Me oowwouch in the litter pan. When do you need to throw out “spoiled” diets.

By: Dr. Gary Pusillo

My daily routine includes my favorite cheeses and appropriate wine after I arrive home from the office. Cheese does not last forever so I have a rule of thumb when I see mold. If I see mold on hard cheeses (cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss, aged gouda, Romano,) I remove the moldy portion and about1/4 inches near it and I eat it. I am more careful when eating soft cheeses because the molds have a habit of going throughout the cheese without any noticeable fuzzy odd-colored spots.

Seeing trouble in cat food is not as easy as seeing visible mold. Huge problems in cat foods are the insane levels of substances (ingredients) that cause “stones” in the urinary tract. When you finally notice your cat’s pain associated with using the litter box; you probably need to get rid of the cats food and get to the vets office; there is nothing you can do to salvage the food as you could with moldy hard cheese.

The internet is full of websites repeating the same information and not really addressing the need to throw out the offending foods and stop trying to make them edible.

The majority of websites list the most common occurrence of stones that can be found in the following cats:

“middle-aged, over-weight cats that get little exercise, use an indoor litter box, have restricted access outside, and eat a dry diet.”

People purchase what they think is good cat food. Often times it was this “good food” that made their cat obese, develop “stones” and  behavior in an abnormal manner. The ingredients found in many of the “good foods” are now known to be the main factors associated with “stones.”

While some types of “stones” in cats have been decreasing in frequency, others such as calcium oxalate “stones” are increasing.

If it is not real, it is not a cat meal!  Avoid foods and ingredients that promote stone formation.

Common ones:

Beet pulp, soybean fiber, wheat germ,

 Fruits:

Almost all berries (especially strawberries), currants, concord grasp, figs, plums, rhubarb, tangerines, star fruit (Averrhoa carambola)

Vegetables:

Beets, celery, Swiss chard, chives, collards, eggplants, endive, kale, leeks, mustard greens, okra, green peppers, rutabagas, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, wax beans,

Nuts:

Almonds, cashews, peanuts, peanut butter

The following are signs you cat is suffering from “stones”

1. If strain lead to pain, then the bladder most likely will not drain.
2. Frequent trips only result in a drip. Litter box use is increased and accidents at other locations increase.
3. Your cat’s meow become owwwwwouch . The cat will cry out in pain during visits to the litter box.
4. Grooming of the genital area becomes your cat’s frequent priority.
5. Dramatic changes in water consumption; up or down.
6. If urine is red don’t turn your head. Blood in urine is very serious and should not be ignored.