Hills Urinary Health Cat Food

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This piece was written by Lorraine Wilde who has had at least two cat companions in her home for the past 35 years including some special needs kitties. Two of her cats lived happy and healthily into their early 20s. Her current feline companions have been challenged by digestive and urinary tract health issues. When researching these brands, Lorraine evaluated the type and quality of the ingredients, the companys research and development of the food, and their business ethics.

Because she has only the highest of standards for what she feeds her pets, Lorraine recently switched to Evangers EVx Restricted Diet Urinary Tract and Evanger Organics Turkey and Butternut Squash canned food to help improve her older cats’ health issues. Lorraines family will consider adding the supplement Under the Weather Urinary Support Soft Chews for the benefits imparted by D-mannose.

Dr. Danielle Bernal is a Global Veterinarian with Wellness Natural Pet Food. She holds a Bachelors of Veterinary Science from University of Sydney and is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the U.K. She has more than 15 years experience in veterinary care, animal nutrition and related communications. She travels across the United States and other countries to educate pet parents on the role that premium, natural nutrition plays in pets health and longevity.

How To Get A Cat To Drink More Water

All is not lost even if your cat absolutely refuses to eat canned food despite your efforts. There are other ways to increase your cats water intake besides feeding wet cat food.

Try different kinds of water dishestry plastic, metal, and ceramic. Use differently shaped dishesshallow, deep, large, small. Try locating water dishes in various areas around your home so theres always one convenient when your cat feels thirsty.

A lot of cats love drinking from a flowing fountain and there are many products available to choose from these days. The cute flower fountain shown below is a favorite amongst the cats I know. Just be sure to disassemble and thoroughly wash the entire fountain every few days or your cat might not want to drink from it.

You might try adding a flavored liquid to your cats food or as a side dish. Tuna water, chicken broth, beef broth or clam juice are popular flavors. You can try diluting the flavoring ingredient with water. Freeze the extra flavored water in ice cube trays and thaw when youre ready to use them.

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Which Human Foods Are Ok For A Cat With Urinary Crystals

Human foods that would be OK for a cat with urinary crystals include lean meats like chicken breast, turkey breast, or fish. Many vegetables and dairy products have high mineral content and could cause increased urinary crystals.

If your cat is eating prescription urinary food, be careful about adding any additional foods regularly. Its OK to give a small treat a few times a week, but once you approach more than 10% of total food intake, treats can cancel out the good effects of urinary diet food.

Remember that changing food or introducing new treats can be a source of stress for many cats. Stress can set off an episode of FIC, so proceed very cautiously.

What Is The Best Cat Food For Cats With Urinary Tract Issues

Usually, the best cat food for urinary tract health issues tends to be the prescription diets that are specially formulated to help cats who are prone to developing crystals in their bladder as a result of concentrated and high alkalinity urine. However, not all problems are equal or as severe. Some cats urinary issues can be easier to treat than others and this may well be where the off the shelf urinary health foods can play a part.

Many owners find their cats do well without prescription foods as maybe their symptoms or issues are not as tough to treat as severe cases. With that in mind, we take you through various prescription and non-prescription options as your cat might benefit from the less expensive non-prescritption foods or in severe cases may need the strongest option available.

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Your Cat Is Peeing Outside The Litter Box

Your cat might be toileting outside of the litter box for any number of reasons if elderly, they may have arthritis that prevents them from entering the box, they may have kidney disease or diabetes which makes it difficult for them to make the box in time. The box may require refreshing or cleaning and the lack of cleanliness is putting them off or the box may be positioned badly leaving them feeling vulnerable. Or, like my old cat, peeing in the sink/bath might be an attempt to grab your attention especially if the next clue on this list comes into play. If your cat is peeing outside their litter box you should become suspicious.

Overall Is Hills A Good Choice

Hills is built on a foundation of industry-leading nutrition research, giving it the ability to create recipes formulated for specific health conditions and dietary needs.

While Hills can be a good choice for cats with health issues, its not the strongest candidate for a healthy cats daily diet. Though Hills says that corn, wheat, and other high-carbohydrate plant ingredients are nutritious for cats, others disagree. Whether youre shopping for wet or dry food, Hills cat food tends to contain large amounts of plant ingredients that dont fit into a carnivorous diet plan.

