Struvite Crystals and food

[AlphaCat]

Hi y'all.

My diabetic cat has been gone for about 3 years, but I learned so much in here about food that I appreciate all of your experience. I'm hoping someone has a suggestion that can help my current houseful of cats.

When Fabby was still here I had 3 different cat food diets going on in my house, plus the dog, and also the humans. Food was exhausting. So I made spreadsheets of canned wet food that is low in carbs, but also all the stuff you have to watch for in crystals kitties. (At the time I had 2 boys with a history of struvite crystals, and have since added one more, for a total of 3). And also factored in cost with my large animal household.

I found some options. I spoke with my vet (who was very good about Fabby's diabetic treatment). I was supported when I suggested I change the whole house to a low carb, low phosphorus, wet food. But then an emergency with struvite crystals happened with Tristan. I lived in a super rural area and the ER vet's that were an hour away were not helpful in getting my cat stable over the weekend. (It always happens on a weekend, right?) My Tristan made it through, but the vet said we needed to go back on the prescription food to prevent the crystals. And y'all, that emergency was too terrible to ignore and play with any more. So I put the whole house on the prescription food Royal Canin S/O Moderate Calorie after my 3rd boy cat came down with crystals and a uti. (Fabby had passed by this point, so the crystals were more pressing as none are currently diabetic.)

They all do okay on it. They all eat it alright.

But once the pandemic hit there began to be supplier issues. Now Chewy is saying they don't have any in stock and have no idea when they will again. Everywhere online is sold out. I reached out to my vet to see about changing prescription foods, but due to a move and the pandemic, we haven't set up regular vet care for where we are now, since they don't let you inside, and we haven't had any urgent needs. - until now...

So have y'all heard anything about supply issues with Royal Canin S/O or do you have your struvite kitties on a different prescription that works better?
I'm not willing to go non-urinary wet food again because my boys issues are just too life threatening when not managed under prescription. And I can't handle the guilt of putting to sleep my cat because I fed him the wrong food, much less holding them through the pain.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I had a non diabetic diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis and some struvites one week after Neko's diabetes diagnosis. When it rains it pours. Not only the low carb low phosphorus, but I also added extra water. He need that too to get over his episodes. Plus I put Feliway diffusers in the house. Often it's the nervous cats who get it. I actually put both cats on raw, at the vet's recommendation as something that worked for both. Raw has more water in it, but I still added extra. He never had another episode after that. We see more new diabetics than I'd like to see here because of S/O or Hill's C/D, also really high carb food.

My boy used to have his episodes on Sundays.

 

[Chippy & Ingrid]

I feed my crystal cat, Bear, the Purina UR Savory Selects and he really enjoys it. That said, as Wendy points out, it is high carb ( 27% dry matter) so I have to be vigilant about not letting Chippy eat any. Like you, we had a serious emergency with the crystals a few years ago and aren't willing to risk switching foods for Bear. I really feel for the people in this forum who are trying to manage multiple conditions in one cat. The cat food companies don't make it easy.

 

[AlphaCat]

Thank you both @Wendy&Neko and @Chippy & Ingrid

The vet responded, and recommended Science Diet C/D or Purina UR.

They did mention that neither of the new foods will be moderate calorie. As we were on the Royal Canin S/O moderate calorie, which was helpful to manage the weight gain issue to these foods. Ugh. I don't free feed since Fabby's diagnosis and my education. But my oldest crystals boy, Juan, gains weight if it's not moderate calorie.

I can't go raw. I've had a dog get salmonella, and the effects lasted a year and contributed to his death. I can't take the chance, no matter how advanced the newer packaged raw diets are, and I certainly can't do it myself.

Perhaps I need to write to Royal Canin and see if this is temporary, as that could make this decision easier.

Oh and stress is certainly a factor in crystals. My first crystals boy used to have anxiety so bad as a kitten he groomed himself into a Mohawk. (This was before crystals.) We tried everything with the vet, with trying to figure out if it was allergies, or stress. I had to put him in the cone of shame when he would groom so much that he broke skin. He did grow out of that, but eventually came down with crystals. It was bad. He spent 3 weeks at the vet. (My vet was amazing.) They let me come and take up an exam room daily and just sit with him to try and get him to eat. Finally they released him home, but he had a UTI for a year, despite regular testing and antibiotics. We moved out of state, and finally 1 month at the new house and he tested clear. I called my old vet and we celebrated. Whatever his stress was, was in or around the house. He's still a sensitive cat, but he's so much better now. (We've since moved again, and the anxiety hasn't resurfaced.) He's a bit more outgoing actually. But I am afraid if he ever gets crystals again, he won't be able to be saved, even with surgery. His first episode was so bad.

Then, my other two crystals boys is a bit of an issue I can't figure out regarding stress. Tristan has had two bought with crystals. One before we switched everyone to the S/O and then one after I switched to low phosphorus wet food. (And like you Wendy, I increased water. I made cat food soup for them to eat to ensure they were getting enough water with the non-prescription wet food.) But still he had a recurrence. Why always on a weekend? Lol. Always. Bandit has only had one instance before we switched the whole house to the S/O. Tristan is 8 or 9 this year, and he's one of my smaller cats. He's a tabby Siamese mix, with beautiful blue eyes, but also has Nystagmus. (His eyes shake slightly back and fourth like a cat does when they are about to pounce.) Bandit is my baby cat, but also my largest cat. (Not fat, but tall and long. Largest cat I've ever seen, and I volunteer, so I've seen a ton of cats.) My house doesn't really have an Alpha. The two oldest are girls that do not wish to rule, they just want to be left alone. My fattest cat, (2lbs over weight, but longest hair of the older cats) Seamus, could be Alpha, but he just can't lead the girls, so the house doesn't respect him enough. And then there's Bandit who's the largest, but youngest, and he's got a bit of that look that you know he's special. So Tristan can be a bit of a sneaky bully, and will pick on the smallest and oldest. But Bandit has decided he's not having that, so he keeps Tristan in line. Bandit will also go after Tristan because I think Tristan's nystagmus confuses Bandit, which angers him. So my other 2 crystals boys hate each other. I've done every trick there is. Reintroduction, (but the nystagmus prevents growth there) separation, lavender collars, scent therapy, but now I just clip nails and break up aggression as much as possible. We haven't had any bite wounds lately so I have just let them be. But that also means the prescription food is required since I can't lower the stress in that matter.

Thanks for your support and your stories!