Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Cats with Cystitis
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Posted by Jessica (Austin, Tx) on 11/30/2014 ★★★★★
My 2-yr-old male Tucker began showing signs of a UTI on Wednesday afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving. He never goes outside the litter box, and I saw a very dark colored puddle on the tile in the corner. I called the local vet clinic, but they did not have any appointments left for the day, and were going to be closed until Monday for the holidays. Only a couple of hours later, poor Tucker was hopping in every box around the house, dropping a few drops of urine. Much worse than the mess, was the appearance of blood. It went from cloudy, to pink, pure blood. I began to panic. Although he wasn't yowling in pain, I knew he was miserable running from box, to litter box, to corner. I called the emergency vet, who informed me that I could bring him in, and if I needed help with the bill, I can finance the $1000 with a pet insurance. I was brokenhearted. I was so scared I was going to lose him, especially with the scary amount of blood he was passing. I found this site online, and figured it was sure worth the try.
I went to the store, picked up some ACV and some cranberry extract. I also had on hand a prescription of 100mg doxycycline from my doctor, which I found out is the most common antibiotic given for cats with UTI's. I dumped out the capsule and separated it into 5 piles, as I read that 20mm is the dosage for a cat Tucker's size. I mixed the antibiotic, the cranberry extract and a 1/4 teaspoon of the ACV in a half can of wet food. I also poured a little bit of oil from a can of tuna into it to disguise the vinegar taste. Tucker ate it. He immediately ran to the box and passed a little more urine and blood.
After several anxious hours, I fed him another serving of the concoction before I left for family dinner on Thursday for thanksgiving. When I got back, he already started acting like he was feeling better, playing with the other cats. I gave him the same formula twice a day through today. His health has steadily improved, going from pure blood, to pick, back to a little dark, and is now completely back to normal color. He is still going a little more frequently than normal, but still improving.
THANK YOU to all of you who posted this information. I believe that without this site, I would have had to take him to the emergency clinic and don't have any idea how I could have paid the bill. The stories I read on here gave me a little hope, and it paid off wonderfully. Tucker and I owe everyone a big hug. Thanks again.
When my cat is showing cystitis symptoms, (he is 15lbs) I dose 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar mixed w/ 1 1/2 tsp filtered water twice a day. I ONLY ever use Bragg Organic raw~unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother!!! He will NOT eat or drink ANYTHING that has even a drop of Apple Cider Vinegar mix in it. He is extremely finicky on a good day. I have to give it to him orally.
I use a 5ml push syringe and slowly but surely get it into his mouth. He is NOT a fan. After he begins showing improvement with urinating. Usually day 3 after seeing consistent urine amounts, I feel confident that he is definitely going without a problem. No more small pea size drops. I dose him 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar w/ 2 tsp filtered water once a day for 2 days. Then 1/4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar w/ 1 1/2 tsp filtered water once a day for 2 days. I do a full 7 day course of treatment. First to alleviate symptoms and provide him relief from pain, second to get him urinating back to normal amounts again, and third to give his urinary system a good week of getting the ph back on track. Currently we are on day 6 today. He was yowling all the time and I noticed he was off when it came to eating. Then it dawned on me that there wasn't much pee in his litter box and no poop. After the 1st dose his yowling was less and after the 2nd dose he was no longer yowling and crying in pain. I also now feed him Purina Pro Plan Focus, Urinary Tract Health Formula. It helps reduce the ph in urine and adds low dietary magnesium. I have to spoon mash it until it is like pt which is the only type of canned food he will eat. Sigh
I add filtered water to it (he loves it with water). The cans are small and depending on his mood I feed 1-2 cans a day. I can only feed a decent size soup spoonful at a time otherwise he sucks it all down and in a few minutes vomits it back up. He is a gluten when it comes to eating canned food. No problem with dry food. He just goes bonkers eating the wet too fast. After his UTI is cleared up he returns to his normal diet. However I think going forward I will continue to give some of the canned food as "treats" during the week. Found a homeopathic additive for his water. 1/2 capful to his filtered water everyday. I actually measured out how much water goes into his bowl and put it into a small Tupperware then added 1/2 capful. I use this as the water used to add to the acv. It's by Natrual Pet Parmaceuticals and it's called Urinary Tract Infections. Also found cat treats for urinary tract health. He hasn't had a uti in several years, at least 4. This is by far the fastest he has felt better, his symptoms went away and he was back to peeing normal.
