# Feeling helpless and looking for answers....



## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

I am open to any ideas or suggestions. I will try and make this story as short as possible. 

I have a male cat that will be 8 this year. Back in Dec he started spraying on the walls and there was blood in it. We took him to the vet and after many tests and xrays we found out he had a stone in his bladder the size of a nickel. We opted to do the surgery and have it removed immediately. We assumed that having the surgery would 1. make him feel better and 2. he would stop spraying the wall. So wrong were we  

He continued to spray the walls even after thoroughly cleaning them over and over again. We tried Feliway and the comfort zone collar; neither worked. Our vet said that he might have a psychological thing going on with his brain so we put him on fluoxetine. He has been on it for a month and a half and it has been stressful for him and for us. He did okay for the first two weeks of taking the pill and then he started fighting it. A couple times I thought he was going to bite me. So we switched him to a liquid and that wasn't any better; it was even flavored with tuna. I now have to force him to take it and he salivates excessively each time. The spraying seems to have subsided some but he is still doing it. 

The vet would like to put him on valium as it has a higher rate of stopping it completely. We also had his urine tested after switching his food from Purina to Blue Buffalo and he STILL has crystals in his urine and now white blood cells. They are sending off his urine to have it tested. 

I feel so helpless as to what to do. I feel alone and I feel like nothing is going to work at this point. I have had him since he was 9 weeks old and he is my baby and I feel like he is just falling apart on me. Does anyone have any suggestions that may help me?

So sorry for the long drawn out story.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

First of all I would switch him to a _no-grain canned food_ (no wheat, corn, barley, rice, or soy), such as Wellness or Nature's Variety. Please read this info on cat nutrition.
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health

I don't have personal experience with it, but have heard others say that "Clomicalm" prescription medication is good for a cat who sprays. There may be other calming medications you can try, some are in a cream form that is rubbed in an ear, so that would get around the pill popping. Ask your vet about alternatives. Hope you find something that works for him.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yeah, I'm pretty surprised your vet didn't talk to you about putting him on canned since it's a reoccurring problem with him. 

I agree with cat lover, a grain free canned would be best. Along with Nature's Variety and Wellness you could try EVO 95% formulas, Merrick's before grain or Natural Balance. I'm biased, but I love the EVO.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

The only problem I have had with canned food in the past is both of my cats throw it up within hours of eating. I used to give it to them but got tired of cleaning up spots all over our carpet  I don't know if they eat it too fast or what. Any thoughts on that?

Is Blue Buffalo not a good choice? I did some research when this all started and people were saying to give them a food that the first ingredient was a meat product. And their first ingredient was chicken I believe. 

He gave him Hills Prescription Diet to dissolve the crystals but I tried that this morning and he will not have anything to do with it. It does have a very strong odor so I don't know if that is what is turning him off. I left a message with the vet to see what he thinks. 

Also, we talked yesterday about all the other options and he did mention the cream on the ear but he said with his experience he hasn't found that to work all that well. And clomicalm was another one that was mentioned. I guess we are just working our way through them to see what works. He is a very high strung, finicky cat so it makes it difficult to give him medicine period. He doesn't even eat treat so the whole pill pocket thing is out too. 

I appreciate the replies very much.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

One of the things you could try so he does eat his food too fast, is to spread it on a plate, pretty thinly, so he has to lick it off; that should slow down his eating. Also, if you can give him several small meals a day instead of the usual 2x/day that also should help. Let us know how it goes.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Is there a certain amount of the canned food they are supposed to eat? Is it a can a day? Confusing since there are different size cans at the store. I assume the brands you mentioned above all have a canned option? Also, a plate is better than putting it in a bowl?

I typically only fed them 1/2 cup of dry food daily.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Blue Buffalo is an excellent food, imo. However, cats often do not drink as much as they should. I believe I've heard people on here call it a thirst drive? Dry food obviously does not provide moisture while canned food does.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

I guess I just don't understand how all of a sudden all of this is starting to go wrong. 

