.Events that raise the stress levels for cats include moving, adding another pet to the household, and even going to the vet.

A stressed cat can develop many different types of health problems, including urinary crystals in cats.Give your stressed cat lots of extra love, time, and attention.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Prevent Cat Urinary Problems

Many cat owners use herbs and homeopathic remedies to treat their own ailments, so it’s only natural that there would be rising interest in natural remedies for pets. 

The herbal remedies uva ursi and barberry have a long history of use for treating human bladder problems.  Homeopathic remedies used for urinary tract infections in people include Cantharis and Staphysagria.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could give these safe, effective remedies to your kitty to support bladder health and prevent inflammation from urinary crystals in cats?  Well, now you can. 

There’s a remedy available now that combines all four of these traditional remedies for urinary problems.  This product has been specially formulated for pets, which is a very important safety consideration.  It’s made by a long-established company that has a sterling reputation for producing only the highest quality natural remedies for pets. 

So there you have it; three natural ways to prevent feline urinary crystals and support your cat’s bladder health.

Because a male cat has a long narrow urethra, it can easily become plugged if large numbers of feline urinary crystals are present.  This is a veterinary emergency, as a cat that can’t pass urine will fall victim to a fatal case of uremic poisoning within a couple of days.  Since it’s hard for an owner to tell if the cat is blocked or not, it’s important to have your cat examined by the vet if he has a feline urinary tract infection.

There are two types of urinary crystals we need to be concerned about, struvite and calcium oxalate.

Struvite Crystals In Cats

Struvite crystals, which contain magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, used to be very common in cats.  This problem was thought to be a result of a diet with high levels of magnesium.  Cat food manufacturers responded by producing diets lower in magnesium.  Cats eating this food also produce more acidic urine. This helps to prevent the formation of struvite crystals, which are still the most common type of crystal that causes feline urinary blockage.

Although this dietary change helped to lower the incidence of struvite crystals in cats, now vets are seeing calcium oxalate crystals more often.   

Why Do Some Cats Get Calcium Oxalate Crystals Instead?

Certain breeds of cats seem to have a genetic predisposition to developing calcium oxalate crystals if they’re fed a diet low in magnesium.  This problem is often seen in Himalayans.The ironic part is that by feeding these cats a diet that prevents struvite stones, you instead support the formation of calcium oxalate stones.  

This is why a urinalysis is essential, so that the crystal type can be properly identified.  You don’t want to feed your cat a diet that will encourage his body to form feline urinary crystals.

Can Urinary Crystals In Cats Be Prevented?

Cat owners can do several things to prevent their felines from developing cat urinary problems.  The first is to feed your cat a high-quality canned food.  People don’t realize that cats are meant to get most of their water from their food, which is why cats don’t seem to drink much water.  

Canned food has a moisture level that’s much closer to what your cat would eat in the wild.  You can also add a little water to the canned food to increase the moisture even more.Your kitty should always have lots of clean, fresh water to drink, too.

You may want to give your cat one of the many natural remedies for pets that are available now.These remedies not only support bladder health, but they also lower his risk of developing a feline bladder infection.Purchase one that’s been formulated especially for pets so that you’ll know it’s safe enough to give your kitty every day.

Make no mistake about it, if your cat has already had a feline urinary tract infection, you can’t afford to be ignorant about urinary crystals in cats.  Take steps now to protect your cat’s health.