# Crystals in bladder... caused by hard drinking water?



## moehler (Sep 23, 2003)

My cat, Ares, is a 6 year old male cat. He has had a blocked bladder 4 times in his life, and twice in the last three days (with overnights at the hospital,. Not only is this very stressful on my him, but it's getting very expensive for me (especially this time of year). His bladder is blocked because, like many male cats, he does not break down magnesium well and it forms crystals in his bladder that eventually block his urethra. I am desperate to find a cause. I have switched foods many times, force fed him water to keep him urinating often, etc.. Obviously nothing has helped in the long run. 

So, I'm starting to think that it may be aggravated by the very hard (high in calcium and magnesium) drinking water in Philadelphia. Does this seem logical? Has anybody specifically gave their cats soft water to help this sort of issue? Thanks,

Matt


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## CatDad (Sep 7, 2005)

A few things - 

what is the ph of his urine ? 
what type of crystals are forming -- struvite or calcium oxalate ? 
with this info your vet can better give you an 'idea' of the cause. 
Although I'd say it's from a combination of things. 

I think it would be better though to address all possibilities instead. As 
you won't really be able to find the exact cause(s) anyway .... 


that said, my girl had FLUTD (crystals), I now - 
- feed an all wet premium diet (low in magnesium, phosphorus, ect) 
- only use filtered water
- and added a 'Drinkwell' water fountain 

She's been asymptomatic and hopefully healthier as well. 

CatDad 


here's two articles you might want to read ... 



Ash and Your Pet's Health
by Dr. Brookshire, Director of Veterinary Services

Ash is not an individual ingredient that pet food manufacturers add to your pet’s diet, however, it is present in all pet foods at varying levels.
Dry meat protein sources, such as chicken by-product meal, chicken meal, lamb meal, or meat meal, all contain ash, or bone. Chicken by-product meal contains the lowest amount of ash of these ingredients, as it has the least amount of bone. Meat meal is the highest in ash, as it contains a higher amount of bone.
Ash contributes essential nutrients to the formula, such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. While these minerals are required nutrients, they should be present in the diet in appropriate, not excessive amounts. Excess ash contributes excess minerals to the diet, which not only makes the food less digestible it can also adversely affect the health of your pets.
Most cat owners are aware of the potential problems that may result from feeding an adult cat a high ash diet, but dogs are also susceptible to the health effects of a high ash formula.
Excess phosphorus, especially when fed over long periods of time, can harm even the healthy kidney. Look for phosphorus levels for adult dogs or cats to be less than 1.0%. In cats, phosphorus can be harmful to the kidneys but also may contribute to crystal formation in the urine.
Excess calcium can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients, can cause eclampsia in females that have recently delivered puppies or kittens, and can contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidneys or bladder. For rapidly growing large or giant breed puppies, excess calcium can cause bone and joint developmental abnormalities.
Excess magnesium causes problems primarily for adult cats, by contributing to the formation of struvite crystals in the urine. However, severe restriction of this mineral may promote the formation of calcium oxalate crystals. So, it is important that this mineral be present in appropriate amounts, usually 0.07% - 0.10%.
Ash is something that is present in all pet foods. Do your research and find a diet that offers the healthiest option for the long-term health of your pet.