Hope this helps. I have always done the 7 day treatment, always with success. My daughter had to do this recently for her kitten. The amount of Apple Cider Vinegar was adjusted due to age and weight. Again, successful. This time I added the new canned food and the additive to his water.
We have completed two rounds of meds : Baytril, antispasmodics and pain meds. Diagnosis is cystitis. I would like to use the ACV for preventative and flareups. How much do you administer?
Posted by Laura (Racine, Wi-us) on 12/19/2011 ★★★★★
Holy smokes- A Christmas Miracle! We were having the terrible discussion about having to put our 5 year old cat down the week of Christmas because we could not swing another $350 vet bill like we did last week for Buddy's cystitis. I read this website, went to the store at 11:00 at night to buy a $1.19 bottle of generic apple cider vinegar. I put it in canned cat food and a touch of milk- he ate a tiny bit, I tried it with just cat food, he again, just ate a bit, so I thought I was unsuccesful, but at 1 am he followed me down to the litter box and squatted and succesfully urinated. He bound up the stairs playfully and nearly knocked down the Christmas tree in his enthusiasm!
"this website is fantastic for some things and horrifying for others. People who cannot afford to take a sick pet to the vet SHOULD NOT HAVE PETS!!! "
Pleeeease! Yes, only rich people should have everything? We're not talking about a $100 vet bill here. I currently owe my vet over a thousand dollars. Last spring I took my sick cat to the vet for a UTI and he wanted $700 up front for a catheter. I did not have this and turned to herbal remedies (including cranberry and ACV) and he improved. He's still with me and recovered but is sick again now. This is a chronic problem for him. Do people like you know how many animals are put down in shelters? Why shouldn't low income people be able to take these unwanted pets in and give them good homes as well as the wealthy? I have four cats and three of them have had very few, if any, health problems and I have given them good lives without tons of money. I also tried to get health insurance for the one cat who has chronic UTI problems and was turned down due to the "pre-existing condition" clause so the one cat that needs the help the most is the one that gets turned away from ASPCA insurance which is an organization that claims to care the most about pets but ends up basically being all about business.
I've had some success with ACV but have to dillute it in water in a dropper and then give the cat another dropper (or two) of water right after to wash the bad taste out of his mouth. It's more successful giving it to him this way as cats generally don't like the taste of it (understandably).
Posted by Sylvia (Frederick, Md., Usa) on 01/09/2011 ★★★★★
Warning... Do not give them daily ACV in their drinking water because you need to avoid bladder infection from too much. 3x a week is enough I'm told. My cat was cured in 3 days from cystitis with ACV. Good luck!
Posted by Mary (Vassalboro, Maine, Usa) on 02/19/2010 ★★★★★
Almost two weeks ago one of my two female Ragdoll cats stopped being able to urinate. Sashi visited the litter box frequently, never having any results, and appeared to be in distress. She also stopped drinking her usual amount of water (which, however, is not that much). The other cat was fine (and drinks a good amount of water).
I must pause here to say that we do not bring our cats to the vet other than when they were young to have them spayed. (We do not believe in vaccinating -- and medicating, if at all possible -- and we do not have money in our budget for vets.) At the time of their spaying, we brought Sasha and Sophie to a vet who was a cat specialist. He strongly instructed us to always feed the cats ONLY dry food, never any wet at all. He felt that wet food would rot their teeth. And so we never had fed our two cats (ages 3 1/2 and 4 1/2) wet food [except for a brief spell when we were treating them for chronic diarrhea and needing to get fresh squeezed garlic into them, but that is another (successful!) story....!]
