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Last weekend I witnessed almost a miracle using Organic Coconut Oil for cats UTI. Being a Sunday only the emergency vets available and I have already paid extremely for his last episode with UTI 2yrs ago. With his pain (& hissing, growling as he tried to urinate) starting in a.m I put a 1/4 teaspn oco in his mouth a little at time so he didn't gag, 2hrs later another 1/4 teaspn, an hr later another 1/4 - just as I was about to give up & take him to the vet he fell asleep. 3hrs later he woke & went to the litter tray and started eating again in no pain.
I've given him approximately 1/4 teaspn every second day since as maintenance. Oco is anti bacterial anti fungal and many other benefits & this is still early days but the result was so startling and he seems cured. I would also never feed cats the cheaper biscuits as they're full of grains which contribute to uti problems, they need mostly wet foods.
No sooner was the boy cured than our female started rushing too often to her tray with little result, I gave her a little oil & it worked within a few hours, she actually loves the taste& eats it without me having to administer it - so I now give it regularly to both cats. It also must be very soothing to the whole urethral, bladder lining and theirfur looks wonderful. Wish I'd discovered this yrs ago for their health
EC: Cross-posted from Earth Clinic's cystitis page here.
Posted by Mama26kids (Farmington, Maine) on 01/23/2017 ★☆☆☆☆
I really wanted these natural remedies to work for us, but unfortunately they didn't and my cat died last night. We noticed on Saturday morning that our barn cat was having trouble peeing, so we brought him in and tried each remedy here...the emergency ACV and the cranberry, also cod liver oil. Sadly none seemed to help at all. He vomited after every dose even just water made him puke. By Sunday evening he was not as active and then suddenly moments after vomiting he let our a couple of cries and died. =( We sadly couldn't afford to go to the vet on the weekend which is 2 hours away. Not to be off topic, but the real problem here for our cats is VETS over charging for services and not accepting payments. Its unethical and immoral and all VETS who do this should be ashamed. Caring for animals is about caring....not cash.
About 9 or 10 years ago, my cat developed a bad bladder infection (very strong smell urine). The Vet took 2 X-rays of her and found that she had ‘stone' in her bladder the size of about a quarter. He prescribed some antibiotics, but said that he would probably need to operate (which he said would cost about $1000). Well, the antibiotics helped but the infection (smell) came back about 3 weeks later. The doctor gave me more antibiotics once again and they did seem to work for a little while, but on a whim, I started adding cod liver oil drops(4) per ‘Meow Mix' wet food container ( I feed her about 1/3 of that container twice a day).
Well, that was about 9 or 10 years ago, and I haven't had to take her back to the vet and she hasn't had a smelly urine again since then, which I assume means the stone went away, and there has been no further bladder infection.
I hope this can work for you if you have an animal with a bladder infection.
Posted by Evie P. (Riverside, Ri) on 08/11/2016 ★★★★★
My poor Rosie had been yowling for three days and nights before I got her to the vet (two days ago). Once there, he confirmed my suspicions - a bladder infection (a $200 bladder infection at that point). I wanted to start D-mannose but didn't have any in the house but had ordered it. In the meantime, the vet gave her a shot and prescribed two antibiotics which I was to crush up and put in her food. Trouble was, she wouldn't eat the food with the medication in it and trying to catch her and give them to her would be a two man job and even then it was impossible (I tried and failed). I was frantic to help her. As luck would have it, the D-mannose came in yesterday morning. I dissolved 1/4 tsp. in 1 tbsp. of water and put it in her food and the same dose in her water. Today was the first day I haven't heard her crying in pain. I did the same thing with her food and water today but increased the dose and she's now resting comfortably (or as comfortable as she can get in 95 degree heat). I still can't believe it. I'll never be without this stuff.
My 8 yr. old female had blood in her urine. Otherwise, except for going to box a lot, she acted fine. After now her second round of antibiotics- a different vet was able to express her urine when the vet from the "big clinic" couldn't. Anyway he gave her double;e strength Cllavamoc 2 x daily until finished, told me wet food only and use TI food ifto taper off if one cat was fixed on it. I have been giving My little female, Gracie, only wet food and some very diluted Apple Cider Vinegar at night. She is able to pee, clumps getting a lit bigger and still acts like nothing is wrong!
I feed her classic feast Fancy Feast chicken formula an some extra water but not so its runny, It's what she will eat and it's better I figure than dry food. BTW, when she got sick she was eating Wellness grain=free canned every morning and Merrick Whole Earth farms chicken recipe. I called the Merrick co and they said the dry magnesium level was.0.07 but phosphorus was 1.9.