Urinary Tract Disease in Cats
Urinary tract disease is a very important for all cat owners. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is a devastating disease for all cats affected by it. Many studies have been done and are being done to help improve urinary health in cats.
FLUTD is a descriptive term used to describe any urinary tract problem that results in blood in the urine, painful urination, straining to urinate, and urinary accidents. As cat owners, you are responsible for closely monitoring your pet for these symptoms. Male cats are susceptible to urinary tract blockage, a life- threatening situation. A trip to your veterinarian is a necessity if you notice any of the above symptoms.
Crystals in the urine are one component of this problem, and there are two common types of crystals. Struvite crystals are found in alkaline, or basic, urine and are formed from magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. The other common type of crystal is calcium oxalate. These crystals form in acidic urine and are made up of calcium and oxalate. At high enough numbers, struvite and calcium oxalate crystals can stick together to make stones. Struvite stones can be dissolved with a diet change, while calcium oxalate stones must be removed surgically.
Another group of FLUTD sufferers is made up of those cats without crystals. These are termed “idiopathic” or interstitial cystitis. Idiopathic simply means that we don’t know the cause. This group is the most common.
Stress is a very important factor in FLUTD. Cats that are under stress in their daily lives are much more likely to suffer from repeated bouts of FLUTD. It is recommended that indoor cats have several litter boxes available in different locations throughout the home. One more box than the number of cats using them is appropriate. Daily scooping of the box, as well as use of one type of litter, also helps reduce litter box avoidance. Offering places to play, scratching posts, cat condos, and quiet places to sleep can all help reduce stress for cats. Some cats are not happy indoors. Indoor cats that always use a litter box form the greatest proportion of cats that develop FLUTD. Diet change is another stressful event that can bring on a urinary tract problem, even when switching to a diet formulated for urinary tract health.
Encouraging water intake is another key factor in control of the syndrome. Some cats like to drink from fountains or even dripping faucets. Replacing water at least daily, if not twice daily is also helpful. Some owners have found that their cats prefer bottled water to tap water.
One nutraceutical that is being discussed as a possible treatment is a glycosaminoglycan called pentosan. Your veterinarian can work with you to determine whether or not your cat would benefit from this treatment. Glucosamine is a similar compound that some veterinarians recommend. Neither has been proven to work although one scientific study showed improvement in the bladder lining of cats taking glucosamine, but no improvement in clinical signs.
Some veterinarians recommend feeding a canned diet. In a study done of wet versus dry diets and water intake, it was found that even though cats fed a dry product drank more water, their total intake of water was less than that of the cats eating a canned product.
Urinary diets that are highly acidified don’t prevent both types of crystal formation. The highly acid urine may also be detrimental to those cats suffering from idiopathic cystitis. A moderately acidic pH in addition to magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and sodium moderation may help prevent both types of crystalluria.
In the past, every cat that developed a urinary tract problem was treated with antibiotics. We now know that only 1-2% of the cats truly have a bacterial infection. Most cats do not need antibiotics. Pain medication to decrease their discomfort, canned foods, and time resolve most episodes of urinary tract disease, but it is difficult to prevent a recurrence in cats that are susceptible to the problem.
Urinary tract disease is a complicated, frustrating problem for cats and their owners. Work closely with your cat’s veterinarian to formulate a treatment plan to provide your cat with better urinary health.


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## moehler (Sep 23, 2003)

Thanks for that link, it is very informative. Right now I am feeding him Trader Joes brand of natural canned (wet) food. It has no animal by-products or anything, and seems to be very healthy. I switched to this 1.5 years ago last time he got blocked and it seemed to help everything clear up.

I'm not too sure what kind of crystals they are, but I can probably find out from my vet. Is there many different types? 

My girlfriend just called me from the vet. it turns out he was not fully blocked today, but he has a bacterial infection in his bladder. The vet said it may be from the catheter (sp?) the emergency room used...

She is doing further tests on his urine and prescribing him some antibiotics with an anti inflammatory to keep his urethra open.


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## moehler (Sep 23, 2003)

Meowmie said:


> When you have a chance, could you possibly post all the food ingredients in the food you are feeding?


The urine test results should be in on Friday.

The food ingredients are (for the Chicken, Turkey and Rice flavor):
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Turkey, Ocean Fish, Animal Liver, Brewers Rice, Oat Bran, Fish Protein Concentrate, Lecithin, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Minerals, Vitamins.

Crude Protein: 9% min, Crude Fat: 5% min, Crude Fiber: 1% max, Moisture: 78% max, Ash: 1.9% max, Magnesium 0.025% max, Taurine 0.05% min.


The vet recommended a food that is good for the bladder. It's called Urinary 50 by royal canin. It may be good, but it has a lot of byproducts and other crap in it. I'll feed it to him for a few days, but after that I'm going to find a more natural urinary track food.


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## allissa (Sep 25, 2005)

You could always switch to bottled water, or distilled water. I don't know how it works, but some people claim that distilled water helps cats with FLUTD.
Sure, it's expensive, but cheaper that spending money on a vet, if it works.
Hope the cat gets better.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

I give my cat's bottled water because of the chlorine and flouride that they put in the water here. I never thought of hard water but when you see what it leaves behind in the kettle or how it clogges irons and humidifiers I guess it could make sense that it could possibly add to a crystal problem 8O I wonder if any studies have ever been done. That could be interesting.


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## CinderandWhiskersMom (Jan 27, 2005)

My sister's male cat, Sammy, used to have crystals. Changing to distilled water cured it and it never came back. She did not even need to change foods. She has hard, well water.


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