At any rate, when Sashi was not able to urinate, I consulted a friend of mine who has owned many cats. She immediately suspected "cystitis", and explained the causes (only a dry food diet, the cat did not drink enough water, etc.). She recommended apple cider vinegar and adding wet food to the cat's diet. After getting off the phone with her, I googled for more info., and came across your most excellent site -- in particular, information about this condition.
We immediately began the cat on a "wet food only" diet for the first 2-3 days, mixing in apple cider vinegar. The cat loved being able to have wet food (an inexpensive brand, by the way, with only a generic brand of acv). Sashi could handle pretty good sized portions of vinegar without any objections at all. I am not sure how much I used, but certainly she was getting AT LEAST 2 tsp. per day those first few days in a few feedings of wet food per day. For perhaps 3 or 4 days, however, she still would not drink her usual amount of water, including drinking from the tap, which normally she loves.
The long and the short of this story is, like many others have noted on this site, that her cure was almost immediate. She urinated a little shortly after the first treatment(s), and the next day began frisking about in high spirits -- and urinating small amounts regularly. As stated by others, the coats of both cats shine now and they have much more energy. On the third day her urinating was totally normal.
I would say the maintenance dose we have recently been administering is almost 1 tsp. per day for Sasha, and perhaps 1/2 tsp. for Sophie (who drinks a lot of water already, and who gets less wet food because of a weight problem). We now give wet food for both breakfast and supper, as well as dry food at noon and to supplement. I do not let Sasha "free feed" on dry food anymore. She happily drinks out of the tap once again, and also her water bowl (but not as much as she probably should).
My husband also rigged up a pump and filter (from the fish tank dept. at the dept. store) and a tub of water for the cats to drink from. We had hoped this would encourage them to drink more, but this trick has not been hugely successful in its goal.
When we first began administering the acv and feeding Sashi only wet food, she did begin to be a little constipated. Some dry food is necessary to move the bowels, apparently. Once the initial crisis of not being able to urinate had passed, we began to phase limited amounts of dry food back into Sashi's diet. Around the end of Day #3 we began to reintroduce some into her diet. FYI.
I give prayer and a big YEA on acv as having been a huge success for us re: cystitis in cats! Unlike my husband, I hate the taste and smell of all vinegars. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to think everyone in our household should go on acv! I'll have to hold my nose, though! :)
Posted by Dahlia1 (Athens, Ga, United States) on 01/29/2012 ★★★★★
I have 2 cats and a dog. Ezzie has been with me when she showed up at my doorstep screaming her head off, at 5 weeks old... Should have known then that any feral kitty that wasn't afraid of humans and would actually "knock" on my door because the whole outside thing just wasn't working for her I was going to have a hand full. Well, 6 years later, let me just say, no one is safe... Especially the dog. Anyways, I rescued an abused barn cat when I lived in North Carolina about 2 and a half years ago. It took 6 months for her to allow me near her but I kept putting out food and water and she crept closer and closer eventually I was able to make her a heated kitty house and pick her up.
She showed up one day with a huge gaping wound on her neck and by this time I had broken my neck, had surgery, and then was fired from my job... Long story, needless to say I had no money, let alone for the vet so I called my vet's office and they knew my situation so they only charged me $40 for the visit (she was a new patient) along with the antibotics to give her. It was an interesing game of take the pill for a week. But she healed up and that is how I found out she was a she and that she was estimated to be around 16 years old. So she went from Chairman Meow to Ingrid Birdman. Well, I now live in GA and she now lives inside... She spends most of her time in her "room", the utility room where I put her litter box, food on an elavated platform my step-dad made her, with her kitty bed underneath. Ezzie is a snot so Ingrid likes to be in her safe place. Yesterday, she started going to the cat box and back to the platform (which is white and the floor is white also), like she was doing wind sprints. She was leaving little droplets of peepee tinged with blood once in a while. I freaked, I have no money left of my own and am living off of my mom and she is retired... Vet bills aren't in the cards, and I don't have a vet here that will do me any favors like the nice vet in NC. I found this website and forum, after having read other stuff here and there about the ACV, but nothing specific enough, so I immediately put on socks and shoes and went to the grocery in my jammies (sweatpants and a long ugly t-shirt) and bought the ACV.
