Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Cats with Cystitis

Hello everyone!! Im new to the group and so happy I found you all.
My sweet, almost 2 year old male cat was taken to the emergency the other day because he was talking to us, telling us he had pain, licking himself and forcing to pee without success. They told us it was crystals in his urine.
After a very expensive couple of days on an IV and a catheter, we took him home.
He currently seems ok except for not drinking much, not having pooped for 2 days and still peeing in little but multiple quantities. The vet gave us 4 different meds to give him 3x/day and we're wondering if they may be constipating him.

We heard about apple cider vinegar working wonders at dissolving the crystals and promoting urinary health but we're unsure about mixing it with his meds and what quantities to administer.

If anyone has any advice for us we'd be really grateful, thank you!

What dosage in pill form in ACV is safe For a 10 pound cat I can get a 200 ml tablet so maybe half? Thanks for any input!

My cat just got over her first uti/crystals. To prevent another occurrance, I started adding 1/2 tsp. of the vinegar mixed with about 2 T. of spring water to her wet food every morning. She only eats wet food, 1/2 can morning and 1/2 can evening.

My question is: Will this daily preventative dosage do enough/any good? I mix in the extra water because she rarely drinks any from her water bowl. Does it matter if that 1/2 tsp. of the vinegar is more diluted?

I am gone from home for work 3 days per week, and my daughter “doesn't want to deal with” mixing in the vinegar. So will getting it 4 days in a row each week (when I am home) be enough for my cat?

Should I make any dosage tweaks in general? I would appreciate advice asap. Thank you all!

I so appreciate this advice. My cat also doesn't "take" to most suggestions, haha. What pills do you suggest and are they still working for you?

What dosage in mls did you figure your cat got in the ACV tablets? I'm seeing 200ml -- should I give him half? Thanks!

How many milligrams in the apple cider capsules that you are using?

9yr old neutered cat with UTI

I am desperate. Because Raider, adopted feral as kitten, still has feral behavior, I could not get him into pet carrier for Vet visit. I paid $400.00 for a mobile Vet. It took the Vet & assistant to get him, anestisize him so he could be examined. Diag. UTI, small bladder, no crystals. Prescrubed antibiotic after an injection.

He has from the start refused all antibiotic, pill pocket, crushed mixed in sauce of canned food. The UTI subsided for several days, but now is back.

He was eating wet food, drinking well. But now, no appetite, not even wet food. Blood in urine, peeing in & out of box. Has lost some weight too.

I'm sick over the fact that I can't get him to take meds. He's my little guy, I'm so worried about him.

The stress over the Vet coming made him hide for a week. I can't put him through that again.

I do have ACV with mother, how can I administer to a cat that won't let you hold himvfor more than a few seconds? That's how strong the feral personality is.

PLEASE HELP! I don't want to lose him.

I just now used a needleless syringe and squirted the mix into his mouth when he was sleeping. I then squirted it all over his front paws. He was actually licking from the top of the syringe, but not interested in his paws. Will keep you updated

I hope this works. My cat is peeing but very little with frequent trips to the box. She isn't peeing anywhere else and her attitude and appetite hasn't seemed to change and no signs of pain while trying to pee or when I touch her lower stomach. I picked up some ACV and mixed a little in with her wet food (switched from dry ) but she wouldn't go near it. Tried mixing in some chicken broth then later tried tuna with no results. I went and picked up a feeding syringe, diluted the ACV with water and fed it to her like that. She accepted as well as any cat would but it got it in her so I will continue to do it that way. I gave her wet food after that to help get the ACV taste out of her mouth and she gobbled it down. First dose was about 20 minutes ago.

I just syringed my 16 yr. female cat and she immediately threw it up. She's eating well but I have a feeling that I put the mixture in her food, she won't go near it. I have an appt. with my vet day after tomorrow. Any other suggestions out there would be so appreciated. Grateful

Reading a lot about ACV, my question is how long do you continue giving the ACV to the cat with a UTI? Is it an every day thing or until the cat is urinating normal..

I've been giving my cat ACV 2-3 times/day for the last 3 days. He's still just dribbling frequently, but he eats & drinks a lot & acts normal. I'm also trying this after 2 vet trips @ $300 each time. What dose should I be using? I started out with 1/4 tsp & day 2, I moved it up to 1/2 tsp. Thankfully, he will take it with the syringe diluted with water most of the time, but the last bit I add tuna water & he likes that.

