My cat suffers from cystitis of which he was diagnosed with a year ago. Since then he has been eating s/d hills. Eight weeks ago he was constipated and had to have an operation to remove the bowel content. On the x-ray it showed that he has a problem with his spine and has been diagnosed as spondylosis. He was given liquid paraffin and now he's on lactulose once a day. Although his stomach is better the vets want him to start eating c/d rather than the s/d, but, when I changed his food he then got colitis. I am so confused and have returned him to eating the s/d and only giving him the lactulose once a day. He does seem happier but, I am very worried as to the long term effects this is having on him. The vet said he shouldn't have s/d for too long - can sometime tell me why and what should I do?

Bertie

Dear Bertie
Your vet is quite right it is not safe to keep a cat on s/d diet for a long time. This is because the diet is deliberately made short in calcium and phosphates (essential minerals) so that any further silt in his urine will be safely dissolved. If he got colitis just after the diet was changed to c/d maybe if he was kept in for a little longer he would get used to it and the bowel upset would stop. Otherwise both whiskas and eukanuba do a similar diet to c/d which he may be okay with or alternatively you could keep him on a fresh chicken and fish based diet which would probably also be safe. These options should be discussed further with your vet.

Andrew Geldard