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What affordable OTC food can all my cats eat for bladder crystals?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 3 months old | 12 lbs

My cat was diagnosed with bladder crystals and was prescribed c/d food. He's been eating it, but it's not affordable long term and I'm concerned that the nutrition is not the best. I'm also sitting four other cats and keeping their food separate is a pain. Is there anything over the counter I can feed him that they can also eat? I've read that hydration and protein content are the most important factors

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 17th, 2019

Hello, sorry to hear about Jack. It really depends on what type of crystals your cat has, however, in general feeding canned wet food to increased moisture and water intake is generally recommended over dry food. Any wet food is preferable and it does not have to be specific for urinary stones. Some crystals are more likely to form with acidic urine and some are more likely to form with alkaline urine. However, they both benefit from having more water consumption which can be in the form for canned food. If you're unable to continue to feed the c/d food, then you may discuss transitioning to canned food with your veterinarian as a more feasible alternative. At this time, it is unclear if a urinary diet helps decrease the incidence of crystals. In regards to the nutritional content of the diet, it will be adequate to provide for Jacks' nutritional requirements as all diets are formulated following AAFCO guidelines. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 16th, 2018

    Hill’s Science Diet and Purina both make urinary diets that would likely be appropriate for Wheatly (although you should check with your vet). The cost might be a little different but most therapeutic diets are pretty similarly priced. There are no over the counter diets that have been proven to be effective against urinary crystals, and some over the counter diets can change the pH of the urine to make urinary issues worse.

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on October 9th, 2017

    I'm so sorry you are having this problem with Kitty. Unfortunately most of the prescription diets will contain corn and gluten. If Kitty is currently having bladder problems, I would certainly feed the prescription diet short term, then discuss a diet change with your vet once the crystals have resolved. If the crystals were just found on a routine urinalysis and Kitty is feeling fine, then I would consider changing to a non-prescription canned food (presuming that Kitty is currently on a dry food) and see if the crystals resolve with just a diet change from dry to canned food. Cats naturally form very concentrated urine, so a canned food will produce more dilute urine than a dry food and will help the crystals dissolve in the urine. Anecdotally, I would recommend avoiding fish diets because there have been more reports of urinary crystals and stones on those diets. I would also be creative in finding ways to get more water into Kitty. If he is eating his new canned food well, you can mix some water into it. Or you could consider adding a fountain for him to drink from. Finally, male cats are predisposed to urinary blockages which can occur because of crystals. If Kitty is straining to urinate or not able to urinate, it is a medical emergency and he needs to be seen immediately. I hope that give you some ideas about his diet. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 8th, 2018

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Shadow. All prescription urinary diets will be comparably priced. You can look at Purina ProPlan UR or Hill's c/d as other options. While the diets can be expensive, it will be much less costly than if Shadow develops a urinary tract obstruction from the crystals in his urine. This is a medical emergency and can cost thousands of dollars to manage. I hope this information helps!

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