Dear Rachel,

In case you had not read this, one should never give ACV straight internally to a pet. ACV must always be diluted with at least 50% water.

Many Earth Clinic readers report success diluting apple cider vinegar with water (50/50) and applying it topically to the scruff of the neck of a cat or a dog using a cotton ball. Hope this helps.

Hello Rachel,

I have no good answer for you except to take your cat to the vet and get a work up; he may be suffering from crystals in his bladder, and chances are he needs more lab work to pin point the issue. ACV works for some UTI's but it doesn't appear to be the cure for your boy at this point in time. Can you work with a rescue group to help afford the vet care your boy needs?

Rachel D (Las Vegas) ---

For internal bleeding use a quarter tsp. turmeric on his tongue till the bleeding has stopped. After bad accidents, for example, a glass of warm milk with a tbsp. turmeric works well to stop the bleeding , that is, for humans as well as animals in different proportions, of course. It also does more than that internally. I use it for a cat that has upper resp. and it is very helpful.

Otherwise you can also use homeopathic PHOSPORUS 30C which will do the same, except turmeric has multiple action. Or use both. Keep up the apple cider vgr. nevertheless but add honey. If you can get the very slim syringes, it will help. Unheated honey kept separate in a dish of very warm water, put into syringe and it will give energy and kill bacteria.

All the best for the two of you.

Namaste Om

Hello, Rachel -- I forgot to mention that you may repeat those remedies. With phosphorus you will notice blood stains becoming paler after each few globules in a little water treatment. If success, keep at it for a day or two and keep observing. Keep up the honey warmed so it is runny but use only low heat as otherwise the enzymes in the honey will stop working.

Keep it up. Namaste, Om

Read the info on "catinfo.org" on wet vs. dry food. She says switch to canned food, even Friskies is better than dry food. The vet also suggests ways to get more fluid into your kitty's diet. Main problem is not enough water, cats have low thirst drive. I am going to try the tuna water, etc. for my kitty girl who is having problems. I have been adding ACV to her canned food for a couple of weeks and her pee pee balls are still too little and too many. I also saw something online that is a "natural" remedy for "UTI's" for somewhere around $30 but I don't remember what it was called and that's what I am looking for now, which is why I ran into your post. Hope this helps. (If I find it, I will come back and post it, but won't be able to tell you if it works or not. Yet.)

Hi,

Teddy, my 5 year old cat has been battling cystitis for a little over a month now. I took him to the vet right before Christmas and they gave him an antibiotic and some special cat food for him to eat.He would not touch the cat food.I tried everything to get the stubborn fool to eat the food, that's supposed to support urinary health, and he would not touch it. I tried wet food of the same brand and he refused it. I even tried a can of tuna and he just said no. This cat will not eat wet food, and will not eat any other brand of cat food except on specific brand that I have been feeding him since he was a kitten. I gave him the antibiotic and he seemed fine, until tonight. The little bugger peed on my laptop case! I tried not to be mad at him, because I know he can't help it, especially if his cystitis is back, but come on, Teddy!!

I read another post on this website about giving him apple cider vinegar in wet cat food to aid in relief from cystitis. He will not eat wet cat food so I bought a baby medicine dropper, and "forced" him to take it, like he did his antibiotics a month ago. He's mad at me, now hiding under the dining room table, but the ACV should help him right? I gave him a 50/50 mix of ACV and water, according to the dropper it was .5ml. Is this enough to help him if I give it to him twice a day?

I also read that pumpkin is good for cats. I knew that it was good for dogs. I make homemade dog treats for my dogs all the time and the pumpkin actually saved my 9 year old beagle from a horribly painful looking hemorrhoid! What's a good way to get a cat who does not like wet cat food to eat the pumpkin?

Hello Heidi,

Teddy did not mean to destroy your laptop case - he was just trying to tell you the problem persists; he sure got your attention now, didn't he? :-)

You might try a weaker solution of the ACV - 2 tablespoons to 1 cup of water say - and dunk his paw in it and make him lick it off, and once his paw is dry dunk again - do this again and again until you can see he has ingested most of the cup of water. If this were my cat I would keep it up - keep on dunking his paw every few hours for the next few days and see if that helps. If not, or if at any point it seems he cannot pee, take him to the vet.