Ingrid stopped doing the wind sprints almost instantly after eating the soft food with the ACV in it, last night I put it in her water bowl and she drank that all up. No peepee droplets this morning, I am so thrilled! I hate stressing her out and car rides, vets, etc. Scare her... She's been abused horribly in her lifetime and now she is finally happy and comfortable and because of this forum she is already better and soon will be ALL better. Thanks so much everybody, you are lifesavers!
Posted by Joan (New Hope, Pennsylvania, Usa) on 05/17/2011 ★★★★★
Thanks to all posts here.... What with these events (she's a rescue kitten first time in heat; recently moved into the house with 2 longtime female cats not happy to greet her; 2 young children playing, ETC. ) along with clothes, furniture, and beds all taken apart being washed/deodorized... we've been upset lately. What happened was - the usual cat-in-heat-synptoms (crouching, yowling, scratching, getting underfoot, rushing the door, pacing, urinating, etc. ) masked the simultaneous cystitis. It was probably from not drinking enough water, and stress. Reading this thread was what brought the problem and solution into focus - Thank You!
So..... This, our time-tested remedy as was recommended by a kind holistic vet many years ago.... Voila! Now, Skippy is acting like her good self again, and so are we! Here it is....
1) Break a 500 mg chewable of Vitamin C into 4 parts for a 2-day supply
2)Give the cat distilled or spring water to drink
3)Twice a day, Crush a 1/4 pill (125mg. ) to powder in a small dish, mix in well with a drizzle of olive oil over a heaping teaspoon of good canned fishy cat food or tuna; or into peanut butter and olive oil, whatever the cat's favorite soft treat food is. Spoon-feeding this to kitty and talking about getting better should do it, if the medicine food isn't eaten up fast at first: pets are smart and understand our speech. Probably hopefully we'll give more canned and less dry food in future - and will try not to give tap water in the bowls, too. Best to All, Joan
Posted by Nell (Sydney, NSW Australia) on 07/05/2009 ★★★★☆
Thanks so much, because you've all taken the trouble to document so many apple cider vinegar/cat cystitis treatment success stories as that gave me the confidence to try it. I'd been to the vet (since I panicked when I saw bloody urine initially as I'd heard boy cats can block up and suffer kidney damage if left unchecked and my dear little fellow was scratching around every 10 mins in his litter trying to do just a little more pee) anyhow the vet told me he should only need pain relief medication as an anti-inflammatory and for pain relief and hopefully it would improve. A day later and Pussycat's slightly bloody urine looked like the severe high blood content photo listed at top of this page. Fortunately I found this site since I was dreading another $180 or more vet visit and possibility of more chemical prescriptions I'm not fond of giving my pretty kitties at best of times. Since Kitty Boy was still able to urinate a little I tried ACV and after one dose (one quarter teaspoon ACV DILUTED so he wouldn't choke with one to one and a half teaspoons of water squirted into his mouth with a syringe - he used litter about 15 minutes later and had slightly more urine and less blood, I dosed again 5 hours later, that only improved and 2 days later no blood whatsoever. I have him on mostly wet cat food at moment so he can absorb as much fluid as possible. For the most part he eats thawed raw meat frozen for 5 days to kill any bacteria...I'm going to dose him for a full seven days because not quite yet back to as much urine he normally emits but man, what an improvement and I've used about $1 worth of ACV thus far. So impressed I'm taking it myself for the multitude of health benefits listed on this site, thanks again,very relieved and grateful.
