Urinary tract health is a big issue for cat’s because they are so easily dehydrated. There are some cat food formulas however that can boost urinary health and promote a quick recovery. If you want to help relieve your cat of their discomfort and prevent any crystals from forming in their urinary tract, you’ll need to know which are the best cat food for urinary health.
Value Section
Knowing what makes a good cat food for urinary health starts with understanding what cats rely on in their natural diet. Unfortunately, pet foods don’t regularly reflect a cat’s natural diet which is one of the major causes of poor urinary health in cats.
What to Look for in Wet Food
Wet food is the best ways to promote good urinary tract health in cat’s because it has much more moisture than any dry food. Most cats get their water from their diet, but when you feed your cat a dry food, they usually are hesitant to start drinking more water.
In the wild, a cat’s diet is about 70% water as it’s animal meat. When you’re looking for the right wet food option to resolve urinary health issues, you’ll want a very high moisture content and balanced PH levels. Proper pH levels will allow the cat’s urine to control and respond to any bacteria that is in the urinary tract.
Be careful when choosing the right wet food for your cat as some wet food options are nutrient deficient when it comes to protein and fiber. You’ll want to stay away from options that use by-product or grains. Grains can help some gut bacteria, but they cause so many potential problems with urinary health that it’s almost worth it to avoid them altogether.
What to Look for in Dry Food
Some premium dry food is great for helping with urinary health but, some dry foods can cause more problems than they can resolve. But how can you tell when a premium dry food is a premium, and which is just overpriced?
Dry food can rob a cat of moisture making them dehydrated and leading to urinary tract infections and crystalline buildup. But there are lots of dry cat food options for promoting good urinary tract health among cats. The only downside to dry food is that you can’t use it on its own. Dry food must be used with a jelly, broth or even just water.
But when you’re looking at the dry food you can to ensure that include a high fiber content and unprocessed proteins. When you start using a meal or by-product ingredients, you risk that over processed foods will lead to poor urinary health.
Choosing a dry food is as simple as keeping to limited ingredient formulas and adding moisture when you feed your pet.
Natural Remedies
Although everyone wants natural ingredients in their cat food, there are a few specific ingredients you should keep an eye out for when choosing a pet food for urinary health. Natural ingredients including:
- Berberis Vulgaris (sometimes called common barberry)
- Cantharis
- Staphysagris
These three ingredients are known for their homeopathic use in resolving urinary tract infections and helping pass urinary crystals. Berberis Vulgaris come from a shrub that creates berries. If you can’t find berberis vulgar in a formula you can shoot for actual berries that are more common such as cranberries and blueberries. These 2 superfoods are known to promote urinary health.
Cantharis comes from beetles, and many countries use it to treat urinary health issues in both people and animals. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see cantharis or beetle in the ingredient’s list though; this ingredient goes by many sneaky names.
Staphysagris is a natural medicine that relieves discomfort that comes with UTIs. Unlike other medicines, this one occurs in nature and helps maintain urinary tract health long after the infection has gone. There’s nothing better than relying on a natural remedy that works!
| Cat Food | Feature | Price | Our Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary | Adult, Dry Food | $$ |  |
Buy From Chewy |
| 2. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets | Adult, Dry Food | $$ | |
Buy From Chewy |
| 3. Hill’s Prescription Diet | Adult, Dry Food | $$ | |
Buy From Chewy |
| 4. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets | Adult, Wet Food | $$$ | |
Buy From Chewy |
| 5. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet | Adult, Wet Food | $$$ | |
Buy From Chewy |
Top 5 Cat Food for Urinary Health
1. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet WU Weight Management and Urinary Care Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
[img_products3 img_number=”147682″ alt=”blue-buffalo-natural-veterinary-diet” img_code=”V1525451353″ product_name=”https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-natural-veterinary-diet/dp/174516″ check=”Buy from Chewy”]- Noe meal or byproduct
- Use of chicory root, cranberries, and blueberries for urinary health
With a healthy blend of fiber, and fat Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet WU Weight Management and Urinary Care is a great option for any cat that regularly suffers through urinary health problems. In addition to the weight management aspect, the premium ingredient choices ensure that your cat’s health is an overall picture of perfection!
We liked that Blue Buffalo stuck with natural options for alleviating the pain that comes with urinary tract infections and balanced the fruits over a wide variety. If a formula has too few ingredients, then your cat won’t have the chance to get a well-balanced diet, but you don’t have to worry about that with Blue Buffalo.
The downside is that Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet WU Weight Management and Urinary Care Grain Free dry food requires a vet’s prescriptions. To get this food your cat needs to have the diagnosis that they have a urinary health problem, and then you must request this food at the appointment. Often doctors will try to prescribe the pet food that they personally support, just be clear that Blue Buffalo is what you want.
If you can get the prescription, you should be using Blue Buffalo. This formula isn’t simple, and although simple or limited ingredient recipes are reigning supreme right now, there’s a reason for everything that is present here. The controlled mineral levels are staggered for urinary health.
The controlled minerals and nutrients are why you must have a prescription. A cat recovering from urinary issues can handle the nutrient deficiencies for a short period of time, but a healthy adult cat needs everything they can get from their food.
2. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR St/Ox Urinary Formula Dry Cat Food
[img_products3 img_number=”64875″ alt=”purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-ur” img_code=”V1534451529″ product_name=”https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-ur/dp/49835″ check=”Buy from Chewy”]- Made for feline lower urinary tract disease
- Prevents crystal development
- Helps internal balance pH
Purina Pro Plan is among the best when it comes to treating specific issues. Veterinarian’s love prescribing this food option because it’s more affordable than some options, but still contains everything that your cat needs.
