Urinary crystals - How long to recover?

The fact that I have stopped responding to Phil in this thread despite
the fact that he is still posting lies and misrepresentations proves
that I don't have to have the last word (not that I expect you to
understand something so simple.) HTH.


So, you've stopped? Could have fooled me! Although, I'm sure you'll have the
last word w/ me and that's find because I don't care one way or the other. Go
ahead....respond....I dare you (let's see if you take the bait and prove me
right!)

To think I would take orders from "you" proves, beyond a reasonable
doubt, that you are either incredibly stupid or incredibly delusional.

Perhaps one could make the point that attempting any kind of conversation w/
you is "incredibly stupid".

OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

In article ,
(Rachael) wrote:

OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

Hooray!

Generally speaking a healthy animal will not starve if food is
available. However, he might eat only enough to survive, and could lose
weight. If he goes on a hunger strike for more than a day or so it could
be serious, so do try to keep *something* going into him.

Strange, I'd always heard the complaint that c/d-s is TOO palatable, and
cats get fat on it. How old is Darby, and has he had the same food for
his whole life?

Are you still working on getting him to eat some wet food, prescription
or not?

I've written a web page about my experience with Otis' urinary troubles.
I'll post the link here when I get it uploaded.

-Alison in OH

In article ,
(Rachael) wrote:

OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

Hooray!

Generally speaking a healthy animal will not starve if food is
available. However, he might eat only enough to survive, and could lose
weight. If he goes on a hunger strike for more than a day or so it could
be serious, so do try to keep *something* going into him.

Strange, I'd always heard the complaint that c/d-s is TOO palatable, and
cats get fat on it. How old is Darby, and has he had the same food for
his whole life?

Are you still working on getting him to eat some wet food, prescription
or not?

I've written a web page about my experience with Otis' urinary troubles.
I'll post the link here when I get it uploaded.

-Alison in OH

"Rachael" wrote in message
om...
OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good.

Yabba dabba doo!


The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?

Unfortunately, yes. ;(( Also, prolonged anorexia can result in a serious
liver disorder (hepatic lipidosis [a/k/a "fatty liver syndrome]} Its very
important that he eats - even if that means eating his regular food until
you can make the transition.

You can also try feeding him twice a day instead of free-feeding (ad
libitum). Free feeding keeps the urine alkaline most of the day which
increases the potential of struvite formation. Feeding twice a day at 12
hour intervals allows the urine's natural acidity to return. You can buy a
tube of urine dipsticks at any pharmacy to monitor urine pH through the day.

If he absolutely refuses c/d-s, speak to your vet about other similarly
formulated diets designed to dissolve/prevent struvite (e.g., Iams, Purina,
Walthams). As a last resort, your vet may need to prescribe a urine
acidifer -- but these carry potential risks of their own. I'd try
transitioning him over to one of the other brands first.



Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

Now that the crisis appears to be over, you might want to try introducing
him to canned c/d-s again. Canned c/d-s comes in three flavors so you might
get lucky.

To make the transition a little easier and accustom him to the food, try
putting a dab of the canned food on his nose (not near his nostrils). This
will satiate his olfactory system - and his gustatory system when he licks
it off. You'll probably have to repeat this a few times. Rubbing a little
canned food on his belly a few times also might help. The more canned food
you get him to eat, the quicker he might become accustomed to the taste and
texture.

I can't guaranttee that this plan will work - I've had variable results. It
works with some cats but not with others. But since it dose work with some
cats, I think its certainly worth a try.

Thank for the update - I was kinda worried!

Best of luck,

Phil



-Rachael

"Rachael" wrote in message
om...
OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good.

Yabba dabba doo!


The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?

Unfortunately, yes. ;(( Also, prolonged anorexia can result in a serious
liver disorder (hepatic lipidosis [a/k/a "fatty liver syndrome]} Its very
important that he eats - even if that means eating his regular food until
you can make the transition.

You can also try feeding him twice a day instead of free-feeding (ad
libitum). Free feeding keeps the urine alkaline most of the day which
increases the potential of struvite formation. Feeding twice a day at 12
hour intervals allows the urine's natural acidity to return. You can buy a
tube of urine dipsticks at any pharmacy to monitor urine pH through the day.

If he absolutely refuses c/d-s, speak to your vet about other similarly
formulated diets designed to dissolve/prevent struvite (e.g., Iams, Purina,
Walthams). As a last resort, your vet may need to prescribe a urine
acidifer -- but these carry potential risks of their own. I'd try
transitioning him over to one of the other brands first.



Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

Now that the crisis appears to be over, you might want to try introducing
him to canned c/d-s again. Canned c/d-s comes in three flavors so you might
get lucky.

To make the transition a little easier and accustom him to the food, try
putting a dab of the canned food on his nose (not near his nostrils). This
will satiate his olfactory system - and his gustatory system when he licks
it off. You'll probably have to repeat this a few times. Rubbing a little
canned food on his belly a few times also might help. The more canned food
you get him to eat, the quicker he might become accustomed to the taste and
texture.

I can't guaranttee that this plan will work - I've had variable results. It
works with some cats but not with others. But since it dose work with some
cats, I think its certainly worth a try.

Thank for the update - I was kinda worried!

Best of luck,

Phil



-Rachael

(Rachael) wrote in message . com...
OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

Well, whatever hunger strike he was on stopped the day after I posted
this last message. He's eating the food fine now. I think he finally
figured out that he wasn't going to get his old kind anymore.

Thanks for the responses!

-Rachael

(Rachael) wrote in message . com...
OK, Darby has been home for 5 days now and there is still no sign of
blockage, so that's good. The little guy still doesn't want to eat
the new food though. If it's mixed together with his old food, he'll
eat a little bit, but nothing like what he normally eats. He has
maybe eaten a grand total of 1/2 a cup of food since he's been home.

Today, I turned my coffee grinder into a cat food grinder and made a
powder of his old food and sprinkled it over a bowl of the new food.
He ate several bites after that, but then just started licking the
powder off of the new food. He's too smart.

Will he starve himself to death if I keep giving him this new food?
Has anyone else successfully switched over such a finicky cat?

-Rachael

Well, whatever hunger strike he was on stopped the day after I posted
this last message. He's eating the food fine now. I think he finally
figured out that he wasn't going to get his old kind anymore.

Thanks for the responses!

-Rachael