Posted by Angela (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 05/07/2009 ★★★★★
Hello, my cat Spillo is 9 years old and has suffered for 8 years from serious cystitis. He has had too many blockages to even count. I have spent approximately $15,000.00 over these past 8 years due to the cystitis/blockages. He will act strange every couple of months, doing the licking and back and forth to the litter box. Because he has such a horrible track record with blockages, I have no other choice but to bring him to emergency or the regular vet every time he acts this way. At times it is just imflammation of the bladder, other times it has been bladder infections, and of course the other times it is blockage. The symtoms are the same for all of these so I always have to treat it as a blockage and take him to the vet. I was told last month that due to the number of times he has been put under, his kidneys are starting to weaken. They suggested that I make a decision to put him down. Well, that advice tore me into tiny bits. He is only 9 years old!! At the end of March I found this website and have been giving him 1cc of acv diluted with distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid TWICE a day. (Most vets can give you a 20cc syringe). The end of March is when he was unblocked and was pretty lifeless for a few days after the procedure. The first time I gave him the 1cc of acv with the distilled water he vomitted and then perked up immediately. Now every time I give him the acv mixture he asks for food and is so much more energetic. I don't know if he is producing less crystals. I will have to give an update after a couple of months. All I know is that he seems to be doing much better. I hope that this truly is the answer and that he will never block or have an episode of cystitis again. Only time will tell. I will be sure to give an update!
FYI his daily routine is as follows: Morning-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.
Afternoon-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.
Evening-40cc's of Distilled water given orally. 2cc's of liquid glucosamine given orally.
I am now in the process of switching him to a raw food diet. Everybody please cross your fingers for me.
Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future.
I promised to write back and let everybody know how Spillo is doing after a year since his last blockage. Everyday he has been taking raw apple cider vinegar and hasn't had an episode of cystitis, no bloackages, no urinary track infections. He only takes 1cc of ACV daily with distilled water and he also has 2cc's of liquid glucosamine. It really does work.
Posted by Clifford (Hollywood, Florida) on 12/27/2008 ★★★★★
This is the the most powerful website for people to find help that I have ever seen. Our cat Chino was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (blood in the urine). Cysts and Urinary Blockage and was getting worse every day. We spent thousands at the vet and they told us that he needed to take 10 more medications and have surgery for more money and that there is no cure for his disease. Finally I said "NO" there has to be another way.
I was familiar with the use of ACV on people but never knew it could be used on animals. Thanks to earthclinic after about 2 doses of ACV in his food and water all the blood in his urine disappeared!! He is healed and now once again a happy cat thanks to this community of online help and wellness. We cannot thank you enough...
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!
He is 22 months old. He has feline aids and leukemia. I think he may have a UTI. He was on antibiotics for a week but could not get him to take the full doses as I put it in his wet food which he does not always eat all of. He has been crying in his litter box and licking himself. He also has problems squatting in his litter box due to breaking his leg when he was a kitten prior to me rescuing him and later finding out that the break did not set right and his knee is damaged also. He also had been attacked on left side when I found him at my job. He has had a rough young life but has pulled through. He runs and jumps and plays but too hard sometimes. I have had him since he was around 3 months. You could not even touch him back then. He did not meow either. He does now, like a little cry. I can pet him and even pick him up now, but he still has that defensive side, understandably. We have been through a lot together and at times I did not think we would make it but we have. Worried though about him right now about possible UTI and don't want to take him to the vet and traumatize him. They also have to sedate him because they are scared to handle him because when he was younger he bit the vet.
I have mixed the half of a teaspoon of ACV with 2 teaspoons of water and have been giving him several drops in the last few hours. Am I suppose to give all of it to him by the end of the night? He did to go the bathroom, but seems like he does not feel well. Is this safe for him??
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 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.
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
Posted by Dina (New Springfield, Ohio) on 12/04/2016
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.
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.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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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.
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 $200 later for antibiotics but vet actually said Apple Cider Vinegar treatment is fine.
EC: When applied externally, apple cider vinegar needs to be diluted with water as Lucy does above. (e.g. 1/2 cup water plus 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.)
My 1 year old male will not drink water so I add water to his can food. Just got meds for his 4th uti. He's supposed to get Perineal urethrostomy ($ 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.
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.
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!
Posted by Ray Johnson (Fairfield Ca) on 01/29/2016
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.
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, 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.
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.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
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.