Apple Cider and my 7 month old cat.

ACV is the bomb, I was thinking that she was a goner after 2 days & 3 nights.

My little guy finnigan is suffering from a uti. he is a year and half. It's been close to a week now. All he does is laying in a box with a blanket. The only time he gets up is when I feed him. Then he runs to the liter box or bath tub and tries peeing for 10-15 mins. with maybe a trickle of pee. which is now bloody. I've change his food for dry to wet. I have small bowl of water all over the house where he used to like to visit. I'm a single mom of 3 teenagers and can't afford 500 or more for a trip to the vet. It kills me to watch him be like this and I feel helpless. I've been looking online for days and days for what to do, when to take him, even looking up the humane society here to see what they can do to help. I came across this site and after reading all over these comments I am going try the acv. I need my cuddle buddy back. I'm praying this helps. thank you for sharing your stories and giving me some relief that I can help my buddy.

My cat seems similar to yours, I've spent almost $1000 and still no solution. My most recent find is called "Licks", it is a thick black paste with many natural ingredients for the urinary tracts. My cat has been great since starting this and being on the Purina UR wet foods I also add water to the wet food and mix it.

Yes, my female cat has uti every six months or so. Her kidneys do not function 100% after snake bite as a one year old, kidney damage is a common problem after snake bite. As soon as I notice her having trouble urinating I dip her front paws in Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with water for her to lick off. Repeat process every couple of hours. Less stressful for her than syringe in mouth method. Usually within 12 hours she has a huge wee.

Last uti I took her to vet $200 later for antibiotics but vet actually said Apple Cider Vinegar treatment is fine.

My 1 year old male will not drink water so I add water to his can food. Just got meds for his 4th uti. He's supposed to get Perineal urethrostomy ($ 550) May 2nd when doctor comes back from vacation, maybe this Apple Cider Vinegar will work, I tried the broth, chicken and beef he won't touch it. I can't afford the expensive cat food from the vets at least $60 a month. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Last year, my cat had blood in his pee, so I took him to a vet and found out that he has crystals forming in his urethra, the vet prescribed Hills, Science life - urinary tract and I haven't had any problems since.

Please note* For best results, combine the dry food with the canned food, I feed him dry mostly and canned once a week.

I tried organic coconut oil 1/4 tsp and just put it in his mouth, it melts fast and he peed after a couple hours. I have taken all dry food away, even though he is on special urinary tract medi-cal food and only wet for now. Also got organic apple cider vinegar and watered it 1/4 cup vin to 3/4 water. I tried dipping the paw but he didn't lick it off, so I will syringe it a little at a time. I called vet and they want him in for the day to get urine sample, he will never drink for them, so I am praying this works. I have to work in the day so I am doing evenings pushing all the home remedies. I will let you know the outcome Coco is a purebred Ragdoll and has had crystals once before. He was more stressed with the vet stay and I took him home then. I have phenoxybenzamine (muscle relaxer) that I am giving every 12 hours till I run out.

It's called Cranimals.

I use D-Ribose for energy for humans, and all other mammals.

Since it converts 92% into A.T.P., the very molecule our bodies burn for energy why fool around. This gets by the lactic acid barrier that might be a problem, but is easily bypassed with ribose.

Look up potassium iodine/iodide, Lugol's 2% Solution (Amazon) and any cystitis, including Fibrocystic Breast Disease or PCOS and Lugol's reverses all of them...BOOM! GONE

My 9 year old boy has had a recurring problem with blockage in the past six months. The first time he had to go to the vet and get a catheter and an IV and stay overnight. It cost us something like $500. I noticed a few weeks ago he started to urinate outside the box and had pink colored urine which I assume is a little blood. So I was afraid the blockage was coming back again. I went online frantically reading everything I could. I have found that baking soda works well for human UTI so I tried it with him and it seemed to help him for the few days until I received my cat Cancer Treatment from Pet Well-being. It's a dark colored liquid kind of like tea and it comes with a dropper. It helps with every kind of problem. Since I did the baking soda and the cat Cancer Treatments, he has been his regular old self again. No peeing outside of the box and no more blood that I've noticed. I hope this helps because it's scary when they can't tell you what's wrong.

