Low-phosphorus cat food

Is that the same as "urinary tract health" blends? When I first got
Tweaker, the vet said he had crystals in his urine and I was to feed
him special food for urinary tract issues. I have done so faithfully.
But he prefers the kibbles over canned food, so I now have a big bag
of Wal Mart "Special Kitty Urinary Tract Health" kibbles, which I have
been feeding him. Is this a good enough choice, or should I be
getting a better brand?

Charlie

Charlie Wilkes wrote:
Is that the same as "urinary tract health" blends? When I first got
Tweaker, the vet said he had crystals in his urine and I was to feed
him special food for urinary tract issues. I have done so faithfully.
But he prefers the kibbles over canned food, so I now have a big bag
of Wal Mart "Special Kitty Urinary Tract Health" kibbles, which I have
been feeding him. Is this a good enough choice, or should I be
getting a better brand?

Charlie

Depends on what kind of crystals he had - there are two types of
crystals that form - struvite and oxylate. I don't know anything about
Special Kitty brand food but it's probably formulated for struvite
crystals. You might want to ask the vet about the type of crystals
Tweaker had and if the formulation of the food is sufficient to control
them.
-L.

"Charlie Wilkes" wrote in message
...
Is that the same as "urinary tract health" blends?


No. "Urinary tract health" diets are usually lower in magnesium and higher
in acidity to help prevent struvite crystals. Low phosphorus diets may be
renoprotective.


When I first got
Tweaker, the vet said he had crystals in his urine and I was to feed
him special food for urinary tract issues.


I assume the crystals were struvite. I'm not aware of any OTC CaOx diets.


I have done so faithfully.
But he prefers the kibbles over canned food, so I now have a big bag
of Wal Mart "Special Kitty Urinary Tract Health" kibbles, which I have
been feeding him. Is this a good enough choice, or should I be
getting a better brand?


Store brands are usually the lowest (and worst) quality food on the market.
Usually, one manufacturer makes the same food for several different stores-
only the labels and bags are different. The manufacturer wins the contract
by bidding the lowest- which means they must use the cheapest (and usually
the lowest quality) ingredients. You can usually tell if the food is
generic by the label. Most generic foods are labeled "Manufactured by XXX
for XXX" or "Manufactured For XXX by XXX" instead of "Manufactured By"
(Hill's, Nutro, Natura, etc).

The best thing would be to try to get your cat on canned food. Try adding a
little water to his dry food- add a few mls every few days so he gradually
adapts to the different texture. If he absolutely won't eat canned food, I'd
go with Hill's c/d and regular urine checks for crystals if the problem is
struvite. For CaOx crystals , I'd go with Hill's x/d.

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 07:27:55 GMT, "Phil P."
wrote:

The best thing would be to try to get your cat on canned food. Try adding a
little water to his dry food- add a few mls every few days so he gradually
adapts to the different texture. If he absolutely won't eat canned food, I'd
go with Hill's c/d and regular urine checks for crystals if the problem is
struvite. For CaOx crystals , I'd go with Hill's x/d.

He's not hard to feed, believe me. He won't refuse anything, but he
likes the kibbles better. If I give him a can of FF, he nibbles, but
he devours kibbles.

I didn't go with the Wal Mart food because it was cheap, but rather
because it was the only dry food I've ever found (in a regular store)
that specified it was for urinary tract issues.

I just got this one bag, but it's a big bag, 8lb.

I'll have to ask the vet whether the crystals were struvite or
calcium. Sounds like geology class.

Charlie

Charlie wrote;

I now have a big bag of Wal Mart
"Special Kitty Urinary Tract Health"
kibbles, which I have been feeding
him. Is this a good enough choice, or
should I be getting a better brand?

I can't vouch for Walmart cat food but I do use a lot of their "great
value" and "equate" products and find them to be very good. Their
coffee is especially good. It's possible that their cat food could be
good also.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Charlie Wilkes wrote:

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 07:27:55 GMT, "Phil P."
wrote:

The best thing would be to try to get your cat on canned food. Try adding a
little water to his dry food- add a few mls every few days so he gradually
adapts to the different texture. If he absolutely won't eat canned food, I'd
go with Hill's c/d and regular urine checks for crystals if the problem is
struvite. For CaOx crystals , I'd go with Hill's x/d.


He's not hard to feed, believe me. He won't refuse anything, but he
likes the kibbles better. If I give him a can of FF, he nibbles, but
he devours kibbles.

I didn't go with the Wal Mart food because it was cheap, but rather
because it was the only dry food I've ever found (in a regular store)
that specified it was for urinary tract issues.


Who makes the Wal Mart food?

