We have a 14 year old cat who had a UTI and stones twice when he was about ages 2 and 4, if I remember correctly. We've been feeding him the Purina One food for a healthy urinary tract since then. The last time I went to buy food, the store was out of that kind. I bought some Cat Chow for Indoor cats. Both of the cats seem to really love this food. The best part is that they have not vomited their food since they started eating this. With the other food, they were vomiting nearly every day. I was told that's normal so I didn't worry about it. I'm wondering if I should just keep buying this food even though it's not a specific kind for a healthy urinary tract?
Talk to your vet. He or she might know of a better food that won't cause vomiting and one that's good for your cat's urinary problem. My kitten got terrible crystals and UTI when he was only 7 months old. It was bad. We had to source an antibiotic from the human pharmacy his infection was so bad. Now he's on one of the Science Diet foods for life. If I change him off, his stones could come back pretty quickly.
Again, your vet should be able to give you options for foods. And besides, with a 14 year old cat, you really don't want to take chance and get them sick. They are more prone to UTIs and they are more delicate.
Your cat may not always need UTI food. You just need a food the cat can digest that doesn't hurt them. Many vets will give you a specialist food because this is what works best in most cases, but not always, switching to limited ingredient foods, or senior foods can have the right combination of ingredients to keep the vomiting in check, as well as the UTI.
A Switch in cat food can take from 2 weeks - 1 month to show itself so just because the cats are fine now, it does not mean than down the road the UTI will not return. Keep an eye on your cat's health.
Does the cat behave normally, or does it hide away from you? A cat that hides is a sick cat!
Check the litter tray, make sure the cat is peeing and pooing frequently and normally! You know what a UTI looks like!
Check the coat of the cat and behavior. A glossier coat and more energy will show that the food is giving the cat more nutritional value than before.
What I would do, is watch the behavior of the cat, I have had a sick cat with IDB can a food change can cause him to start pooping blood, so I am always very cautious whenever I have to switch. Whenever I am in doubt just call the vet and ask, you won't need an appointment, just a call, and they can put your mind at ease!
Oh I agree, the vomiting is not at all good. If they are tolerating the new food that's a definite improvement. But I also agree that the effects of a diet change take some time to completely register so, yes, do call the vet on this, because there are likely options the vet would know of that can help with this. There are surely other diets you can feed them that will both take care of the urinary issue and also keep their digestions functioning well.
Also, my understanding is that dry food is not great for cats with urinary challenges. There is a problem of mineral buildup. Not sure if you are feeding them kibble or canned food but thought I would mention this.
I agree with Kyla too, a wet food would be much better for the cat, as cats tend not to drink enough and UTIs can be painful enough without adding dehydration into the mix. (I know from personal experience having kidney issues as a child) If you must feed them a dry food, at least supplement it with a wet food so they cat can get a bit of both, mixing water in with the food will also help.
