the urine in a consistently more diluted state. Consider feeding a prepared raw food diet, which either comes frozen or dehydrated/freeze-dried (just add water). If feeding a raw food diet is not for you, canned food with a dry kibble is another solution. Canned foods also have moisture levels around 70 per cent. Choose brands that don’t have mystery meats (i.e. byproducts from unknown sources) or use flavour enhancers to compensate for poor-quality ingredients. If oxalate crystals are the problem, limit the amount of fish, as it is usually higher in magnesium, which can result in more acidic urine. Whatever you decide, a good-quality food is key. Low-quality foods, rich with grains, can push the pH towards 7.0 and above, placing the cat in danger of struvite crystals. Foods with too much soy can result in an acidic pH, increasing the risk of oxalate crystals. The best bet is to find a food with a specific meat/meat meal listed as the first ingredient, without a large variety of grains listed after it. Reducing your cat’s stress is also important. When a cat has elevated stress, pH levels rise, bringing on an increased risk of struvite crystals forming. Stress reducing products as well as cat treats with stress reduction supplements are also available. So save that pile of clean laundry from a second washing with a few changes to your cat’s routines and quality of life. Your healthy cat (and ultimately your wallet) will thank you. life – James Froese is owner of Global Pet Foods in Airdrie winter 2013/14 |
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