Crystals In Cat Urine Diet

This has been the major reason that special dry diets have such variable results with preventing urinary crystals and stones in cats.

Crystals in cat urine diet.

So how do you make a cat drink more water. These diets only contain 10 water. The more concentrated the urine the more likely minerals can become crystals and eventually stones. The veterinarian may also place the cat on a diet aimed at correcting the cat s ph levels.

An underlying cause for the development of struvite crystals is that many cats are reluctant to drink water from bowls. Cats should be fed a diet that consists of both wet and dry food. It takes approximately two months to correct levels via dietary changes. Different types of crystals may develop if your cat isn t eating a proper complete and balanced diet.

The detection of urinary crystals is not synonymous with kidney stones or the clinical signs associated with them nor is detection of urine crystals irrefutable evidence of a stone forming tendency but there is some association with an increased risk for kidney stones in animals that are. Dealing with calcium oxalate crystals and stones can be a little more of a challenge. These crystals form when there is more magnesium calcium phosphorus or protein in the urine that it can be dissolved. The three standard crystals in cats are struvite oxalate and urate.

This partnered with a diet of dry cat food can lead to crystal development in the cat s urine. They ve evolved over millennia to get most of their moisture from prey. Crystals in cats also known as feline crystalluria is a medical condition which involves the formation of crystals in the cat s urine. Dry cat food provides very little moisture in their diet can make their urine too concentrated making it difficult for them to pass the crystals.

Many believe that this is due to cats eating commercial foods that acidify the urine. Struvite and calcium oxalate are the most common crystals but their formation can t often be pinned to one cause. Dry foods are too high in some minerals and increase the risk of the cat developing crystals. Cats that are routinely fed a diet of dry food are particularly at risk for struvite crystals.

Urinary crystals is a common problem in dehydrated cats. Certain diets can cause urinary ph to rise and can be the cause of crystals forming. Also any condition that changes your cat s urine ph such as kidney disease or long term medication use can cause crystals. Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.

Interestingly these crystals used to be extremely rare but now account for roughly half of feline urinary crystals.