How to Treat a Cat With Crystals
Crystals in a cat's urine occur in about 1 percent of all cats. This disease, also called feline lower urinary tract disease or FLUTD, can cause serious problems if the cat's bladder and urinary tract become inflamed from the crystals, and he becomes unable to urinate.
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Instructions
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Bring the cat to the vet to determine the type of crystals the cat has. The two common kinds, struvite and calcium oxalate, require different treatments. Struvite crystals come from alkaline urine, and calcium oxalate crystals come from acidic urine. There is no way to diagnose which variant a cat has at home, so a vet visit is necessary.
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If the cat has struvite crystals, put him on a special diet designed to create a more acidic urine. Prescription diets are available from vet offices that are designed to make the urine acidic and to dissolve the crystals, including Hill's s/d, Royal Canin Dissolution and Royal Canin Urinary SO.
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If the cat has calcium oxalate crystals, they may have to be surgically removed if they block the urethra. No diets are available to dissolve these types of crystals. They may exit the body on their own through the urine if they are still small and if the cat is drinking enough water.
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Switch the cat to a maintenance diet once his crystals have dissolved or been removed. This type of diet will prevent the crystals from reforming. Hill's, Royal Canin and Purina all make a variety of FLUTD maintenance diets for prevention of both types of crystals.
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Encourage the cat to drink more water and use the litter box more often, since frequent urination and good hydration can help prevent both types of crystals from reforming. A pet water fountain may help, since cats will often drink from these more frequently than from a normal water dish. Another option is to mix canned food with water to encourage the cat to ingest water with his food.
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Tips & Warnings
Free-feeding a cat or feeding many small meals throughout the day instead of one large meal may also help control crystal formation, since a large meal may contribute to changes in urinary pH.
If the cat has developed blockage in the urinary tract from crystals and cannot urinate, take him to a vet immediately. Blockages from crystals can cause death within 24 hours if left untreated.