Just wondering...how is your cat's uti and blockage?

My cat had the op and he still suffers with this problem.

Sharon, I would be putting Apple Cider Vinegar in drinking water.

I tried Apple cider vinegar mixed 1 part to 10 parts water. Coco hates it but I put 1/2 tsp of mixture and for feed it with a syringe every couple hours. He can pee but only tiny ones and it takes a few mins. Last time I did this it worked in 3 days, but now, a year later, here we go again. Going to the vet if he doesn't improve greatly in one more day. Gotta know when to take him to vet. Good luck, lots of love and keep at it every hour or so.

My 3 year old neutered male has chronic uti and crystal issues. I've started him on Rx dry food, and plan to try the apple cider vinegar. I'm also thinking about trying cranberry juice concentrate (available at health food stores), mixed with no sodium or low sodium chicken broth. I brought home a package of Kittles brand cranberry and chicken treats, and my Sammy begs for them. I had no idea cats would love cranberry flavor! If I can find a low sugar cranberry juice, I'll try that. If Sammy accepts this remedy, I'll probably use an ice cube tray to prepare a whole batch at a time, and stash them in a freezer ziplock bag. So much easier to just thaw a cube whenever I need it. Good luck to all, and hope your kitties are much better!

One of my cats had this problem and I found it stopped when I changed from clay litter. I use corn litter, (like World's Best) or pine litter. The clay and sand litters have dust that I read contributes to cystitis and actual urinary blockage. Also I give fresh water in a large stainless bowl daily and no dry food. There are many natural products available to help also with the infection.

With your cat Samson, how do you make your cat drink the apple cider vinegar mixed with water throughout the day? My cat kitty has been battling this for quite some time. I took her to the vet they gave me an inflammatory but its not helping. Do I just mix this in her main water dishes and let it sit and hope she drinks it throughout the day and I'll maintain keeping it full with measurements of apple cider vinegar and water? I just feel so bad for her but I do believe there has to be home remedies that I will make her feel better.

Is there a more exact measurement to your remedy?Also does it have to be organic or will just supermarket bought (the one I have us all natural not additives or presevatives) I also wonder if probiotics would be helpful, and I have added half the contents of a capsule of cranberry extract as it helps with inflammation of the bladder.

I have read ALL the comments on ACV which I agree 100%. Organic and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is the best for breaking down crystals and dissolving them (this can be purchased at the health food store). Its always better to add a few drops of "concentrated cranberry juice 100% pure" (can get this at a health food store also) to the moist cat food. Another good ingredient to Always add to your cats moist food daily is "Pure Pumpkin" (about a teaspoon, can be purchased at Walmart, but make sure its "PURE"), this gives extra moisture to the moist cat food, this was recommended to be by my cats vet. Your cat will urinate more and keep the unitary tract healthy.

My tabby Meko is experiencing UTI right now, so tonight I have started him on... Apple Cider Vinegar (5 drops) 100% Pure Concentrated Cranberry Juice (5 drops) and a teaspoon of PURE Pumpkin in his moist food, along with about 3 tablespoons of water (mix well, should be a little runny in texture). I will continue to do this 3 times a day for 7-10 days depending on how he is doing.

A good idea is to add about 7-10 drops of ACV to the water they drink daily. Mix the ACV in the water so they cant tell you have added it. Its not at all harmful on cats that drink ACV on a daily basis, it keeps their urinary tract from getting crystals.

I hope the above information is helpful to everyone...and remember "Pure Pumpkin" is always a good thing to add to your cats moist food on a daily basis...Your cat should have 1 moist serving a day (recommended by vet).

My poor Deuce is suffering. He is peeing all over, very small amounts. He sits in litter box for 10 minutes at a time trying to pee. Licks himself and crys out as if in pain. I've tried UTI stuff from Petco but I'm wondering if ACV might work better? Please, any advice is appreciated!!

Hello Ivy,

Deuce is crying out because he is in fact in pain. You should take him to a vet to rule out urinary crystals or stones. You can try giving him ACV to hold you over until you can get into the vet; I would dilute it 50/50 with water and then dip his paw in the solution to get him to drink it up, and I would do this once an hour until he appears to get better. Again, I would see the vet if this were my cat to rule out stones or crystals. If Deuce cannot pee at all you are dealing with an emergency and he should see the vet STAT.