MowMow, I bought one of those water fountains and that seemed to help increase their water intake. I did notice both of them actually drinking more than they used to.


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

lex&maggie said:


> I guess I just don't understand how all of a sudden all of this is starting to go wrong.
> 
> MowMow, I bought one of those water fountains and that seemed to help increase their water intake. I did notice both of them actually drinking more than they used to.


 Things like this can either be a gradual progression of symptoms or come about in an acute episode.

The key is to not beat yourself up and do what is best for your cats from here on out. It isn't your fault that vets and TV advertisements promote the idea that cats need a diet "balanced" with grains. Most people simply do not know better. But now you do! Beating yourself up for your lack of knowledge in the past isn't going to help your kitty get better. Just focus on on the love he has gotten and focus on helping him recover. 

I had this exact problem with my Teddy. I thought I was doing him a world of good by feeding him "high quality" foods like Royal Canin and SD. But I did some research and found that I was causing him to get his UTIs by feeding him food with grains. I beat myself up about it, but that didn't help anything. I got him on a wet diet without grains and he got better. You can't change the past, you can only do better in the future.

Best of Luck


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Raecarrow, thank you for your kind words.


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## D-Style (Oct 11, 2006)

I was feeding my cats the blue wilderness dry cat food and my male cat devoloped struvite crystals. Also, had the pet fountain in hopes that they would make up for the moisture with that. Switched them to pretty much 100% canned diet, they occasionally get dry food, but is rare, he is perfectly healthy now.

With crystals and white blood cells, which would be a sign of a urinary tract infection, I'm sure your vet will find out for sure...either way it's probably uncomfortable or even painful for him to urinate, so then he sprays to let you know.

My female cat vomits up many types of canned food, so I just had to find out which ones they would both eat and which ones she would not throw up. They eat Weruva mainly now, except the beef flavors, since Maebe throws those up. The list of cat foods that she vomits up is about 3 times as long as the list she doesn't, she is in perfect health, doesn't eat too fast, some of the foods just do not agree with her, no real reason...

I think that really you just need to find a quality canned food that he will eat and not throw up, stick to it and he will get better. I am working to switch to raw, so that could be an option as well for you.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Are they supposed to eat a can a day or does that can get broken up into multiple days? What do you mean by "raw"? What would you feed them that is raw?


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## D-Style (Oct 11, 2006)

I have 2 cats, I feed them 3 times per day, this is a personal thing and you could adjust as needed, 2 times, 4 times...etc

6am when I wake up.
5pm when I get home from work.
9pm before I go to bed.

My cats don't eat much in the morning, they are big time evening and night eaters so that is why I do 3 times per day.

Now, depends on your cat on how much they would eat, but I will say that he should eat at minimum 1 can per day. Mine normally eat 3 cans per day, 1.5 cans per cat, I have an 8 pound female and a 12 pound male. It's been my experience that a cat on high quality canned won't overeat, so you just give them however much they want at first and see how that works. Every cat is different so should pay attention to weight and adjust if necessary.

By raw, I meant uncooked meat, home prepared meals, feeder mice, etc...Raw Food Diet - Cat Forum : Cat Discussion Forums


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

What size are the cans typically? I assume you mean the larger ones if you are giving them 1.5 cans each day. I'm new to the world of canned food, lol.


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## D-Style (Oct 11, 2006)

Oh, yeah, cans come quite a few sizes, so I should have specified =D. When I say 1.5 cans per day I am referring to the 5.5oz cans


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

lex&maggie said:


> What size are the cans typically? I assume you mean the larger ones if you are giving them 1.5 cans each day. I'm new to the world of canned food, lol.


I usally split one ~13oz (large sized) can between my two Bengals every day and they are BIG boys (13-15lbs each).


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Great! D-Style, I meant to say "I assume the smaller ones since you give them 1.5 cans a day". LOL! 

Thanks for all the help everyone....I will move them to a canned diet and see if that will help him and it can't hurt for my female cat Maggie who is 5. 