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Buyers Guide: Tips For Choosing The Best Cat Food For Urinary Health

Choosing a cat food for a feline can be difficult, especially if your feline has an underlying health problem that needs to be offset by diet, such as chronic urinary tract infections or stones. Many cats with common urinary tract problems are diagnosed with FLUTD, which stands for feline lower urinary tract disease. Felines with this problem have reoccurring bacterial bladder infections, develop bladder crystals, and have inflammation in their urinary tract.

This problem is more severe in males, as it can cause urinary blockage and be life-threatening. Females are more prone to bacterial infections, but they dont suffer blockages as often.

Diet can often be used to manage these problems, though it isnt the end-all to treatment. Often, different medications and supplements are needed as well.

Purina One Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food Best Value

Purina is known as a budget company. However, its ONE line is exceptionally high-quality while remaining inexpensive. For cats with urinary problems, Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food is a solid option. This food is formulated with low magnesium, which can prevent the creation of bladder stones and similar problems. This brand adds antioxidants, which may help prevent urinary problems. As a pH-reducing food, this can also keep infections at bay.

However, this food does have lower-quality ingredients than other options. This is one of the reasons that Purina can keep the foods cost so low. The first ingredient is corn gluten meal, with the second being whole ground corn. Corn is a starchy vegetable and is often considered a grain. Cats do not need it to thrive, though it does provide a few nutrients. However, cats can have difficulty absorbing and using nutrients from plants like corn, so it likely isnt doing much for your cats nutrition.

Chicken is included as the third ingredient. This is a high-quality option and suitable if your feline is not allergic to chicken. This is the best cat food for urinary tract health for the money.

This does require a veterinary prescription, so it is only available to felines with diagnoses of urinary tract problems.

To conclude, this is our premium pick for best cat food for urinary health available this year.

• A bit expensive

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Best Cat Foods Of 2021

A lot of people think that vets dont get much education in nutrition. In fact, as a veterinarian, I had endless hours of nutrition lectures, practicals, seminars, and workshops, not to mention many years of experience since.

But what I recommend might still surprise you its probably not what youve been told or read in online reviews!

First, I discuss the veterinarians approach to diet. Next, I get into the best wet cat food reviews, then the best dry cat food reviews, and lastly, the top-rated cat foods for other health needs. Lets go!

Hills Prescription Diet History

This pet food brands history is intertwined with the career of the first Seeing Eye dog, Buddy.

Buddy, guide dog to Morris Frank, a young blind man, developed kidney failure in the 1930s. Frank suspected that the dogs health condition was the result of poor nutrition. So, he corresponded with lauded veterinarian .

Dr. Morris discovered that a lack of table scraps during these difficult years led many dog owners to turn to inexpensive commercial foods in order to feed their pets. The low-quality feed was contributing to kidney disease and failure, according to the Morris Animal Foundation.

Dr. Morris and his wife set to work on a kidney diet recipe for dogs. They worked up the formula in their own kitchen.

The first consignment of renal dog food was shipped to Frank in glass jars. However, glass tends to break during transit, so Frank sent the Morrises a canning machine as well as a commission for thousands of orders. After a while, Buddys health improved.

And thats how the worlds first veterinary diet for dogs was born.

It was called Raritan Ration B. Its name was a nod to Raritan Township, the original name of Edison, New Jersey, where Dr. Morris had opened his animal hospital just a couple of years after earning his veterinary degree.

Raritan Ration B is the dog food that would become the basis for Hills Prescription Diet k/d Canine.

Groundbreaking Pet Food

The Hill Name Is Added

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List Of Hills Prescription Diet Recalls

Cause: Elevated levels of Vitamin D. Announcement: FDA report dated Jan. 31, 2019 company webpage updated May 15, 2019 . What was recalled: In the United States, the following Hills Prescription Diet canned dog foods were recalled:

Note that Hills Science Diet canned dog food was also recalled. See our Science Diet page for details.

Of special note to anyone outside the United States:

Impacted products outside of the United States will be subject to separate notices on the country-specific website. If you are outside of the United States, please check your own countrys Hills website for more information.

Cause: Melamine. Announcement: Company announcement dated April 1, 2007 . What was recalled: Hills Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food, sold in 4 lb. and 10 lb. bags.

If you have not done so already, we urge you to sign up now for Petfuls FREE recall alerts by email. Our free alerts are saving pets lives.

