How Food Can Help with Urinary Tract Disease in Cats?

Urinary tract disease in cats represents the most common health problem. Some cats struggle with straining when urinate, others visit frequently their litter box in order to eliminate, while several of them experience pain. In each case, the problem is the same – urinary tract disease. Many cats who suffer from this condition may also have blood in urine. It is not a rare phenomenon that cats who struggle with pain during urination or experience frequent litter box visits may urinate occasionally outside the litter box. It is especially the case if a cat is in pain because they associate the litter box with pain and begin avoiding it at all cost. Whatever the symptom is, the best way to act is to transport a cat immediately to vet ordination. However, feline experts advise us taking care of a cat’s diet if there are some signs of urinary tract issue. According to them, wet food is more convenient to cats with this type of disease. It is because wet food prevents the cat’s body to crystallize minerals that appear in the urine. Wet food also prevents an occurrence of bladder stones. To learn more about how food can help with urinary tract disease, the article “Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection” gives us the interesting explanation.

If I could have the reader of my website leave with one word firmly imprinted in their mind it would be “water.” If your cat is on a properly hydrated diet of 100% canned food – and no dry food – you stand a very good chance of never needing to read this webpage.

Note that I said “water” – not “crystals” or “urine pH” – or any of the expensive, low-quality, “prescription diets” often recommended by veterinarians.

Always keep in mind that water flowing through the urinary tract system is the most important factor in keeping it healthy. That said, please do not make the mistake that so many people make when they state “but my cat drinks plenty of water!”

A cat’s normal prey is ~70% water. Canned food is ~78% water. Dry food is ~5-10% water. Cats have a low thirst drive and they do not make up the deficit at the water bowl. They are designed to get water with their food.

Experts claim that dry food can also help with urinary tract disease in cats. According to them, there are several dry foods of excellent quality on the market. These foods prevent crystals from forming and keep the optimal pH of cat’s urine. However, they give priority to wet food and recommend cat owners who feed their cats with dry food to change it gradually with wet food. It is not necessary to change all cat meals with wet food, but two of them may keep a balance.