# Prescription C/D for Cats



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'd be interested to know what you guy's think of this food. My kitten has idiopathic bladder or kidney problems. The vet recommended my cat eat this, for the rest of her life:

Prescription Diet C/D
Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Rosemary Extract, Beta-Carotene.

I presume a dog with the same problems would be prescribed a diet with similar ingredients to this. 
Is this a good food, one that you would happily feed to your dog or cat for the rest of their lives? 

(I'm sincerely not trying to hijack your thread BB, it's just that I've been in the exact predicament very recently) .


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

MollyWoppy said:


> I'd be interested to know what you guy's think of this food. My kitten has idiopathic bladder or kidney problems. The vet recommended my cat eat this, for the rest of her life:
> 
> Prescription Diet C/D
> Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Rosemary Extract, Beta-Carotene.
> ...


Realize that some of the diets Hills or Iams makes for vet purposes are not the best "lifetime" diets. However, their actions are. Since there are limited prescription diets out there it can be hard to avoid the things you may not like or approve of. Here are the specific actions and goals of the Hills c/d for cats:

Prescription Diet® c/d® Multicare Feline is formulated with the following benefits:

Controlled levels of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and oxalate to help *limit the building blocks of crystals and bladder stones*
Rich in fish oil - an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids - to help *promote healthy skin and a shiny coat*
Added potassium citrate to help *interrupt bladder stone formation*
Increased levels of vitamin B6 to help *decrease oxalate formation *
Low sodium to maintain normal blood pressure
High in antioxidants (Vitamin E and Beta-Carotene) to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system
If you can find another diet that does these things or a homecooked diet that can copy this that would be good of course. Many people do not realize that Wysong foods can be very helpful in feeding a pet with a health problem, they also have script diets for a few things. Go to Healthy Dog & Cat Food, Horse Feed, Gourmet Pet Food & Supplements to check them out and go to the RX section to see their rx formulas. They also have a program you can fill in that will suggest foods based on ailment. You can also see a number of other companies RX formulas at Home Royal Canin has some, Iams, Eukanuba and Purina. You can compare them and find one you may agree with and then discuss it with your vet. Or you could do a homemade diet. What kind of crystals is your cat producing?


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> I'd be interested to know what you guy's think of this food. My kitten has idiopathic bladder or kidney problems. The vet recommended my cat eat this, for the rest of her life:
> 
> Prescription Diet C/D
> Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Rosemary Extract, Beta-Carotene.
> ...


"Happily feed to your dog or cat for the rest of their lives" Happily is taking it a bit far but in some cases there is a point where you got to gobble down some camels and do what works. Not what one would like to work based on beliefs. I don't discourage looking for (perhaps better) alternatives with similar profile just don't put to much pride in it you know :smile: Maybe a good compromise would be to feed one of these formulas and carefully research, together with your vet, a supplement that would make sense and not interfere with any therapeutic effects? Just a thought.

RC Medi-Cal have their alternative to this Hills diet. Also comes in a feline variant.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Is your kitty the one who refuses to eat a home cooked diet?


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Uh huh, fraid so.  Refuses cooked, raw, semi-raw, canned, won't touch anything but kibble, the junkier the better.
I've got her on NV Boost (kibble), I think it's called, it has dehydrated bits of raw in it that she eats around. I'm trying to acidify her urine a touch. Guess we'll see how well we are doing when I get another urinalysis done next week.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Acana and holistic select (duck formula) produce an acidic urine. I feed Acana grasslands to both of my cats and they have been doing fantastic on it. For canned food I use natures variety, natural balance, holistic select, some go!natural, and once in a while wellness core. 

It really is important to try to get your cat to eat some canned food, because kibble is going to do nothing for the kidney and bladder.

IMHO stay away from the prescription diet, I had my cats on the royal canin urinary s/o,and they would he fine for a while and then they would get another round of crystals. 

As I mentioned in another thread, I was taking my cats to the vets several times a year with the prescription diet, now with what I have been feeding them now they have been fine for 3 years. 

I know it's scary, especially with vets usually saying their prescription diet is the only way to go, but I have found with high quality canned food and the Acana kibble (I only give half a small palm full to both cats morning and night, i find it "triggers" their hunger for the canned food, which I feed throughout the day.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I know that she is a pain, and that she will NOT eat anything that is great for her. But nearly ANYTHING is better for her then that rubbish that they call RX food.

Stick with what you are doing friend, trying to get as much fluid into her as possible. The vet wanted to put my sister's dog(16 year old with MAJOR picky issues) on rx food for kidney issues..there was NO WAY we were going to feed her that rubbish. We finally found a mix of raw(pre-mades) that she will eat if offered correctly and she hasnt had any issues since.

I, as always, wish you luck....and hope that you figure out what will FINALLY work for her!! :hug:


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> I know that she is a pain, and that she will NOT eat anything that is great for her. But nearly ANYTHING is better for her then that rubbish that they call RX food.


