Is it ok to feed a non Feline CD cat Feline CD food?
Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at
11:53 pm
My one kitty eats Hill’s Feline CD for urinary crystals, and my other kitty absolutely love it I can’t keep her away from his bowl. Is it ok to let her have it as her primary diet?
Filed under: Pet Insurance
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It shouldn’t affect your other cat. Hill’s Feline CD is veterinary recommended food so call your Vet to be extra sure.
I have two cats and one, Harrigan, needs to be on CD because he has obstructed twice. I was concerned about the same thing because I knew it would be impossible to keep my other cat from eating Harrigan’s food. My vet told me it was OK to have them both eat the same food, but to watch their weigh because CD tends to pack the pounds on the most active kitty.
I am not a vet, so I am just passing along what I have been told.
Good luck!
yes, it’s fine. for whatever reason, at the clinic i work at we have this happen a lot. neither cat should have problems blatter or kidney stones
my cat was JUST diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and crystals and I JUST started him on the perscription food for that. the vet said it won’t harm my other cat if he eats it, though I do my best to keep both eating their own food.
if I were you just do your best to keep both eating their own food
No. Not only is C/D really crappy food with crappy ingredients, it does cause a change in the urine which would be undesirable in a cat who doesn’t have a problem.
What you’d probably end up doing is creating the opposite type of problem in the non-affected cat.
If I were you, I’d get your cat off the C/D as soon as possible and find a better solution.
"S/D and C/D are acidifying diets – meant for short-term use to bring down the urinary pH. There are risks associated with long-term use of these diets….."
"Chronic use of acidifying diets leads to metabolic acidosis, which can lead
to decreased bone formation and detrimental effects on calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, and magnesium balance. Potassium depletion, hypokalemia, and chronic
renal failure can result from feeding acidifying diets which have a marginal
potassium content. The use of acidifying diets is also contraindicated in cats
with chronic renal failure as these animals are often already acidotic. The
use of diets high in NaCl should also be avoided in animals with congestive
cardiac failure. Finally, as indicated above, the use of diets designed to
dissolve struvite may lead to a higher risk of calcium oxalate urolithiasis."
I agree with Rune, CD really is not a great food and NO cat should be on CD dry.
Diets high in moisture and protein tend to be best for cats with urinary issues. For more info, see Dr Lisa Pierson’s site http://www.catinfo.org
I am really surprised at these answers. Methionine is added to the c/d food to acidify the urine and prevent the formation of urinary crystals which form when the urine is too alkaline.
It really seems to me to be contraindicated for a cat with a normal pH. If the cat’s urine gets on the overly acidic side there is a danger of developing stones in the bladder and those have to be removed surgically.
Urine pH can be difficult to control – 6.5 (slightly acidic) is the normal, healthy reading for a cat. It’s a question of the proper balance.
The over-abundance of carbohydrate in ANY dry food causes the urine to become alkaline. I think most vets nowadays should be aware of this.
You might want to go to: http://www.littlebigcat.com and check on Dr. Jean Hovfe’s article titled "Urinary Tract Disorders in Cats" and "What Cats Should Eat" and "Why Cats Need Canned Food".
I do not think it is forbidden except if Hill’s Feline is for therapeutic reasons but I don’t think so
It shouldn’t hurt her, and maybe will keep her from developing any crystals in her bladder!
If you’re really concerned, CALL and ASK your VET !!!
Good luck…….
Yes, it is fine. Just monitor both for weight gain, as CD is really high in calories.