Just curious, is the cost still around the same for cans vs bag food? Guess I am just trying to get an idea of how many I would need to last me about 4 weeks which is what one bag of dry food last me.


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## D-Style (Oct 11, 2006)

Cost wise, I spend a lot more on canned than I did on dry food. Depends on how much your cat eats and how much the canned food that you buy costs. Weruva runs me about $1.50/can, 3 cans per day between the 2, ~$4.50/day, $135/month on cat food.

Raecarrow 13oz for 2 big cats! Maybe I am feeding mine too much!


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## StephW (May 17, 2011)

I know how you feel. I have a female cat that i feel i can't seem to get a handle on. I was feeding Bella blue buffalo until she started peeing on my basement floors during the wet season in Michigan. I didn't notice it until the smell started because in the spring our basement floor has water that seeps through. Once i notice she was doing it thats when i noticed the blood. The did many test on her because antibiotic was not helping and found out that she has a form of cystitis. I was recommended to put my cat on wet food because of the lack of water she was intaking. Now that i have my savannah i feed both of my cats raw chicken meat,organs, and bone with yogurt and veggies. It helped in many ways. Her fur is much softer, her fat sack went away, and the cystitis is under controll so i thought. We are again in our wet season and the water is back and soooo is the pee but this time she added poo. Back to the vet today to see if its just her stressed out about the sump pump we just put in or if her cystitis is back or something worse. Sometimes it feels like i get 2 steps ahead and then 3 steps back. I guess the only advice i can give right now is maybe try some raw food and just be patient.


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## StephW (May 17, 2011)

D-Style said:


> Cost wise, I spend a lot more on canned than I did on dry food. Depends on how much your cat eats and how much the canned food that you buy costs. Weruva runs me about $1.50/can, 3 cans per day between the 2, ~$4.50/day, $135/month on cat food.
> 
> Raecarrow 13oz for 2 big cats! Maybe I am feeding mine too much!


 Wow that is a lot. I know you get what you pay for but wow. I feed my two cats a raw food diet. I would say i spend about $75 a month on Chicken with all the fixings except skin, yogurt, and veggies. I fill up their bowls twice a day so i would say around 2-3cups a day depening on their moods.


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## MinkaMuffin (Apr 1, 2011)

lex&maggie said:


> The only problem I have had with canned food in the past is both of my cats throw it up within hours of eating. I used to give it to them but got tired of cleaning up spots all over our carpet  I don't know if they eat it too fast or what. Any thoughts on that?
> 
> Is Blue Buffalo not a good choice? I did some research when this all started and people were saying to give them a food that the first ingredient was a meat product. And their first ingredient was chicken I believe.
> 
> ...


If you gave them something like Friskies or Fancy Cat, then I would not be too surprised if they threw it up because 1: it's very palatable, (i.e. very tasty) so he might get excited and eat too fast & 2: it's full of by-products and grains which may have upset their tummies.

Blue Buffalo is a good choice, but idk, maybe its all the advertising, maybe it's because they put fruits and veggies in their foods to please us and not the animals... I just don't actively tell people to try it. *shrug*


lex&maggie said:


> Is there a certain amount of the canned food they are supposed to eat? Is it a can a day? Confusing since there are different size cans at the store. I assume the brands you mentioned above all have a canned option? Also, a plate is better than putting it in a bowl?
> 
> I typically only fed them 1/2 cup of dry food daily.


Usually one can per day is good, but foods can vary widely in calories, so measuring that way is much more accurate. The amount a 12 pound male cat needs is aproximately 180 calories per day. (from catinfo.org)
I put my cat's food in a very shallow metal bowl because if I put it on a plate, it ends up being scooted onto the floor.

And yes, please don't beat yourself up, what's important is that you are taking the initiative to make a change and your cat will thank you for it. 