Ok so I've been a huge fan of ACV and always have been. It's worked in the past to cure UTI for my cat and possible crystals (struvites). A few days ago my cat who is prone to blocking due to struvites crystals was going to the little too often and just a few drops. I started mixing ACV with his food and cranberry pill I get at vet with water and can food only. I stopped all dry Food. I kept an eye on him all day and the drops of urine stopped. I knew he was completely blocked. I gently palpated his bladder and it was clearly hard. IF NO urine passes at all, within 24-48h your cat can die. I waited a bit longer and kept giving him ACV with his food mixed with water ( half a cap full, he ate it ) he would try to pee in other places but nothing. It was a Sunday and only the vet hospital was open. At 11:30 pm I said that's it, I'm taking him. His urethra was bruised and pulsating, non stop liking. They inserted a catheter and were able to push stone back in bladder ( that's good ) she emptied a good amount of his bladder. We did X-rays saw 1 stone. Did urine test to see which stone (struvites dissolve with acid and special urinary food those form from having not enough acid in food ) ( oxalates stones require surgery, those form from high acid level in food) thankfully it was again struvites. Got can food to stay on for 1 or 2 months ( royal canin urinary s/o. Meds and took my cat back home ALIVE!!! He could have died it was a matter of time. Here's my advice, if he doesn't pass urine and clearly in pain don't wait. It would have been cheaper at my vet but all in all worth every penny and cheaper than expected. Most vets let you pay gradually. STOP FEEDING YOUR CAT dry food!!! Get canned food ( if you can good quality no fillers grain free ) look for coupons online, call the company ask for coupons to try food! Always mix food with water, cats don't drink enough which is one of the main causes of bladder stones. Never leave food out, free feeding is a no no. Invest in cranberry pills. My vet charges me 8$ for 30 day supply. You don't know if your cat has oxalate stones, if it does than giving him more acid will make it WORSE. Please, know your cat's condition before finding a cure. ACV is amazing for UTI make sure you maintain ACV once a week when cat is cured as it is usually chronic But if it doesn't improve his UTI go to the vet. If cat cannot pee an X-ray around where I live can be 50$ a urine test 25-60$ Know his condition before treating it, many symptoms are the same. Prevention is key, no dry food only wet or raw food even better mixed with a lot of water. I'm so grateful I took my baby to the emergency.
Posted by Mindy (Peabody, Massachusetts ) on 05/20/2015
My cats vet bill has officially reached $2000 today due to my cat Wally. He has been having issues urinating and has been on different meds over and over. He's had catheterization twice, many ultrasounds and xrays, overnight stays at the vet.... I can't watch him suffer I am desperate! I am buying Apple Cider Vinegar tomorrow and pray that it works for Wally.
I'm so sorry for what you and Wally are going through, I know how frustrating this can be. I wanted to let you know that if Wally is on acidifiers that adding acid to his consumption is not good. Also ask what kind of crystals he has if any, oxalates require surgery. He can also get an operation done to widen his Urethra. Did they rule out cancer? Stress also place a huge role in affecting bladder health. If I were you, I would get a second or third opinion because you should be ableto have clear answers of what is the cause of this. Best of luck to you both, keep us posted!
Posted by Michelle (Manitoba Canada) on 07/01/2015
Hello from Manitoba Canada! I also have uti problems with my 2 yr old male cat. I'm wondering how your cat is doing today? Have you continued giving ACV routinely? Any more problems? Any recommendations for food? My cat didn't have stones just crystals. The vet recommended Med Cal dry and wet although It sounds as though I should only give him wet food. The dry has Corn meal gluten in it which normally I would avoid due to allergies and go product. Then I found out that this acts as an acidifier for the problem. Not sure what I should do the vet says no ACV let the food do the trick. After the amount of money he charged me To have the surgery to unblock him I don't trust the vet completely. I would love to hear from you... Thank you I appreciate your feed back:) Michelle
My cat Charlie is 6 years old and weighs about 17 pounds, he had a blockage a month ago. I took him to the vet and he stayed there for 3 days. After returning home with all the medicine he didn't get better, I took him back and he stayed another 4 days but he still had trouble!