If you research phosphorus, it is not good to be too high with all the concern about mag., I never even asked about phosphorus level until kitty got sick and I started researching.
I use D-Mannose Powder for my cat's UTI that I learned about from Karen Becker, Holistic Vet. I have always guessed at the dose for my cat. She hasn't had any bladder infections since - and we almost lost her from a severe one that came back a month later.
My cat Simon is 12 yrs. old. He's had UTI three different times - when he was 2 yrs. old, 4 and 5 yrs. old. He was eating Iams dry food when he was a kitten until he had his first UTI and I took him to the vet. Then he was eating prescription science diet wet food and AGAIN got it! After the third time I decided to switch to an all natural wet food. He's a fussy eater but I finally found one that he likes, the Wellness brand. I give him half a can in the morning and I add filtered water and the other half later in the day, again with the added filtered water. It is a mixture in between stew and soup. I was told not to feed him any seafood ingredients because that increases the chances of getting the UTI, so I only give him chicken and turkey flavors. He loves it and I do too!!! I know he is getting the best ingredients along with his water intake. He hasn't had an issue in 7 years and he eats better than I do.
Could not afford a $300.00 vet bill for possible feline-flu, UTI and respiratory infection that led to one miserable, 11 year old kittycat. After much research, I did the following and healed my cat 80% in 24 hours:
rubbed neck, chest, body with 1-1 ratio Organic ACV & water (cotton ball);
dipped front paws in ACV/water mixture;
Put a 1/2 bottle cap of ACV in drinking water bowl (holds 3 cups water);
Mixed crushed 500mg cap L-Lysine and 1/3 small dropper of silver hydrosol in wet (grain free/milk free) food.
I will continue the procedure daily until he is 100%. Then, I will cut the silver hydrosol and L-Lysine down to once monthly. I was also told that putting a tsp. of VCO on his back (weekly) and allowing it to melt down, then massage it in helps with flea control. Our 11yr old tabby-baby is cuddling once again. Also, I caught the flu myself and fast-tracked my recovery by taking 500mg L-Lysine twice daily.
I just joined and had to comment on your poor kitties demise...I went through the same thing with my Muppet, a 6-year old male cat. Flew to the vet and he told me that Muppet couldn't pee and was basically poisoning himself. Muppet stayed at the vet 3 days, he's on the Hills C/D urinary diet and has been doing great. Vet said he sees cats coming in like this usually on Monday b/c symptoms start on Thursday and by Monday the cat is on death's doorstep. I also realized that a previous cat I owned with similar symptoms died unnecessarily due to a misdiagnosis by a vet I no longer use.
Last summer, my 2 yo male cat Sonny was straining to urinate. I have had cats in the past, but had not seen this behavior, and wasn't sure what it was, so I probably let it go on a few days longer than I should have, before taking him to the vet. $700 "surgery" later, I was sent home from my vets office with a new bag of "specialty" dry cat food designed to help with crystals in his urinary tract. Within 24 hours, Sonny was back to straining in his box. I was so scared and so frustrated. Then I found this site. Within 24 hours of switching to wet cat food, and giving Apple Cider Vinegar 4 times per day into his mouth with a dropper, he was no longer struggling to urinate. So happy.
Fast forward about 1 year. I had just gotten a new kitten, and he came from the rescue with a bag of dry kitten food. Kitty does fine with the dry food, although I have been switching him to wet. Sonny had been eating dry kitten food instead of his wet food. Something I probably should have anticipated. Another urinary blockage!! No urine output at all. It was very scary. This time I decided to give it 12 hours, ACV every 2 hours, lots of wet food, and if not better, I would call the vet. No need! Within 6- 8 hours or so, he was going like a champ!
My best advice is to get rid of your dry cat food. It's terrible for kitty. They need water.. Even the worst wet cat food is 10x better than the most expensive dry food. If you feed wet food exclusively, hopefully you won't need the ACV, but if you do, it should do the trick! After diluting with water 1:1, I use a dropper to get it into the corner of his mouth. He hates the taste, and foams at the mouth. It's not pretty, but it works. And he gets treats after, so he gets over it. 😀
Posted by Pam E. (SW California) on 06/09/2024 148 posts ★★★★★
I believe this! My cats get Coconut oil for several reasons:
More fuel for energy ... Hairball prevention & treatment ... Stomach ache from eating who knows what from who knows where - at these times it has so far always worked within an hour after they've ingested it - BUT - when they are in such pain that they won't eat or drink ANYthing (despite C.O. being a TOP favorite of theirs) I spread it (softened) on the fur of a front paw/lower-leg, and eventually they force themselves to lick it off ... and an hour later they go to their dinner bowl & ask to be fed, eating it alll up, with no more problems! I also used it topically & orally on a 2x2" infected skin wound. It initially loosened the dried puss covering it so the feral cat was able to remove it, then kept it clear of infection. It needed some help to heal back up, tho, & I found that 1 drop of GrapeFruit Seed Extract (1 part GFSE + 2 parts Glycerine, by Nutribiotics) 2x daily with meals is what it needed, and he healed up beautifully, all fur growing in perfectly!