Unless said RX food keeps your cats healthy :sigh: I'm going through this right now.. both of my cats (both males) got crystals over a year ago. For one cat (Brody), it was his first time, for the other (Sneak), second. So I opted to switch them both (they eat together so it was easier) to Science Diet C/D. Kept them on it (dry in the AM, wet in the PM) for almost a year. A few months ago I went ahead and took them off the C/D wet and put them on Before Grain.. they did great with the C/D dry + BG wet. 

Soo about a month ago I ran out of the C/D and got a bag of the BG dry. I float the kibble and they eat it just fine. Brody is doing fine, Sneak is not. He's not terrible, but I can tell he's not quite right either. So now I'm kicking myself for taking him off the C/D. 

FWIW, we tried Sneak on the Wysong Uretic after his first crystal episode.. worked for awhile but he still got them again. I don't know what to do with him.. very frustrating.


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## LilasMom (Mar 10, 2012)

kady05 said:


> Unless said RX food keeps your cats healthy :sigh: I'm going through this right now.. both of my cats (both males) got crystals over a year ago. For one cat (Brody), it was his first time, for the other (Sneak), second. So I opted to switch them both (they eat together so it was easier) to Science Diet C/D. Kept them on it (dry in the AM, wet in the PM) for almost a year. A few months ago I went ahead and took them off the C/D wet and put them on Before Grain.. they did great with the C/D dry + BG wet.
> 
> Soo about a month ago I ran out of the C/D and got a bag of the BG dry. I float the kibble and they eat it just fine. Brody is doing fine, Sneak is not. He's not terrible, but I can tell he's not quite right either. So now I'm kicking myself for taking him off the C/D.
> 
> FWIW, we tried Sneak on the Wysong Uretic after his first crystal episode.. worked for awhile but he still got them again. I don't know what to do with him.. very frustrating.


Have you tried a high quality canned? Kibble is not good for cats, high quality or not.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

LilasMom said:


> Have you tried a high quality canned? Kibble is not good for cats, high quality or not.


They eat the Before Grain canned. I don't think I could afford to feed them 100% canned though.


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## LilasMom (Mar 10, 2012)

If possible, you could add in a medium to lower quality canned food to offset the costs. Pretty much any canned food will be better than kibble, especially if trying to avoid crystals. Kibble just takes a lot of moisture away from their bodies and they can't drink enough on their own to make up for it. Eating their moisture is the best way for them to get it.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

LilasMom said:


> If possible, you could add in a medium to lower quality canned food to offset the costs. Pretty much any canned food will be better than kibble, especially if trying to avoid crystals. Kibble just takes a lot of moisture away from their bodies and they can't drink enough on their own to make up for it. Eating their moisture is the best way for them to get it.


I tried the cheaper canned route before, when they were eating the Wysong (so still not 100% canned). That's when they both ended up with crystals. It's funny.. as soon as I introduced wet (they were eating 100% dry before) into their diets, they both got crystals within a month of each other! 

I do float their kibble in water, which at least gets more moisture into them. They were doing great on the BG canned + Science Diet C/D combo.. but I just had to go change it..

I bought this stuff yesterday: Amazon.com: Veterinarian's Best Feline Urinary Support Tablets, 60 Count: Pet Supplies and have given it to Sneak twice and he already seems improved. I think once this kibble is gone I might try pre-made raw again. They seemed to like the Primal I got them awhile back.. NV Instinct made for exorcist-like vomit.. so no go there!


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## LilasMom (Mar 10, 2012)

Hmm well that is sure frustrating. Cats are so picky too, so not only do you have to find a food that they will actually eat, you have to find one that agrees with their tummies too! I hope you find a food that works for them


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

kady05 said:


> I tried the cheaper canned route before, when they were eating the Wysong (so still not 100% canned). That's when they both ended up with crystals. It's funny.. as soon as I introduced wet (they were eating 100% dry before) into their diets, they both got crystals within a month of each other!
> 
> I do float their kibble in water, which at least gets more moisture into them. They were doing great on the BG canned + Science Diet C/D combo.. but I just had to go change it..
> 
> I bought this stuff yesterday: Amazon.com: Veterinarian's Best Feline Urinary Support Tablets, 60 Count: Pet Supplies and have given it to Sneak twice and he already seems improved. I think once this kibble is gone I might try pre-made raw again. They seemed to like the Primal I got them awhile back.. NV Instinct made for exorcist-like vomit.. so no go there!


Vets best urinary support tabs have slippery elm in it. I don't think it is good as a long term product since it lines the digestive tract and makes it harder to absorb nutrients. I tried it on my cats years ago and it ended up making my male cat sick.

If you are worried about crystals formation, get a cranberry supplement. I used Organika cranberry capsules, I prefer capsules over pills because I can sprinkle it on the food myself and not have to worry about the extra ingredients that bind a pill together. 

I was feeding BG chicken kibble before, Until i found a chunk of grey plastic in it. Like others have said, they are good on paper but their quality control is not very good. 

