"Jean B." wrote in message
...
Phil P. wrote:

To dissolve the crystals, he should be eating s/d-- c/d is only meant
for
prevention. If he's eating c/d, it will take much longer than a month
to
dissolve formed crystals. If he won't eat s/d, speak to your vet about
adding an acidifier to a canned food that he'll eat.

Gee, I wonder why he was never prescribed s/d? I'll ask about
that and an acidifier when I see the vet in a few days (if not
sooner, but my fingers and everything else are crossed).


I'm surprised too. s/d is the first line treatment for dissolving struvite.
s/d should only be fed for 2-3 months- or until most of the struvite
dissolves. Long-term feeding can result in metabolic acidosis, kidney
damage or even demineralization of bone.




Its ok to give him a little salt to stimulate his thurst- it won't
affect
his blood pressure or kidneys. You could also try making home made
chicken
broth- without the spices. Most cats I know lap it up.

Good idea! Since he does like chicken, he may just like
chicken broth. Any suggested amount of salt in that? I am
thinking I can make a fairly large batch and then freeze
portions of it.

You might not have to and any- See if he laps it up without it- you can
always add a pinch or two if you have to.




If he still has crystals, he should be on s/d. c/d might prevent new
crystals from forming and prevent existing crystals from growing- but it
will take much longer to dissolve existing crystals with c/d than with
s/d.

Okay.

Try homemade chicken broth as I mentioned. That should increase his
water
intake and urine volume. But he still might need a urinary acidifer if
he
still has crystals. Actually, giving him a urinary acidifer and giving
him
a regular canned food that he'll eat might not be a bad idea. A regular
canned food usually contains normal magnesium- which inhibits oxalate.
Magnesium is only a problem when urine pH rises above 6.1 or 6.2.
Regular
canned food is designed to keep the urine at pH 6.2 -- 6.4. So, it won't
take much supplemental acidifier to keep his urine pH 6.1 and dissolve
crystals.

That sounds like the most desirable route.

That's about the only alternative if he won't eat a prescription food.
Before you go that route, you might want to try Purina's UR Urinary St/Ox
and Eukanuba's Low pH/S. I'd try Purina's first.



If he likes fountains, get a few more if you can. *Anything* to
encourage
him to drink!

I am going to put a fountain in my bedroom too. He probably
would use it even more than the cup that he likes up there.

Unfortunately, he seems not to remember that he liked ice!

I'd freeze the some of chicken broth in ice cube trays and throw a cube or
two in his water bowl.



The terms are often used interchangeably- although they probably
shouldn't
be.

Hence, my confusion.


Some vets still call urolithiasis and crystalluria "FUS" (feline urological
syndrome)!





Which pain killer did they give you?
Meloxicam. The vet said it tasted like honey. Do cats LIKE
honey? That sounded like a flavor intended to appeal to people!

Jean, meloxicam has very narrow safety margin in cats. I wouldn't use it
in
my cats or any cats in my care. Here's an excerpt from an article by
Elizabeth Hardie, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons:

"Safety studies performed to assess the safety of the one time 0.3 mg/kg
SQ
meloxicam dose demonstrated a narrow margin of safety. Cats given 0.3
mg/kg
for eight days developed vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and decreased
food
consumption. Two of 4 cats were moribund or dead by day 9, and reddened
GI
mucosa was seen at necropsy in 3 of 4 cats. Repeated use of meloxicam
in
cats in clinical settings has been associated with renal failure and
death.
(package insert) Since there are no studies examining the
pharmacokinetics
and pharmacokinetics of repeat dosing of meloxicam, it is not known if
there
is an effective long term dose with minimal toxicity. Thus, recommended
long term doses of 0.025 mg/kg daily or every other day are based solely
on
clinician experience."

Uh, I'm REALLY glad I didn't give this to him!!!! Are there
any better pain killers for cats--if they are warranted?

Yes- and less risky.


The meter pays for itself by eliminating just one trip to vet for a pH
check-- not to mention the stress you'll save Mingy. Also, you'll be
able
to keep a much closer watch on his urine pH which might actually prevent
an
emergency. You'll know to call your vet as soon as you see the pH
rising.

And I do want to minimize his stress level to the degree
possible. I'll look into that, Phil.

Please keep me posted.

Good luck,

Phil


Thanks again, Phil. I really appreciate your taking the time
to answer my posts.

I'm sorry I took so long to reply- I've been really busy.


Please keep me posted on Mingy's progress.

Good luck,

Phil