We loved that the moisture content of this food was fairly high considering its kibble. Most dry cat foods moisture levels are 8% or less, but that’s not the case here. Instead, the moisture level is at 12%! Although you will still benefit from adding a bit of broth or water into their food, you can see the differences between this option and the others.
This product also requires a veterinary prescription, but the downside here isn’t that you have to go through a doctor’s appointment to get your cat some much-needed relief. The problem we have with this option is that the first ingredient is corn gluten meal.
Overall, if your cat is used to kibble but needs a little more moisture, this is a top choice. The corn gluten meal as a first ingredient isn’t great, but the corn can help with reinforcing good gut health which could lead to reduced infections.
The oat fiber and fish oil will help throughout the digestive process as well. The crude fiber is at 4% which is higher than most other dry food options.
3. Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d MultiCare Urinary Care with Chicken
[img_products3 img_number=”69864″ alt=”hills-prescription-diet-cd-multicare” img_code=”V1516297248″ product_name=”https://www.chewy.com/hills-prescription-diet-cd-multicare/dp/54782″ check=”Buy from Chewy”]- Dissolves stones in 7 days
- Reduces the risk of new stones
- Promotes good pH levels
Hill’s does it again with this prescription, and it notes that the veterinarian might recommend this diet for lifelong feeding. Unlike other prescription option’s we’ve seen so far, we don’t have the same nutritional deficiency that would make this formula unfit for prolonged use.
The best thing about the Hill’s Prescription formula is that it dissolves the struvite stones. Although you can expect results n 7 days, it might take as long as 27 days for the larger stones to dissolve as well. The struvite stones are the worst bit of any urinary problem that a cat could face.
Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d MultiCare Urinary Care with Chicken is, without doubt, the most expensive dry food option for urinary tract health. That being said, the price is worth it. If you can’t afford this option, you should discuss what options are available in your budget with your vet.
There’s a lot to be said about price, a and the price of this dry cat food may make some pet owners wary. As any good fur parent would, you should discuss your options for helping your cat with your veterinarian. They may suggest starting with this Hill’s formula and changing later to a diet that fits into your budget a little easier.
Overall, if your cat already has stones and is in pain, this recipe will help dissolve them and ease the pain as much as possible.
4. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Savory Selects Urinary ST/OX Salmon Recipe
[img_products3 img_number=”89777″ alt=”purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-ur” img_code=”V1534451553″ product_name=”https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-ur/dp/117490″ check=”Buy from Chewy”]- Salmon based diet
- 80% moisture
Purina Pro Plan has another chance at hitting out top pick slot with this savory selects salmon recipe. Although these recipes come from the same product line addressing urinary health in cat’s diets, they couldn’t be more different. The recipe here uses only single-source proteins, no meal, and no by-products.
We like that Purina chose a fish protein for this recipe because the high volume of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids can help throughout the digestive system including urinary tract health. Additionally, the lack of processed proteins should make breaking down liquids even easier.
We don’t like that there is the use of both artificial flavors and colors. These artificial ingredients are known to wreak havoc in a cat’s system including messing with their urinary tract. Unfortunately, you must take with a grain of salt like everything else in the ingredients list is outstanding!
Overall if your vet thinks that this is the best option, you shouldn’t question them. The recipe is made for cats that have a lower urinary tract disease, a history of stones or cystitis. These conditions are worth changing your cat’s diet for good.
With Purina Pro wet food, you can change their diet to something that will help their urinary tract this intestinally for life. Don’t waste your time transitioning your cat to one diet only to have them on it for less than 2 months. Start with Purina Pro Plan savory selects recipe and stick with it for years!
5. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO in Gel
[img_products3 img_number=”49990″ alt=”royal-canin-veterinary-diet-urinary” img_code=”V1475099738″ product_name=”https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-urinary/dp/35160″ check=”Buy from Chewy”]- Mineral control to reduce the stone buildup
- Balanced canned cat food
Royal Canin deserves a reward for some of their recipes, this one included. This diet can help the entire urinary tract to stave off crystals and promote a healthy urinary environment. They not only focus on using ingredients that help relieve urinary pain now but also provide long-term help.
We love that the recipe focuses on increasing urine volume with 82% moisture, preventing crystals from forming in the future and reducing the size of the crystal snow. Although the recipe won’t completely clear out crystals, there’s not much more than they could do with the ingredients used here.
The ingredients in this recipe are far from natural, but Royal Canin does provide nutritional boosts through supplements to ensure that this formula can serve as a well-balanced diet. The downside is that to accomplish this, they use by-product and meal ingredients, which are heavily processed and can be taxing on the urinary system.
The recipe will help increase urine and lower the concentration of struvite and calcium which lead to stones. Stones aren’t the only problem that this recipe addresses either. The formula is made to treat a wide range of illnesses and disorders that come from the lower urinary tract disease group. Cats are especially at risk with urinary health, and this recipe can help them battle and move on from bacterial infections.
The Clear Winner…
When you take your cat in for their appointment, tell your veterinarian that you want Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet WU Weight Management and Urinary Care Grain-Free Dry Cat Food. This food option uses natural ingredients to help reduce the size of stones and help your cat from developing stones or infections in the future.
Blue Buffalo relies on natural ingredients, and a balance between minerals, fiber, and protein. You can always mix the kibble in with some chicken broth or water to ensure that your cat is getting all the moisture they need to make this the best cat food for urinary health option!