Sandra contacted our Ask a Vet section with an important question about her 12-year-old cat, who has a history of struvite crystals and worsening osteoarthritis. She wanted to know whether a homemade diet could support his urinary health without making his joint problems worse. Here is Sandra’s question and Dr. Mark’s response.
Sandra’s Question: Suggesting a diet for cats with a tendency to form struvites
“Because of struvite crystals, my male cat has been eating Hill’s C/D dry kibble and stew since he was six years old. He is now 12.
His osteoarthritis is getting worse, and I give him gabapentin for pain once or twice a day. I understand that aging probably plays a role, but I wonder whether the fillers in the C/D diet could be aggravating his condition.
That is why I am now considering a more natural diet.
Could the Diet Help Both Conditions?
I admit that I feel nervous about making a gradual switch. The veterinarians I have consulted have led me to believe that only commercial veterinary diets, such as Hill’s C/D, can prevent struvites.
They have not encouraged trying alternatives that might be healthier.
Can you confirm whether the recipe you suggested can both prevent the formation of struvite crystals and reduce osteoarthritis?”
Dr. Mark’s Answer:
I cannot tell you that this diet will reduce your cat’s arthritis. However, the carbohydrate fillers in his current food, including wheat, corn gluten, and brewers rice, can contribute to obesity.
Fat cells in overweight cats release inflammatory products called adipokines. These can make arthritis worse, so fillers that contribute to weight gain may indirectly cause a cat to experience more pain.
The homemade diet uses high-quality protein without fillers. It should help your cat feel satisfied without continuing to gain weight, which may slow the progression of his arthritis.
You will also need to provide environmental enrichment that encourages him to remain active and helps prevent muscle loss as he gets older.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Joint Health
Omega-3 fatty acids are another important part of the diet for senior cats with arthritis. They are proven to reduce inflammation in the joints and may help your cat feel better.
However, omega-3 fatty acids are already included in the food you have been giving him.
How the Diet Helps Prevent Struvite Crystals
The diet discussed in my original article was designed to reduce or prevent the formation of struvite crystals by helping the cat produce urine with a healthy pH.
One claim made about commercial diets is that carbohydrate fillers help lower magnesium. Research has shown, however, that lowering urine pH is more important than reducing the magnesium level in the food. (1)
Why Veterinarians Recommend Prescription Diets
There are several reasons you may have been told that your cat must remain on a commercial prescription diet.
One reason is that many veterinarians are concerned that an owner will not continue preparing a homemade diet that maintains a lower urine pH.
Some people eventually return to feeding dry food, which can lead to a higher urine pH.
If you feel that you cannot continue making the homemade diet, canned C/D is an alternative. After reviewing the ingredients, however, I hope you will keep your cat on the moist food you can prepare at home.
The dry diet he has been eating should be stopped right away.
Cost and the Profit Motive
Another possible reason is profit. I do not believe this is the case most of the time, but the issue does exist.
A veterinary clinic makes only a small amount from one bag of food. Over six years of repeated purchases, however, that amount adds up.
The homemade recipe is not cheap either. Your first batch will cost more because you will need to purchase vitamins, fish oil, and other supplements.
However, you will not be paying for the commercial brand’s shipping, advertising, and corporate costs.
Homemade Cat Food Recipe for Struvite Support
The recipe that follows can be fed to both younger and older cats.
Even though it is a moist diet, an older cat still needs to consume plenty of water. Most cats do not drink enough, so wet food helps. A water fountain may also encourage your cat to drink more.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds or 24 ounces of bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. You can substitute beef or another meat if your cat cannot eat chicken. If the replacement meat does not contain bone, add about 0.3 pounds or 5 ounces of eggshell or bone meal to the batch.
- 0.5 pounds or 8 ounces of organ meat. Use organs such as heart and liver. For the best results, approximately half of the organ portion should be heart.
- Two eggs. This will equal approximately 4 ounces.
- One 4-ounce can of sardines or tuna. You can use 4 ounces of fresh fish instead. I usually use sardines because they are inexpensive and widely available.
- Seven teaspoons of fish oil. This is a little over 1 ounce. Salmon oil can be used, although less expensive options such as pollock oil are also available.
- One teaspoon of non-iodized salt
- One-half teaspoon of vitamin C. Vitamin C will further acidify the urine and make struvite crystals less likely to form. Introduce it slowly to make sure it does not upset your cat’s bowels. If his stools become loose, start with half the amount and increase it in later batches.
- One-half dropper of liquid vitamin B complex
- 1,000 mg of taurine powder. Taurine is needed only if the recipe contains little or no heart. If you include the suggested amount of heart meat, you can skip the additional taurine.
- Three teaspoons of psyllium powder or three tablespoons of pumpkin purée. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which contains spices. Fibre is especially important for cats that have eaten high-carbohydrate foods throughout their lives.
- Water: Add enough water to run the ingredients through the grinder. Some cats will not eat food that is too moist, but use more water whenever your cat will accept it.
Recommended Products:
Dr. Mark recommends including half a dropper of this liquid vitamin B complex in this homemade cat food recipe. This chicken-flavoured formula provides a full range of B vitamins plus taurine and can be mixed directly into your cat’s food.
Dr. Mark includes this buffered vitamin C powder in the recipe to help further acidify the urine and make struvite crystals less likely to form. This unflavoured powder can be mixed into the food, but he recommends introducing it gradually and reducing the amount if it causes loose stools.
This homemade cat food for struvite crystals combines moisture-rich animal protein, organ meat, fish, calcium, fibre and carefully chosen supplements to support a healthy urine pH. It is designed as a fresh-food alternative for cats that need ongoing urinary support.
How to Prepare and Feed the Recipe
Run all the ingredients through a grinder and mix them thoroughly.
If there are still any pieces of bone in the mixture, grind it again.
A 10-pound cat will need approximately 0.6 cups of food each day. Since you did not mention your cat’s weight, you can give him slightly more if he is larger and monitor his condition over the following months.
A Boneless Option for an Older Cat
Since your cat is already 12, you may prefer to use boneless chicken and eggshell as the calcium source instead of grinding bone.
The food will not need to be ground as finely, although prepared eggshell may cost more and require additional work.
Do not prepare this diet without a calcium source.
Does an Older Cat Need a Struvite Diet Forever?
According to research from the University of Minnesota, struvite stones are less common in older cats. A prescription struvite diet may therefore become less necessary as a cat ages.
Since your cat is now 12, weight control and arthritis treatment should also be important priorities.
Continue Monitoring His Urine
Even though struvites may be less of an age concern, it is still a good idea to have your cat’s urine checked periodically.
I am not sure how often your regular veterinarian has recommended testing it, but you can continue following that schedule after changing the diet.
You may be able to collect a free-catch urine sample at home rather than subjecting your cat to the stress of having the sample collected at the clinic.
IMPORTANT! Regular urine checks are still important when feeding homemade cat food for struvite crystals, especially after changing your cat’s diet.
Questions About Changing Your Cat’s Diet?
If you have any further questions while switching your cat to the homemade diet, please contact us through YourPetsAtHome.com, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Reference
Tarttelin MF. Feline struvite urolithiasis: factors affecting urine pH may be more important than magnesium levels in food. Veterinary Record. 1987;121(10):227–230. doi:10.1136/vr.121.10.227. PMID: 3672831.
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