Hi Rachel,
Glad to hear that Oreo hasn't vomited thus far; also that Tigress is feeling better.
I did a forum search for info on d-mannose for Saoirse and I found the following thread:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/suggestions-on-urinary-health-cat-foods.146240/
There are some suggestions from members whose cats have had UTI issues which may be useful for you in your quest for a new diet for Oreo and Tigress. The info on d-mannose may also be helpful to you.
After losing Tara I started feeding all my cats kibble with so-called urinary protection built in. Several years later Saoirse had to have oxalate uroliths surgically removed from her bladder because the IAMS was too acidifying. The vet who treated her prescribed lifelong feeding with Royal Canin Urinary s/o Dry. With the benefit of hindsight, I think that diet is what started the processes in Saoirse's digestive system that led to her pancreatitis and diabetes (see the prior medical history in Saoirse's profile if you'd like to find out more about her problems with RC veterinary diets.)
If you do need to go for temporary treatment with a prescription diet to dissolve struvite uroliths I'd suggest following Dr Pierson's recommendations. (And watch for the calorie density of the prescription foods: the standard ones can cause weight gain. Royal Canin do a moderate calorie version of their s/o diet, and I
think I may have seen mention on FDMB that Hill's do a moderate calorie version of their urinary Rx diet, too. Word of warning: I have seen several members here report that their cats also developed health problems after they were fed Royal Canin Urinary s/o.
Since switching Saoirse to a wet diet and generally following Dr Pierson's advice Saoirse has had two ultrasounds which included her bladder. The first one showed about 3 or 4 very tiny bladder uroliths (small enough to be easily flushed out with normal urination in our own vet's opinion). The second scan was within a couple of weeks of the first and by that time there were only 2 tiny uroliths observed. (Scan results were reviewed by an ultrasound specialist at a leading veterinary hospital.) Anti-jinx, but thus far Saoirse has done OK on a commercial wet food diet with a little water added to it. Ultimately the Rx foods did her damage.
Going forward, I suggest that you start regularly monitoring urine for both Oreo and Tigress because, in addition to having better information on their urinary health, it will enable you to directly assess the effect that a new food will have on their urine pH values. I'd suggest feeding them exclusively on the food you're evaluating for several days before testing the urine pH. I don't know what the pH needs to be when treating for struvite crystals. The normal, 'real world' feline urine pH reference range you see quoted around the web varies but it is usually anywhere from 6.0 to 7.0. The online Merck Veterinary Manual gives 6.3-6.6 as ideal. Until you find the right solution and know that they're stable I'd suggest monitoring at least weekly (and probably daily for Oreo till his clinical signs improve).
Here are some links you may find helpful:
Wikipedia - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (A very good article and in line with the experiences I've had with my cats. NB: The article mentions an NSAID called carprofen. Read the warnings about it in the
Carprofen Wikipedia article - worrying stuff. Also, some vets prescribe Metacam for the pain associated with FLUTD conditions - another NSAID and not a great med for cats' kidneys. As you know, buprenorphine can be used for pain management but it's a bit constipating.)
Urine Dipstick Analysis: Testing Method and Guide to Interpretation (FYI, I use Bayer 10SG strips. NB: the LEU test on the strips is not reliable for cats.)
Merck Vet Manual - Controlling Urine pH (includes recommended treatments that you may wish to ask members here about and also discuss with your vet. NB: be cautious about acidifiers if your cats' kidney function is at all suspect.)
Normal Feline Urine pH (Article includes details of factors other than food that may affect feline urine pH.)
How are
you doing, Rachel? It's not easy when our little ones have anything wrong with them.
In closing, I just want to say how very deeply I appreciate all the care and support you have given to Saoirse and myself over the last couple of weeks. You have really helped us so much. You have my heartfelt thanks, and I will never forget it to you.
Sending lots of healing, healthy pH vibes to your furry childer and some great big
for you. I hope that Oreo feels much better very, very soon.
Mogs
.
) I changed vet practices immediately after that. I asked the new vet about what happened with Tara and he advised me on diet change and also gave me some idea of warning signs to watch for in the future. I changed my cats' food but didn't realise that, long after the diet change, they could still be at risk of struvite-related problems. Late one night, a few months after losing Tara, her brother started acting in a very similar way to how Oreo is behaving now (but he hadn't got to the vomiting stage). The hour-long drive to the vet in the middle of the night felt like forever; Psycho started to deteriorate very quickly and I was very afraid he wouldn't make it. Thankfully I got to the vets in time and Psycho underwent emergency catheterisation. It saved his life.
