Urinary
Tract Health Cat Food
A very common cat ailment is
bladder, urinary tract, and kidney problems. The number one cause
appears to be a steady diet of many popular dry cat foods. Leaving dry cat food
out for your cat to eat any time they are hungry is a time saver
and convenience, but can cause cat urinary health issues.
In addition, leaving dry food
available also contributes to over weight cats which can cause other possible cat
health problems. Cats do like to eat small amounts,
several times a day. But most cats over eat since the food is there and
available. If the food is not considered urinary tract health cat
food, then the chance of cat urinary health problems increases
dramatically.
Some common symptoms for cat urinary
health problems are:
- increased frequency of
urination
- blood in their urine
- straining
and not actually urinating
In severe cases where the urinary
tract gets totally blocked the cat will stop eating or drinking
and become very agitated. Male cats are much more prone to urinary
tract problems due to the fact that they have a much narrower and
longer urinary tract.
There's a debate among
veterinarians about the exact cause and treatment of urinary tract
problems. Most occur due to blockage from the formation of mineral
deposits. If severe blockage occurs, the bladder can get infected
too. The point of disagreement rests on exact cause and the
treatment. Does an infection cause the blockage, or does the
blockage cause the infection?
Some blame the high ash content
of most dry foods (and many wet cat foods too). Any high
concentration of minerals and calcium in the food are blamed. Other opinions
go with the urine being too alkaline causing deposits to build up
in the urinary tract. Cats need a high protein and acid level from meats,
eggs, and dairy products. Most vegetables are more alkaline and
many of the commercial cat foods use vegetable and bone byproducts
as filler.
The three most popular treatments
for cat urinary problems are a controlled diet, a prescription to increase the acid
content, and antibiotics. If you cat appears to be bloated and has
a very hard feeling bladder, an immediate trip to the vet is necessary for
catheter treatment to allow the urine and any blockage to pass.
A good natural treatment would be
to put your cat on soft urinary tract health cat food, feeding it small amounts of beef
or fish broth. When you do give water, make sure it has no
chlorine or fluoride. Monitor all food and water intake (don't
leave water and food available for more than 30 minutes at a
time).
Vitamins C, A, and D can also
help the healing process. Four or five drops of Cod-liver
oil on your cat's food daily will also be beneficial. Make sure
any cat food for urinary track health has high acid foods (meat and fish) and low in
any alkaline foods (ash, calcium, minerals, byproducts).
If you feed your cat leftovers or
table scrapes, stay away from processed foods with artificial
additives. Stick to just real meat or fish leftovers. No
gravy, ice cream, or other items with high fat and sugar contents.
If you buy commercial brands,
look for low ash, high protein foods for good cat urinary health. The ideal ratio would be
about 45% protein, 25% fat, the rest being non byproducts that has little or no additives such as food coloring or
preservatives.
You are what you eat, which is
true for humans and cats. The best urinary tract health cat food
is one that is low in any additives and high in protein and fat.
Cat urinary health can be improved by watching what you feed your cat.
Plus you can save you money from fewer vet
trips and have a healthy, happy cat.
Related Articles:
Our Website Resident Cats
The content on this site is
presented only for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing veterinarian.
The
contents on this site are not presented from a licensed
veterinarian, and any and all health care for your pet
should be
made under the guidance of your own veterinarian.
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