It's everything it's cracked up to be by those who use & truly appreciate it! Don't listen to the nay-sayers! . The article on this site about it + many reviews *>
"Coconut Oil: Add This Versatile Home Remedy to Your Pet's Food" - How Coconut Oil Can Benefit Your Pet . - Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker HDVM - Dec 14,2022 https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/coconut-oil-why-you-should-feed-your-pets/
I have used both colloidal silver and mannose (d-mannose) with great success to treat cat UTI's. They have worked better for me than the ACV. The mannose can be purchased at health food stores or online. It is much cheaper online--about $20 for a 3oz. Bottle of powder. You mix it either into the liquid colloidal silver or into a small amount of water and feed with a syringe. It works best if given on an empty stomach. I try to give it every 3-4 hours if the UTI is acute. The colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic and the d-mannose makes it so that the microorganisms causing the UTI can't stick to the bladder wall and so are flushed out. For cats prone to recurrent UTI problems, I would try a cat food formulated for UTI issues like Wysong "Uretic" dry food. Putting a little bit of pure ascorbic acid powder (vitamin C) into their food works good for maintenance as well if they'll put up with the taste. (Only use a TINY bit. ) This combo has worked wonders for my kitties!
Posted by Alan (Greensboro, Nc) on 02/17/2012 ★★★★★
My older male cat Demetry was having the classic symptoms for a UTI and I researched information online and this was one site that I used. He had gotten to the point of trying to pee about every 30 min and the urine looked like straight blood about a quarter size to half dollar and I knew I had to do something. I also spoke to a vet and he suggested using food only labeled as specific to helping prevent UTI's.
Combining the information I found here and at other sites I began by using a oral syringe with a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar as well as trying to add a small amount to his food. He was not taking well to these treatments and he reduced his consumption greatly even if I just dipped my finger in the vinegar and swirled it into his wet food. So I changed my tactic and started feeding him wet food 3 times a day when I could and adding a decent amount of water, up to 3 tablespoons per third of a can of food and mixed it well with a fork.
I saw an improvement by the first day and by day 5 he seems to be back to normal. I do not see any blood in his urine, he is using the litter box again, and he is not constantly getting up to pee. I am still feeding him more wet food than I used to and adding water and he has a bowl of dry food (both are UTI foods) but does not eat much of that anymore, where that used to be his main diet.
Although the vinegar treatment did not seem to work for me, I believe that I was able increase his water consumption along with the proper foods and had success. I believe I will continue this treatment for another 3 weeks or so, but maybe I should continue to add water to his food from now on. He is a large cat, about 13 pounds, and I do not want to cause him to become unhealthy by gaining weight.
Posted by Gerald (Columbus, Ohio Usa) on 12/25/2010 ★★★★★
WARNING! If you try this and don't see fast results, you cat probably has 100% blockage and needs to go to the vet immediately!! Don't waste any Time! To those who are coming looking to find relief for a male cat with Urinary blockage. I thought I would pass on what I have learned with my 14 year old male cat. He has had these problems all his life, so in the past we had to deal with it on a regular basis. First, to get a immediate results most people are not using a strong enough Apple Cider Vinegar solution, it should be either 1/3 AVC to 2/3 water or A 50/50 Ratio (A Warning about the 50% ratio, at this strength, many cats will throw it up, so try the 1/3 ratio first) So if you are going to mix it up for use, put 1 teaspoon ACV to 2 teaspoons water. You should give this directly to your cat via dropper or syringe. Every pet owner should have a pet syringe, they are not expensive and every pet store carrys them. At this level of AVC you should see immediate results with your cat. You need a higher level, because you want to dissolve the crystals quickly. Put the AVC in the wet food as well, but if you have a cat in distress, you need to take a more direct approach.
As to how much to give at one time or how often..... As much as they will let you and as often as you can get away with. If I give this level of ACV to my cat, I get immediate results. Now as to why this is happening.... The quick answer is dry food. Male cats that eat only wet food rarely have these problems. Grains are NOT a cats natural diet (you don't see wild cats attacking corn fields do you?) Cats, unlike Dogs are obligate carnivores, the majority of there natural diet is made up of meat. While your cat is having these problems, it is especially important NOT to feed them any dry food. Keep it wet, and add the AVC to it.