Managing Your Cats Urinary Issues

When it comes to urinary conditions, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Thats why its important to work closely with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action for your cats unique needs.

In general, cats diagnosed with urinary disorders benefit from a comprehensive approach that may consist of everything from urinary cat food to medication and even surgery, if needed. But remember, even with the best treatment, some cats may have recurring signs or periodic episodes.

NUTRITION

For most feline urinary conditions, nutrition is the standard of care, as it can help to reduce the risk of future episodes. Urinary health cat food will moderate their intake of certain minerals like calcium, phosphorous and magnesium that can cause crystals to form in the urine. Some foods are even formulated to help pets prone to stress so as not to trigger their urinary problem.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT

Its not uncommon for environmental stressors to trigger urinary episodes. You can help soothe a stressed-out feline friend by creating a quiet home environment, providing your pet with a scratching post and vertical climbing space and even simply giving them extra love and affection.

MEDICATION

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Pdp: Accordion: Detail: Block419 Product Description

Your cat is unique thats why IAMS makes a cat food thats just as unique as they are. Help keep your cats at their best with IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult Hairball Care Dry Cat Food with Chicken and Salmon. This nutrient-rich recipe is designed to help reduce hairballs before they start and support healthy digestion. For outdoor or indoor cats, this cat kibble is made from high-quality proteins like poultry and salmon to support a healthy, balanced diet for your furball. The crunchy texture also helps reduce plaque buildup as part of your cats oral care routine. Plus, with its tailored fiber blend , it might be just what you need to help your cat with hairball control. So, if youre looking for a hairball care cat food, get your paws on this and keep your feline happy, healthy, and ready to pounce with IAMS.

Hills Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Control Dry Food

Again, with this dry variation of the Hills Science Diet Urinary & Hairball cat food, you get much of the same benefits as with the Royal Canin.

You get more for your money, a longer lasting product, and the same nutritional value. Its down to you to ensure your cat has a constant supply of fresh water and that theyre drinking it, something which some owners find hard to accomplish.

With Hills dry cat food, you get a considerable amount more for your money than you do with the Royal Canin, but the reasons are much the same as they are for the wet foods reviewed above.

You still get the same increase in fiber content that the wet food offers, and an optimal level of magnesium to help correct any imbalance in your cats urine pH levels.

As with all Hills products, there are no artificial colors or preservatives, just healthy natural ingredients with added vitamins, minerals and amino acids .

Its one of the best dry cat foods out there, and the added benefits of dissolving urinary crystals and hairball reduction make it a food worth trying for any loving owner.

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As cats age, they develop different urinary problems and because your kitty is sneaky about it, you wont notice the symptoms unless you are very attentive. Sometimes this can be dangerous because if there is a blockage in the urethra, it can be fatal.

More often than not, the problem could be caused by Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease , which is a collection of various symptoms. There are several reasons for urinary health issues in cats but the most common ones are kidney stones, debris in the bladder and/or urethra, blockage in the urethra from urine build-up, and inflammation.

Stress, injury, congenital abnormality, and problems with the spinal cord can also be the contributory factors. However, theres one aspect that often goes unnoticed but it could be playing a major role in aggravating urinary problems and its symptoms.

It is the dietary intake of your cat. If your furry feline isnt getting proper nutrition, it will show up in form of health issues. Ingredients in cat food influence the pH of urine, its concentration, and volume.

In fact, manipulation of the pH of urine through food has proven to be effective in treating and preventing several urinary health issues in cats. There has been a study on this and it concluded the source of protein has a significant impact on urinary composition in cats.

Best Treats: Get Naked Urinary Health Crunchy Treats For Cats

All cats love treats- just because your pet has troubles with their urinary health doesnt mean that they dont get to indulge from time to time! However, you shouldnt go overboard, especially with treats that are not formulated to meet the needs of cats with urinary problems. Get Naked Urinary Health Crunchy Treats For Cats is a healthier alternative to the feline version of junk food and, to boot, it is designed to help with urinary issues rather than exacerbate them. These functional treats are made with real chicken cranberry juice, which is thought to help cleanse the urinary tract and acidify the urine, and are grain-free, so no wheat, corn, or soy in sight. The best part is that each treat is under 2 kcal, so you dont have to worry about occasional treats ruining your pets figure.

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