Is There a Cat Food That Helps Prevent Urinary Problem?

Urinary issues are prevalent amongst cats. There may be bacterial infections, urinary tract infections, urine crystals, and bladder stones that cause urinary troubles and pain in cats. Read on to find why your cat may be suffering from such issues and what cat food you can choose to prevent the problem.

Why are cats prone to urine crystals and bladder stones?

Urine crystals and stones are more common in male cats because of a longer and narrower urethra where blockages may happen easily. Urinary stones and crystals may cause blockages in the urinary tract, making it difficult for the cat to relieve the bladder, having life-threatening consequences. Such conditions may lead to death in severe conditions.

Urine crystals and bladder stones are common health issues in cats. These occur when there are excess amounts of calcium, protein, phosphorus, and magnesium in the cat’s urine because the body can’t absorb these minerals. Some diets especially lead to crystals and stones as they provide the cat’s body with more minerals than they need or can digest. Such abnormal amounts of minerals in the urine start crystallizing.

The problem may start with tiny crystals present in the cat’s urine, leading to these crystals piling up to form stones of various sizes. The two most common stones found in cat urine are calcium oxalate and struvite stones. These stones may obstruct the urinary bladder of your cat and block the urethra, causing extreme stomach pain and painful urination or inability to urinate. In some cases, the vet needs to remove these urinary stones to save the cat surgically.

Also check– Food which makes your dog unhealthy

Food that will help prevent urinary problems 

The best way to prevent urinary problems in cats is to feed them sufficient water. Making your cats drink sufficient water can prevent the formation of crystals and bladder stones. Water helps to dilute the excess minerals in the body that usually remain unabsorbed or unused. When these minerals are diluted, they cannot crystallize to form bladder stones. You can encourage your cat to drink more water by providing them with an artificial fountain or by providing several bowls of water with their food since they are thirst-tolerant pets.

Moreover, wet canned food for cats is better than dry food because of proper pH balance. It’s best to go for a protein-rich and high moisture content diet with a balanced mineral ratio to prevent urinary bladder stones in cats.  Pet owners these days are choosy with certain cat breeds, the most liked by the owners are Maine Coon, If you want to buy Maine Coon then you can check Maine Coon price here.

What cat foods to choose from? 

Cats with urinary problems should have less or no dry food at all. Going for canned wet food is best for such cats’ diets to heighten the moisture content and help to dilute the crystals in the urine. Any good quality branded cat canned food is generally ideal for cat health.

However, if the vet suggests any particular organic cat food brand, you should stick to it. It’s best not to choose artificial fish flavours infused in cat foods because they have higher risks of causing crystal formation. Even if you feed high-quality, pH balanced dry food, give your cat some wet food and high amounts of water to fight against urinary crystals and bladder stones.

It’s safest always to choose a natural diet food for your cats. Raw meat-based diets are healthy because of high protein, low carbohydrate, balanced minerals, and high moisture content. Freeze-dried cat foods can also be a good option. In the preparatory stage, you can add a lot of water to make the food more hydrating. Even if you choose dry kibble, go for one with less or no grains and high meat content. Also, remember to keep the phosphorus content low in the diet for urinary bladder problems.

What ingredients should avoid? 

Your vet shall have the final say regarding what food your cat shall eat and what foods to avoid. However, some inappropriate foods can worsen your cat’s urinary bladder problems.

Generally, you must avoid collagen-rich foods like rawhide and pig ears because the compounds in them can crystallize later to form oxalate stones. Cats with calcium oxalate stones should also stay away from dairy products since they further escalate the amount of calcium in the body. It is wise to avoid oxalate-rich foods like spinach too for calcium oxalate stones.

Moreover, cats with urate and cysteine stones shouldn’t eat seafood, organ meat, and other foods with excessive protein.

Conclusion 

Maintaining your cat’s diet can help prevent the formation of bladder stones in your cat and relieve other urinary problems. Now that you know what foods to feed your cat and what ingredients to avoid, plan a proper diet chart with your vet’s consultation to prevent such deadly health issues.