What I do to save on money is feed a bit of kibble morning and night and feed canned throughout the day instead of feeding all canned food.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Kat said:


> Vets best urinary support tabs have slippery elm in it. I don't think it is good as a long term product since it lines the digestive tract and makes it harder to absorb nutrients. I tried it on my cats years ago and it ended up making my male cat sick.
> 
> If you are worried about crystals formation, get a cranberry supplement. I used Organika cranberry capsules, I prefer capsules over pills because I can sprinkle it on the food myself and not have to worry about the extra ingredients that bind a pill together.
> 
> ...


Oh I don't plan on feeding it long term.. was just trying to to find something that would help him out for the time being. He's acting normal, eating, drinking, meowing (he's a major talker), etc., just going in the litter box a bit more than normal. However, I just checked and the clumps are bigger today so that's a good thing! So I'm thinking I'll keep him on this daily for a week or two and then see how it goes. 

I do have a cranberry supplement for them, which I started a couple weeks ago, didn't seem to help. This is what I have: http://www.amazon.com/NaturVet-Cranberry-Relief-50-Gram/dp/B0002YFC3Y/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1
I could try a different kind though, maybe that stuff isn't as high quality as some of the others.

I haven't had any issues with the BG.. they love it! But they aren't picky anymore either (used to be!), so I could try different brands.


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

I haven't had a cat with urinary tract issues, but I don't think I would feel comfortable feeding this food, or any dry food to a cat for that matter. I'd much rather feed a lower quality canned food than any dry food. Dr. Lisa Pierson has a great website on cat issues, including urinary tract disease, that I think might be helpful for you: Feline Urinary Tract Health: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: cat urinary tract health

I will mention tough, my co worker has a cat on a prescription urinary tract diet. That cat got blocked twice after being switched to that food. So I'm not entirely sure how much those foods actually help...


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## LilasMom (Mar 10, 2012)

It seems like most of these prescription diets just reduce the symptoms rather than address the actual issue at hand.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

I will say that my cats have been great when on the prescription diets. I have another cat, he'll be 9 this year. He has been on Royal Canin SO for.. I think 6yrs. now. I tried to switch him off of it twice.. first time, more crystals. Second time, he almost blocked and could've died. So he's been on the SO every since, does great on it (from what I can tell anyway!).

My husband tells me I'm a glutton for punishment.. he rolls his eyes when I get on a "let's switch the cats off the crappy RX diets" kick. And he's always right too, because eventually they have issues again. So annoying!


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

kady05 said:


> I will say that my cats have been great when on the prescription diets. I have another cat, he'll be 9 this year. He has been on Royal Canin SO for.. I think 6yrs. now. I tried to switch him off of it twice.. first time, more crystals. Second time, he almost blocked and could've died. So he's been on the SO every since, does great on it (from what I can tell anyway!).
> 
> My husband tells me I'm a glutton for punishment.. he rolls his eyes when I get on a "let's switch the cats off the crappy RX diets" kick. And he's always right too, because eventually they have issues again. So annoying!


For the 9 year old who is on urinary s/o... Switch to the royal canin preventive if you can. The S/O is really high in sodium, and for a 9 year old that's even more taxing on the kidneys. The preventive is designed to prevent crystal formation, and is pretty much the same as the s/o without the sodium. My cats also really loved the canned version of the preventive. 

Ingredients in the States are different than Canada though.. So I don't know if the canned would be the same flavor. The royal canin weight control cans are also highly palatable and are safe for urinary issues. Give some variation with the canned.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Ugh, I was afraid I was remembering that she was the picky kitty! Little stinker. 

I can't remember if I've mentioned these supplements to you before, but depending on which issue she has (urine too acidic or not acidic enough), Wysong makes pH+ and pH- powders. You add them into the food they're eating. I have two friends, both of whom have cats with struvite crystal issues, that have used the pH- for years. Not a single problem with either kitty after they went on it!


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

LilasMom said:


> It seems like most of these prescription diets just reduce the symptoms rather than address the actual issue at hand.


Ding ding ding! 

In all honestly, I'd never even consider feeding any prescription diet to a cat. It wouldn't even cross my mind. Cats, unlike dogs, are obligate carnivores, so those diets are even worse for them then for dogs.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Kat said:


> For the 9 year old who is on urinary s/o... Switch to the royal canin preventive if you can. The S/O is really high in sodium, and for a 9 year old that's even more taxing on the kidneys. The preventive is designed to prevent crystal formation, and is pretty much the same as the s/o without the sodium. My cats also really loved the canned version of the preventive.
> 
> Ingredients in the States are different than Canada though.. So I don't know if the canned would be the same flavor. The royal canin weight control cans are also highly palatable and are safe for urinary issues. Give some variation with the canned.


I'll have to look into that. He lives with my parents so everything has to be as simple as possible  We do blood work every 2yrs. on him just to make sure everything is okay and so far, so good! Trust me, I'd rather see him on a higher quality diet, but like I said, anytime I tried something else, crystals came right back. Not worth risking his life.


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