One night when he was blocking again I found this site thank god, I gave him 1/4 teaspoon with water and it worked but two days later the same thing happend. I increased the dosage to 1/2 teaspoon and 2 1/2 teaspoon water and gave it to him and he peed a lot again. I gave him this formula twice a day but he can't pee again!!!!
Please help, I don't know what do do. I don't want him to suffer!
It's been a month since he first got sick! Taking him to the vet didn't help, I took him 3 times already!
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
My little kitty girl had a uti about 2 yrs ago that wasn't responding to the vet prescribed antibiotic treatments (2 courses), so gave the acv/water mix (equal amounts) and within 3 days she was completely back to her regular self (& duties). All I can say is WOW! Pretty fast relief for her (so very happy) & my pocketbook was impressed also. Now her big brother is having an issue, so its his turn with this treatment. ACV is pretty amazing. Tons of more uses for my "kids" & the rest of my family.
Posted by Liz Allen (Wolverhampton) on 12/21/2014 ★★★★★
My 6 year old cat Roxy started passing bloody urine a few weeks ago. The vet examined her, made sure there were no lumps or blockages, then diagnosed her with cystitis before giving her an anti-inflammatory injection and prescribing a week of Loxicam. The infection cleared up but, as soon as Roxy had completed the course of Loxicam, she started passing blood again. I didn't want to put her through the stress of another visit to the vet (she loathes it with a vengeance) so I did some online research for natural remedies and thankfully found this site.
I spent £5 in a health food store on a bottle of apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered, with the 'mother') and gave her 1/4tsp of vinegar diluted in 2tsp water twice a day mixed in thoroughly with her food. She had a good sniff of her bowl and knew I'd put something in it but ate it all up without any complaints. Within 24 hours she was peeing normally! Due to its health benefits, I'm continuing to give her just one of the above doses each morning in her food to keep her urinary tract in good working order.
I'm really grateful to the people on here who posted their experiences with apple cider vinegar and allowed me to make an informed decision which, thankfully, was the best thing for my Roxy.
Posted by Satsquach (Vancouver Island, CA) on 12/09/2014 ★★★★★
My just over a year old fixed indoor cat started displaying signs of cystitis or toxicity due to my lovely Christmas tree or my bad diet choices for him....blood in his urine... long before I could figure it out. Most recently ( 2 days ago) started howling in pain. Urinating in weird places; not his litter box as he is well trained. Became incontinent, loss of appetite, lethargy, hissing. I thought he was stressed or maybe just picked up "amother" animals scent or was just trying to mark his territory.
This is what got my attention. I thought my baby was dying!! My heart dropped. After doing some research on the interwebs and contacting friends, I came to discover that 90% of all brands of dry cat food are bad for our feline companions.
I started my boy on a mix of apple cider vinegar mixed with water last night. As he is a fussy drinker and will not drink standing water, I dripped the mixture on his paws and torso... Places where he could groom himself at first. I had already gotten myself a 5ml syringe and used the same mixture two hours later to syringe feed (drink) orally. Gave him natural wet food with the same mixture every 2 hours. Syringe feeding him the mixture of liquid in between. BAM!! He is showing amazing and significant signs of improvement!!! I am so relieved!!
Be sure to check ingredients... you will figure it out with some more research... I'm switching to an all natural brand of food for my boy from now on And putting a cage around our Christmas tree! Lol. Hope we Have helped.
I have an 8 yr. old male cat no issues, what can I give him daily - something natural that will prevent kidney, bladder stone issues, etc. At many healthstores there are products for people called stones no more, and or prevention of this issue, there must be something I can do. I'm challenged financially so a thousand dollar surgery for such issue would be impossible, and I hear that pet ins. you have to start it on your pet when it is very young, so how can we assist our pets well being with a dose of prevention?
Hi there I read your comment since I am now also going through uti treatment with my one cat. Wondering if your still giving yours ACV and if you've had any more problems since the first time he started showing symptoms? Thanks we just spent a fortune at the vet having him go through the surgery to unblock him.
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