# UTI, Hill's Prescription Diet, Cat Won't eat it.



## Bam_cat (Feb 21, 2009)

About 3 weeks ago I started my Cat Bam on Nutro Adult Formula, trading out from Blue Buffalo. With in a week of feeding him that he began to throw up. I spoke to my vet they suggested elevating his food dish. I did, and he stopped throwing up. Tuesday Afternoon he threw up again and began acting weird. Just kinda of distent and spacy, Thursday morning he became very angry, growling, screaming and attacking everyone from myself, and my mother to my sister's 2 kids. He was obviously in pain and would spend 10 to 20 minutes trying to pee in his litter box. Several times he would seek out soft items around the house to try and pee on with no success. (Note: from right after Christmas he's pee'd several times outside the Litter box, generally on my sisters Items,) but this time it was after everything. Rugs, stuffed animals but he was NOT able to pee. He's 4 years old and never pee'd outside the Litter box until recently. So I called the vet and we went in. The vet kept him overnight and I picked him up the next morning. I was never fully told WHAT exactly was wrong with Bam, I'm assuming a UTI, I was told he has crytals in his urine which is why he was growling and snarling at us. (Am I right?)

Anyways, The vet who was not even in the office when I came into pick up Bam, (he was out to lunch). They refused to give me a prescription for his food, I had to call back later that day for the food. They also prescribed Baytril which I need to look up and see what it is for exactly. But anyways the food prescription was for Hills Prescription C/D. He seems to like the Dry food, but WON'T Touch the moist food, he even gives me this sad how DARE you look when I try to give it to him. If he dosn't get his moist food he becomes very angry and testy, attacking me, my mother and anyone else who goes into the Kitchen. My Vet is turning out to be a NOT so GREAT vet as half the time I can't even talk to a vet when I call with questions. I was hoping for some advice on the food issue as my sister's kids are now terrifed of my cat and they'll be with us for at least another 2-3 weeks. So, do you think I could get away with feeding him what he likes.

Thanks for any adive, 

Joy


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear of Barn's illness. I've had three or four of my males suffer complete urinary blockages, and several have had UTI's. Both conditions cause some degree of discomfort, but blockages are excruciatingly painful. If Barn had a blockage, that could easily explain his aggressive behavior.

In order to find out exactly what happened to Barn, you need to ask your vet. If he had crystals and wasn't able to pass any urine at all, it sounds like he had a complete urinary blockage. You're lucky you got him to the vet in time to save him. Complete blockages can be lethal to cats quickly. If he did have a complete blockage, your vet probably had to anesthetize and catheterize him to clear the blockage and flush the urinary tract of any remaining crystals. I'd assume he also administered fluids to help keep Barn's system flushed out. 

You need to ask your vet whether a urinalysis or urine culture was performed to diagnose a UTI. It's possible that no diagnostic was done and that your vet simply prescribed antibiotics (Baytril) prophylactically in case Barn does have a UTI in addition to the crystals. Sometimes crystals can irritate the urinary tract, leaving it vulnerable to a secondary infection.

C/D is formulated to help prevent the formation of struvite crystals. As you have discovered, though, it is unpalatable to many cats. Since Barn won't eat the canned formula but will eat the dry, try soaking the dry in hot water for 30 mins until it turns to mush, and see if he'll eat it that way. That may satisfy his desire for a "canned" consistency, and it would be MUCH better for him than feeding dry kibble. Kibble sucks fluid out of the digestive tract during digestion, and that's the LAST thing you want happening to a cat who is prone to developing urinary crystals. 

You might even be able to convince Barn to eat the canned C/D if you give him his regular canned food with a tiny bit of C/D mixed in. If he'll eat that, you can mix in a tiny bit more C/D at the next meal and keep slowly increasing the C/D proportion over the next dozen or so meals.

If and when you put Barn back on non-presciption food, I suggest you go back to Blue Buffalo since he had no problem with crystal formation on that food. Regardless of what food you give him, though, it will be MUCH better for his urinary tract if you feed him exclusively canned food (or kibble "mush"). Stay away from dry kibble if you possibly can.

The key to urinary tract health is to add as much fluid to the diet as possible. That means adding water to his food, putting extra water bowls around the house, and maybe buying a pet water fountain and/or leaving a faucet dripping if he likes running water. You just need to convince him to take in more water any way you can. My cats used to get "canned food soup" (canned food mixed with hot water) before I switched them to a raw diet.

Keep a close eye on Barn and make sure he continues to be able to pass urine properly. It's not uncommon for a cat who has blocked to reblock again soon after the original blockage. If you see signs of difficulty urinating, get him back to the vet immediately.

I wish him a speedy and full recovery,

Laurie


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