Edit: Hmm, I probably should have noticed the rest of the thread before I replied. xD


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

StephW said:


> I know how you feel. I have a female cat that i feel i can't seem to get a handle on. I was feeding Bella blue buffalo until she started peeing on my basement floors during the wet season in Michigan. I didn't notice it until the smell started because in the spring our basement floor has water that seeps through. Once i notice she was doing it thats when i noticed the blood. The did many test on her because antibiotic was not helping and found out that she has a form of cystitis. I was recommended to put my cat on wet food because of the lack of water she was intaking. Now that i have my savannah i feed both of my cats raw chicken meat,organs, and bone with yogurt and veggies. It helped in many ways. Her fur is much softer, her fat sack went away, and the cystitis is under controll so i thought. We are again in our wet season and the water is back and soooo is the pee but this time she added poo. Back to the vet today to see if its just her stressed out about the sump pump we just put in or if her cystitis is back or something worse. Sometimes it feels like i get 2 steps ahead and then 3 steps back. I guess the only advice i can give right now is maybe try some raw food and just be patient.


So sorry to hear about your little girl. I hope you get things under control soon. They always say cat urine is the worst and I for one do not want to clean it anymore. I wouldn't even know where to begin with a raw diet. My husband will probably think I am crazy! But I am willing to try anything at this point. If they are on a raw diet does that help with the crystals too or is that strictly centered around their water intake?


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

MinkaMuffin said:


> If you gave them something like Friskies or Fancy Cat, then I would not be too surprised if they threw it up because 1: it's very palatable, (i.e. very tasty) so he might get excited and eat too fast & 2: it's full of by-products and grains which may have upset their tummies.
> 
> Blue Buffalo is a good choice, but idk, maybe its all the advertising, maybe it's because they put fruits and veggies in their foods to please us and not the animals... I just don't actively tell people to try it. *shrug*
> 
> ...


That is funny you mention the "mess". I picked up two inexpensive bowls strictly for their canned food and yet he still manages to get pieces of it all over the place! When he gets it in his mouth he shakes his head and it flies all over. Ahh, the things we do to make them happy  

Thanks for that website I will definitely check it out for how many calories they are supposed to have. They are both 9lbs so at least they will need the same amount. I guess I really need to look into this "raw" diet and see. 

Does anyone know if that helps with the crystals as well? Do they still get enough water eating raw?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Honestly, I wouldn't obsess over calories. It's a big enough pain in the butt doing it for ourselves. A person can drive themselves nuts weight/measuring/counting/obsessing over every bite their cat eats.

One 5.5 oz can for 10lbs of cat is average. As suggested in these past threads just start with a little less than a can and then adjust as your cat gains/loses weight.

http://www.catforum.com/forum/38-he...t-cat-food-do-you-feed-your-fur-children.html

http://www.catforum.com/forum/38-health-nutrition/142843-feeding-schedule-amount.html


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## D-Style (Oct 11, 2006)

StephW said:


> Wow that is a lot. I know you get what you pay for but wow. I feed my two cats a raw food diet. I would say i spend about $75 a month on Chicken with all the fixings except skin, yogurt, and veggies. I fill up their bowls twice a day so i would say around 2-3cups a day depening on their moods.


Yeah, I know it is a lot, people are quite amazed when I tell them how much I spend. I also buy kibble that I put out on the patio for the couple of stray cats I have in my neighborhood, so I am spending quite a bit on cat food every month. 
I really don't think I am getting what I pay for though, my cats are healthy, I think I could prepare their meals myself for a lot less. 
Working on moving mine to a raw diet since I do feel that raw is the best diet for them.


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## StephW (May 17, 2011)

Everyone is my family think I am crazy for making my cats food. I have heard that it works wonders on urinary issues. Because cats don't consume water like dogs they rely on their diet for a main source of water. So when you feed your cat strictly dry food it can cause them to have these urine issue because they can't flush their system. I'm sure the same thing would happen humans if our diet was all dehydrated. I do find it funny that one of the vets (whom I don't care for much) at the office I go to looked like he wanted to kill me for feeding my cats raw food and not their special prescription dry food that cost an arm and a leg for something that is full of filler and by products. Asked how i ever heard of such I ridiculous thing. I didn't know that wild animals had a dry kibble station. I should write natgo for displaying false info haha. Sorry I vented a little bit there. 
If you can't feed raw I would advise trying different wet foods. If your cat gets sick off of one try another. I've found it's all trial and error. Yes it frustrating as you can see I am dealing with something similar. And I agree that I am so sick of the cat pee smell and cleaning it and cleaning it but I love her so much that I will do it forever if I have to... maybe


