I do not disagree, but if that is what it takes to have cats that consistently use the box, that is what will be fed.
Agreed.
My two that developed urinary issues had been on premium grain free canned food with water added for their whole life. All the junk makes the price tag even harder to swallow but if it’s that or the emergency vet and a miserable cat, I set aside my pride and buy it.
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almost always, these “grain free” foods are adding legumes which still bring carbs and starches. It’s a marketing gimmick 
Cats. Do. Not. Need. Vegetables. Period. Swapping wheat for peas doesn’t help.
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They sell methionine tablets that are used to acidity urine… I think you can successfully use them if you catch urine samples, check pH of the urine sample and see what dose they need to produce urine of the correct pH.
Of course, if you change cat food brands, you will need to do that all over again. Time consuming- definitely!
I do know that Royal Canin SO worked better for my cats then Hills C/D. When my cat had his urine sampled on Hills it was still too alkaline.
Right now I just switched everyone to Purina urinary (non prescription). I tried to get a urine sample this morning to see what the pH looked like, but my cat used the litter box as soon as I left the room. I’ll try again tomorrow morning. Once I have an idea of how he is doing on this food, I can see what needs to be changed.
If done right you can save a lot of money using tablets.
It really seems like an oversight that pet foods have to meet AAFCO standards but they don’t have a strict requirement on how much methionine is added to the food… it seems like balancing urinary pH should be a requirement for all cats.
Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Guar Gum, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Agar-Agar, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Minerals (Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Cranberries, Blueberries, Taurine, Dried Squash, Zucchini, Sodium Carbonate.
Sweet potatoes and carrots but no legumes
Methionine (ie Methigel) is for struvite crystals, but contraindicated if the issue is oxalates. Definitely don’t just supplement it without working with a vet
Yes, good point, but the problem still exists - carbs/starches
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Yes my cats have only had struvite crystals.
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I agree.
Ralph already came very close to dying in extreme pain once, I prefer to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ve been told by several vets that they find that red males get crystals and stones more than others, I have four red males. The dry prescription food works, it keeps all of the cats very well hydrated. They are all very healthy, their bloodwork all comes back in good standing.
Why would I change foods and risk more crystals or stones?
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