What finally worked for my cat was wet food only and we switched him to a raw food diet. That means he eats raw meat that I make for him. When he went off commercial food and on raw, his skin problems quit, his allergies also (he was allergic to the grains, his coat got glossy, his energy level went up. After he went on a raw wet food diet, he never had another urinary problem and it's been years. My vet can't believe the change in our animals, he knows I feed a raw food diet, but as his practice sells commercial pet food, I doubt he will tell his other customers about it. Do not just start feeding your cat raw meat, do your research... Things need to be added to make sure our friends stay healthy.
Posted by Marion (Renton, Washington) on 02/17/2008 ★★★★★
My female cat had multiple UTI's over a year. After several episodes of expensive antibiotics I decided to take a holistic approach. She has been taking 250mg. of vitamin C added to a tsp. of canned cat food for the past 3 months, and so far no UTI's.
My cat had 2 uti and the vet put cat on purina urinary focus. You said your cat was on fancy feast, so was my cat. Is your cat still on that cat food? How did you prevent uti in your cat?
I read another post on EC that feeding cats seafood dry cat food can give a cat a UTI, especially the cheaper brand cat foods. I have three cats and one of them ended up with a UTI after eating seafood dry cat food so I took ACV soaked into a cotton ball and added it to the back of her neck three times a day for a couple days and it went away and never came back. I changed their dry food to an expensive brand to avoid my one cat ever getting another UTI. There is a video on EC that shows how to apply the ACV to the back of the neck. It's as simple as I have mentioned. My female dog had a UTI and I soaked her two front paws in ACV and the UTI went away and never came back. You can also add ACV to the back of the dog's neck, but I found soaking her paws did the trick faster. She licked her paws after soaking them which also helped getting into her system.
I have successfully used diluted ACV on my cats with a UTI. IM HAVING TROUBLE BELIEVING the person who said they used ACV and didnt work and cats died. Unless cat had something else wrong with it also.
Posted by Irene (Orange, New Jersey) on 07/15/2020
Agree completely with last person. One of my male cats died a few weeks ago from a bad urinary blockage. Acute went to critical in one weekend, of course when regular Vet offices are closed and special pet emergency clinics charge a fortune which is disgraceful. Heck, they don't even return phone messages or emails. These animals are not like cars not starting -- flesh & blood the doctors take an oath to care treat. I only once had to try the AVC remedy and it worked on two cats. That was years ago. Now I have a male not peeing and a female barely peeing. They're not pooping much cause they're eating little. I tried three days of ACV & antibiotics. No results. I'm going to try something different again with ACV. It is so stressful for caretakers. I've shared my home with cats for 50 years. Only one death from kidney trouble. Cat was 23 yrs old! Nowadays cats keep getting sick with urinary and GI problems. It's gotta be the food.
What great advice! I completely agree with you about cats needing wet food. I had similar reoccurring issues with 1 of my cats. They've all been switched to wet food now but they would not touch anything with ACV in it - no matter how diluted.
Posted by Rachel (Adelaide, South Australia) on 01/05/2012 ★★★★★
My family and I were sitting in the lounge room when we heard a scratching noise coming from the kitchen. I went into the kitchen just in time to find our 12 year old male neutered cat peeing red urine on the wall. We quickly made a vet appointment and saw him that same afternoon. The vet said that he most likely has a urinary tract infection and said that we could have the choice of either an injection or tablet of antibiotics. So we accepted the injection.
We already had ACV (with mother) in the fridge and started mixing it with his food. Zac is a total indoor cat, but during this time he was obsessed about being outside and peeing every 5 minutes, digging holes everywhere, which is very unlike him because naturally he will hold his urine for 8 hours or longer and then do a long wee.
We kept the bathroom doors open for him because he didn't want to pee in the litter tray (because they associate it with pain when they get an infection), overnight and the next morning we made the decision to ban all dry food, so I went out and bought some tuna and expensive cat food and then mixed some with ACV (diluted). All throughout the day we tried to keep his fluids up and even feeding him ACV with a dropper. I'm not sure how much went down his throat because it was frothing everywhere. You also have to make sure that you dilute it enough that it doesn't burn their throat.
Unfortunately, by Saturday night (we first noticed the blood on Thursday) Zac was still obsessed with peeing small amounts so we took him to the vet and got tablets and mixed it with food. I'd also like to say that if our cat couldn't pee at all, we would have taken him to the vet sooner instead of relying on ACV because it's very dangerous if cats are trying to pee and nothing comes out because then the toxins build up with nowhere to go.