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

StephW, yeah I am so skeptical and leary of the vet. I feel like I should trust them completely but then I am wondering in the back of mind do they really know what is best. He is currently on a prescription S/D food to dissolve the crystals so I think once he is done with that I will move them both over to canned permanently. He won't even eat the dry version so he is on the canned S/D. 

I know they want him to go to the dry UR food to keep up with his issues but like you said the bag cost an arm and a leg and after looking at the ingredients compared to others it's all the same just with a higher price tag! So I think once he is off of this S/D food I will start feeding them both strictly canned. I will have to go back and look at what everyone recommended for canned.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Hi, crystals are pretty common in cats, especially in males, so I take extra precautions with my kids. Diet is probably the most likely reason for his behavior. Most of the time, if the cat is acting up, it's because he's feeling ill or uncomfortable, not because he's intentionally being difficult. 

Some cats are fickle and sometimes allergic. It'll take some trials before you figure out which brand/flavor they can handle. I still say, stick with wet food in your case. Insufficient moisture will contribute to crystal formation. Even with a fountain and dry food, I believe, it's still not enough moisture. I never see Jack drink water so I feed him wet mixed with water into a soupy mixture and also raw. That way, all his major meals have ample water.

From what I gather from the other members, raw diet is the best for health followed by wet. Dry is last. With raw, you know what you're feeding. No processed stuff. People have reported, cats with skin allergies do well on raw. Raw food also contains moisture in it already so you get added water in the diet. Any moisture is welcome in preventing crystals.

For amounts, it's different for every cat. As a general guideline, it's about 20-25 calories per lb of body weight. It'll depend on what food you feed to determine who much to give. It'll be approx. one can of 5.5oz per day per 10 pound cat. Then observe the cat. From a top down view, they should have a bit of a waist and when you run your hands over the sides, you should feel a bit of ribs.

If you decide to feed raw, it'll be different guidelines. It's roughly 2%-3% of their body weight depending on how active they are. Again, use the view and touch method to figure out their optimum meal size. 9lbs at 2% is 0.18lbs or 2.88oz of food daily.

Some cats are also picky with their bowls. They don't like to get their whiskers dirty against the sides of the bowls. You might want to try using plates on top of place mats to catch what he tries to fling around.

If you're concerned about cost, feeding raw will also be less expensive too. Now, just as a simple calculation (I'm not including bone & organs). If you're feeding 0.18lbs per day, you'll be feeding 1.26 lbs per week (7 days). Beef flank for me is roughly $3.99/lb. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are $2.99/lb. A can of Nature's Variety instinct (what I feed) is about $2.19/can. If I feed cans only for a week, it'll cost me $15.33 a week. You do rest of the math. 

Hope this helps.


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## StephW (May 17, 2011)

lex&maggie said:


> StephW, yeah I am so skeptical and leary of the vet. I feel like I should trust them completely but then I am wondering in the back of mind do they really know what is best. He is currently on a prescription S/D food to dissolve the crystals so I think once he is done with that I will move them both over to canned permanently. He won't even eat the dry version so he is on the canned S/D.
> 
> I know they want him to go to the dry UR food to keep up with his issues but like you said the bag cost an arm and a leg and after looking at the ingredients compared to others it's all the same just with a higher price tag! So I think once he is off of this S/D food I will start feeding them both strictly canned. I will have to go back and look at what everyone recommended for canned.