Can you talk to the manufacturer and get the nutritional analysis?



I just got this one bag, but it's a big bag, 8lb.

I'll have to ask the vet whether the crystals were struvite or
calcium. Sounds like geology class.

Charlie

Joe Canuck wrote:
Charlie Wilkes wrote:

Who makes the Wal Mart food?

It will depend upon what part of the country and what week. It could be
Heinz, Doanes, or several others

Can you talk to the manufacturer and get the nutritional analysis?

That probably won't help. First of all it would only apply to that lot
of food, the next lot might be different. Typically cat foods are not
tested for urine pH values, a critical element in this cats case.

Joe Canuck wrote:

Who makes the Wal Mart food?

Can you talk to the manufacturer and get the nutritional analysis?

I hope it isn't Diamond.

-mhd

--MIKE--- wrote:
I can't vouch for Walmart cat food but I do use a lot of their "great
value" and "equate" products and find them to be very good. Their
coffee is especially good. It's possible that their cat food could be
good also.

Wal-wart does sell fairly good products since they can squeeze just
about anyone, whether the sad workers or the manufacturers.

For low phosphorus, I noticed that the Walls sell Fancy Feast by 12 in
a case:
*Grilled Chicken Feast in Gravy 0.18% (AF) - 0.81% (DMB) 74 kcals

12 cans for $4.50 which is 37.5 cents a can, about 10 cents cheaper
than the surrounding supermarkets if purchased singularly. For a mass
product in a Wal-mart or supermarket, this is about as good as it gets.
These are THREE OUNCE cans. For the best, supermarket see below for a
Friskies that is for the urinary tract that is 0.61% phosphorus levels
and low pH.

This is not what I would call low phosphorus, it is borderline. LOW is
less than 0.80% on a Dry Matter Basis. But compared to most canned food
and especially to most Fancy Feast which is usually double this
phosphorus, it ain't bad.

The 0.18% is As Fed and is the usual way Fancy Feast covers the info.
This is not a dry matter basis which excludes the water, usually around
78% for Fancy Feast. To get DMB from AS, just divide by 0.78. Why they
keep their data so hidden I don't know. For some of their new products,
I still cannot get the phosphorus levels from Purina/Nestle which
produces all this. After three months, they did call me back for some
products. Three months! Who? What? I forgot what I had asked, having
given up on Purina/Nestle/FancyFeast.

Now Purina does make special for urinary tract, which I rarely see in
supermarkets:
Friskies Special Diet Ocean Whitefish and Tuna Dinner, 5.5 ounces, 31
kcal/oz. Special for urinary tract. 176.1 kcalories, note this is for
the 5.5 ounces, not the 3 ounce cans above. Urinary, low magnesium and
low pH, phosphorus is 0.61 DMB, 0.17% phosphorus? In previous
formulation Ocean Whitefish was superhigh phosphorus. Have to be
careful. This phosphorus is 0.61% which is nice and low, so perhaps
look for this but be careful. Many of the names sound the same, use the
same words, but are NOT the same.

wrote:
--MIKE--- wrote:
The 0.18% is As Fed and is the usual way Fancy Feast covers the info.
This is not a dry matter basis which excludes the water, usually around
78% for Fancy Feast. To get DMB from AS, just divide by 0.78. Why they
keep their data so hidden I don't know. For some of their new products,
I still cannot get the phosphorus levels from Purina/Nestle which
produces all this. After three months, they did call me back for some
products. Three months! Who? What? I forgot what I had asked, having
given up on Purina/Nestle/FancyFeast.

This may help - from Nestle Purina Veterinary Product Guide Fall 2005
All DMB values
Fancy Feast Fish & Shrimp Calcium 1.91% phos 1.56%
Fancy Feast Turkey & Giblet Feast Ca 1.74%, phos 1.53%
Fancy Feast Savory Salmon Feast Ca 1.45% phos 1.45%
Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Feast Ca 1.68%, phos 1.64%
Friskies Prime Filets Turkey Dinner Ca 1.79%, phos 1.23%
Friskies Turkey & Cheese Dinner Ca 1.32%, phos 1.01%
Friskies Salmon Dinner Ca 1.28%, phos 1.28%
Friskies Sliced Chicken Dinner Ca 1.53%, phos 1.15%

for comparison purposes - all canned
Pro Plan Adult Ocean Fish & Crab Ca 2.72%, phos 2.07%
Prescription Diet Feline k/d Ca 0.61%, phos 0.34%
Prescription Diet Feline x/d Ca 0.69%, phos 0.53%
Science Diet Feline Liver & Chicken Entree Ca 0.89%, phos 0.65%