Hello, I just read your post and my male cat, Leo was having the same symptoms as your Deuce; he also had a small amount of blood in his urine as well. What concerned me was that he was not peeing at all, not even a little, so I took him to the emergency vet and they diagnosed it as a FLUTD and that he was not yet blocked, nor did he have an infection. So, they did not give him an antibiotic, just some subcutaneous fluids and sent us home with a pain killer and an antispasmodic. Leo did fine afterwards for about a month and he is now showing the same symptoms, but is still peeing, so I am going to try the ACV mixture now and see if that works for him before taking him back to the vet. I will post again to let you know if it works.

Hey Circadio!

I tried to see just exactly *whose* post you were commenting on, but was unable to do so - it appears you are commenting on the title page, or from the many comments in this topic, ie 'you guys'.

Not trying to be difficult, but I wanted to address some mistakes in your post.

1) While raw apple cider vinegar is acidic - containing acetic and malic acides, it turns into an effective alkalizer once inside our body. This is because apples in their natural state are alkaline. Any food, including vinegar, undergoes oxidation when digested by your body. This oxidation process turns apple cider vinegar alkaline because that is it's natural state [ie apple] even though it contains malic acid and acetic acid.

Read all about how raw ACV works:

https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/acvinegar.html

2) A feline UTI - urinary tract *infection* - IS caused by bacteria. The key here for cats is that cats usually do not have bacterial UTIs - they have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)/cystitis, often involving the struvite crystals that you mention.

3) This is not how it works. ACV does not lower the PH/make urine more acid - it makes it more akaline, or helps bring an acid PH more in the balanced range. And - not all urinary crystals are bicarbonate in composition - some are calcium oxalate, which do not dissolve in acetic acid/with an acid PH.

Bottom line: raw, unpasturized ACV has proven to help many pet owners keep their pets healthy. It may not be the answer to every problem, but it can provide great relief to some pets.

Source: over 45 years PE [practical experience keeping all manner of pets healthy]

Not to be difficult, but even thousands of years of PE is not an acceptable source.

In the modern world, at least among reasonably educated people- the sort that actually cure diseases and not simply 'heal'. Notice how one vinegar user's cat died because she was 'too late'? lack of information about the symptoms of the acute condition, not a lack of vinegar or any other miracle cure. Traditional Chinese medicine used to include prescriptions for mercury. Europeans used to do blood letting to release 'bad humours'. Just because someone's grandma did it, in other words, does not endow a practice with solid support. To credibly substantiate your claims regarding biochemistry, for example, you will need to a little work to cite studies, authors; something more than your personal experience- unless that is experience as a biochemist or doctor (medical). Not citing could result from a number of things: limited time, laziness, lack of credible sources that back up your claims; and the result, for shrewd readers not looking to waste money on pumpkin pills or whatever, should be skepticism.

Hello Critical Thinker - it appears this feedback is directed at me so I will respond.

You busted me - I AM lazy, so I WILL point you in the right direction as to the research [not just PE] done to substantiate my "claims" - follow the link and read the sources listed please:

1) https://www.google.com/search?q=apples+in+their+natural+state+are+alkaline&oq=apples+in+their+natural+state+are+alkaline&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=apple+cider+vinegar+alkaline+effect

2) http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/c_ct_lower_urinary_tract_infection_bacterial

3) https://www.sweet-cures.com/how-to-make-your-urine-more-alkaline.htm

I do agree with you that lack of information [knowing what your eyes are seeing in an ill pet] - and tardy action [waiting and seeing how bad it gets before bringing an ill pet to the vet] can result in heart ache and that is a shame. However for many shrewd readers the information contained on this site - feedback from a zillion years of PE - has both healed -and cured.

I have a beautiful cat who is my baby. I have taken her to the vet twice before for urinary tract infections. She has been put on medications, has become stressed due to the travel. Now it is the third time in as many years she is having this problem. I love her & don't want to do anything to contribute to the problem. I have heard apple ciders is helpful. Is there any other advice you lovely people could offer?

Hey Marre!

My advice would be to ensure your cat is on a grain free diet and grain free treats. Many canned foods contain grains and high amounts of sugar; these can contribute to UTI's.

Dispensation of vinegar. How did you give it to your cat? Dropper or in food? My cat doesn't like wet food.