I wish i could find a holistic vet in my area because sometimes i feel that the vet clinic i go to just wants to pump my cats full of drugs for the money. I know they want the best for my cat but sometimes it isn't always the case. That is why i only ask for a particular vet when i go because he never pressures me into anything or makes me feel bad about not wanting to do something at a vet visit. He pretty much tells me that this is what the chart says that you need but its up to you if you want to do it or not. It's really hard to believe EVERYTHING they say your cat needs is really what they need.
In a case of urine issues especially in males i do not hesitate going to the vet because it can be life threatening. The clinic tried selling me the S/D food also. The one vet i like told me that it won't be necessary at that time unless her issue worsens. So in your case its probably a good idea to feed your baby that until its gone but start finding a can food now that your cat likes. Get the fluids in him now and flush all the crystals out. Then i would stick strictly to wet food. I wouldn't give him any stress pills. If the vet gives you an antibiotic do give him that but i think hes having the accidents because he is straining to pee and thinks its his litterbox thats causing it. I think once you have him on all wet food you will start to see a difference but you will still want to keep an eye on the urine color and make sure that the crystals aren't to big to pass. I heard somewhere that seafood flavor food can cause bladder irritation in cats. I don't know if thats true maybe someone could answer that for me but when i fed can food i stayed away from that. I give my cats crunchy or hard tarter control treats just to make sure that no plaque builds up on their teeth. I also feed Zeus the nubs off chicken bones with some meat still on it to help keep his teeth clean. Bella doesn't like it. 
I didn't see if you had an updated on the results. Did the vet get back with you yet?


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Alpaca, that helps a lot! Thank you! 

StephW, I talked to my vets assistant yesterday and we agreed to just keep him on the S/D canned food for a month to get rid of the crystals. Then in a month they will re-check his urine to see if they are gone. Crossing my fingers! 

They asked me to put his fluoxtine on top of his canned food to see if he would eat it and he did this morning. But then again he did for a day or two when I tried it with wet food before when he wouldn't take his medicine but then he stopped wanting the wet food. So I am hoping that after a day or two he doesn't catch on and stop eating it all together. Thankfully they are giving me my money back on the dry stuff since he won't eat it. I know it sounds like I am obsessed with cost but since December it has really taken a toll on our bank account trying different things with him. 

I also picked up a compounded water based sample yesterday made with chicken flavor and he didn't hyper salivate like he does with the fluoxentine/tuna flavor. So maybe it's the tuna and the fluoxentine combined that he doesn't like? So the plan is to finish what medicine with the hopes he eats it on his wet food that way I don't have to physically put it in his mouth. He only has about 4-5 days left of it so do you think I shouldn't give him anymore? The vet keeps thinking it's something wrong with his brain and tells me that it's really the only option. He isn't full blown peeing everywhere he is just spraying small amounts and it has subsided since he has been on the medication. It used to be multiple times a week and now it's only now and again. So something is working?


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## StephW (May 17, 2011)

Oh ok I didnt know if the meds were working or not. If they are then continue. I'm not a doctor so shame on me for telling you to stop. I thought they weren't working. 
I am completely with you about the whole cost thing. Last year I actually broke down in the vets office because I had no clue how I would be able to pay for all the tests and meds they wanted to give to Bella. Money for everyone right now is tight I think. 
Wow you get your cat to eat it's meds on food? My cats would never. I go for the sticking it down the throat method. To me so much easier cuz I know it's done. 
How is he doing with the wet food now? Any more vomiting? Let me know if the S/D food helped or not when you go for a check up. I've got my fingers crossed too.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

No worries! He has "cut back" on his spraying so the medicine must be doing something but I guess the vet thinks that because he hasn't quit completely that the prozac isn't enough and wants to try the valium. He is taking his medicine on top of his food for now. We are on day 3 and so far so good. Must be the food, he must really like it  He hasn't vomitted up the S/D and my other cat hasn't vomitted up the Blue Buffalo canned food so that is a good sign.  I think the mashing down of the food that someone else suggested has really help. So thank you! 

I hope to hear back this week about the further testing they did on his urine. Just to make sure nothing else more serious was going on.


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## MinkaMuffin (Apr 1, 2011)

MowMow said:


> Honestly, I wouldn't obsess over calories. It's a big enough pain in the butt doing it for ourselves. A person can drive themselves nuts weight/measuring/counting/obsessing over every bite their cat eats.


I wasn't trying to say she should measure her food on a scale or anything, but just that per can, different brands can vary a lot. (Learned elsewhere that Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken used to only have 84 calories per 5.5 oz can!) All she has to do is look at the can and go 'Okay, this one is 100 but my cat needs around 180, so 1 & 2/3rds cans is where I should start at.'


lex&maggie said:


> StephW, yeah I am so skeptical and leary of the vet. I feel like I should trust them completely but then I am wondering in the back of mind do they really know what is best. He is currently on a prescription S/D food to dissolve the crystals so I think once he is done with that I will move them both over to canned permanently. He won't even eat the dry version so he is on the canned S/D.


I wouldn't be leery of the vet's other advice because of the nutritional advice he gives. Most vets only get a few hours of nutritional training, so that's why most of them don't know about wet vs dry and the scary ingredients in Hills. Switching to another vet wouldn't guarantee any better health knowledge. (Unless you asked first.)


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

So I had to look up how many calories are in the S/D prescription food and there are 215 calories. Which is probably too much for him in one sitting? I can't find the link where to go and see how many calories he should be eating. 

I still haven't talked to the vet about his test results. I hope to hear from him today.


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

So I am transitioning my other cat to strictly canned food and I bought some Wellness (think it was beef something) and she threw that one up! As long as the cans are unopened Petsmart should let me bring them back and exchange them right? I hate to have all these cans of food sitting around going to waste if they aren't agreeing with her. 

I have to feed my other cat in the bathroom since he is on the prescription food (S/D) as my other one really likes his food a lot better I think.

Have yet to hear from the vet on his test results too  Calling again today.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

It's roughly 20-25 calories per lb per day.



lex&maggie said:


> So I had to look up how many calories are in the S/D prescription food and there are 215 calories. Which is probably too much for him in one sitting? I can't find the link where to go and see how many calories he should be eating.
> 
> I still haven't talked to the vet about his test results. I hope to hear from him today.


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## marah1115 (Mar 11, 2011)

Make sure the canned food is never cold~warm it at power level 1 in your microwaver for a minute on a paper plate or something because cats tummies were meant to have warm meals not cold and this makes some cats throw up.
I too have "markers" and am VERY distraught over my situation as well.I need to get to the vet and get some clomicalm as well or I am going to be going to the stress center!Good Luck and if anything works for you, let me know as well I have tried feliway too and it helps but obviously not completely :-(


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## lex&maggie (May 3, 2011)

Thanks marah I will start doing that. I didn't know about the cold vs warm. I am new to this canned food feeding. 

I think for now we are going to keep him on the fluxotine because the spraying has decreased and there is less stress with giving him his medicine as he will eat it on the S/D food he is on. Going to keep trying that for about 2-3 weeks and go from there. If he is still continuing to spray I might ask him about this clomicalm.


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## MinkaMuffin (Apr 1, 2011)

lex&maggie said:


> So I had to look up how many calories are in the S/D prescription food and there are 215 calories. Which is probably too much for him in one sitting? I can't find the link where to go and see how many calories he should be eating.
> 
> I still haven't talked to the vet about his test results. I hope to hear from him today.


In one sitting? Yes
For a whole day? I dont know.
It depends on so many factors, I couldn't tell you if 215 is too much. You'd have to experiment with giving him one whole can a day and see what happens with his weight to really find out.


lex&maggie said:


> So I am transitioning my other cat to strictly canned food and I bought some Wellness (think it was beef something) and she threw that one up! As long as the cans are unopened Petsmart should let me bring them back and exchange them right? I hate to have all these cans of food sitting around going to waste if they aren't agreeing with her.


I've found that beef tends to disagree with many cats, so I wouldn't ditch Wellness just because of one flavor. But yes, Petsmart will take the can back if the food made your cat puke.


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