Luckily, 24 hours later on Sunday night, he did a big long wee, like for 30 seconds, so we are guessing that it was the antibiotics, but it could have been the ACV as well.
Some changes we have made since having that scare was NO dry food for the cats at all. Dry food is NOT a natural part of cats' diets. Your cats are supposed to get their water from their meals, which is the wild would be carcasses. Dry food is too salty and not only does it take moisture out of their system, but it's a missed opportunity for them to be fed water with their meal. Which brings me to...
When giving them their two meals a day we mix about half a cup of filtered water and mix it up into a soup-like consistency so that the crystals don't have a chance to form and that their kidneys and urinary tract system gets flushed out regularly. This means that you will need to clean out your litter tray more often and/or remember to let your cat out to the toilet a few hours after their meal to empty their bladder.
I live in Australia so am able to find kangaroo meat and such from the supermarket, so we mix that with water (more on hot days and lukewarm water on cold days, your cat out in the wild would eat meat that is body temperature). And they love their meals. If you are concerned about the missing taurine in their diet, you can give them chicken hearts or liver from your butcher, just make sure to research about taurine because too much can be as dangerous as too little.
Ignore all of the commercials and your vet when they try to sell you their anti-UTI dry food. It is still dry food. Like many things, go back to basics and learn to research for yourself, because your vet is trying to earn money for their practice as well as diagnose your pet. You really can't go wrong with meat and springwater, but plenty can go wrong with dry food.
Lastly, never ever ever let your cat come into contact with Tea Tree Oil. It is safe for humans but NOT for cats, not even on their skin - it is TOXIC because the liver cannot handle it. It seeps through their skin, and shuts down their nervous system, paralyzing and even killing them.
My male cat developed a urinary tract infection--he kept going back and forth to the litter box straining to urinate and constantly meowing. I had been putting 2 or 3 drops of organic apple cider vinegar in my cats' water bowls for years. When my male cat's problem developed I started To put a couple of drops of organic apple cider vinegar on his lips for him to lick a couple of times a day. It didn't help. I took him to the vet, who gave him antibiotics and pain medication. It worked only for a few days. I had to bring my cat back to the vet two more times for stronger antibiotics and more pain medication, which cost me about $700. Once more, the urinary problem arose after a few days. The vet said my cat needed to drink more water. I remembered reading about and hearing from a friend who puts water in her cat's canned cat food bowl. To keep my cats' weight down, I had recently started giving my cats canned cat food only once a day and dry twice a day. But now I give the cats canned cat food (high quality) twice a day with about a quarter of a cup of distilled water mixed into each bowl. I also put 2 or 3 small drops of high quality olive oil in the canned cat food for hair balls. And I put in 2 drops of organic apple cider vinegar in my male cat's canned cat food bowl once daily. In addition, I give each cat 2 chewable cat vitamins daily. My female cat loves the vitamins and gladly eats them. But for my male cat, I press the vitamins into a powder and mix it with a very small amount of canned cat food, which I give him before His regular bowl of canned cat food which is mixed with water, etc. Also, I had been using a clumping cat litter. Remembering back 25 Years or so when clumping litter came onto the market, a kindly veterinarian told me he thought that the clumping litter might cause urinary tract problems in male cats. So just in case, I have now gone back to using a non-clumping litter. I don't have much problems now with litter tracking, so I like the non-clumping litter, as well. The good news is that my male cat has not had any urination problems for about a month now. I still also put 2 or 3 drops of organic apple cider vinegar in their water bowls daily--I use mostly distilled water. I still give them some good quality dry food daily, but a small amount twice a day. I'd rather do all this than pay hundreds of dollars for medication for my cat that doesn't work longer than a few days.
Are any of you familiar with Mycoplasma Haemofelis? Constant UTI could be a result that you cat has this. And although the cider helps it does not cure. It is a simple blood test smear. Google it and read about it. My cat has it. There are different levels and some can be cured. Other can have it their whole life. The only proper med is Doxicilina 50mg once a day for 3 to 4 weeks. Many Vets will not even think to test for this, but it is a worldwide problem.
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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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.
Posted by Mama26kids (Farmington Maine) on 01/26/2017 ★☆☆☆☆
Apple cider vinegar for cat's uti - I wanted this remedy to work for my cat, but unfortunately he died. I tried the emergency amount and also tried cod liver oil. I'm glad this worked for others, and we didn't have the money for the vet so we tried out best, but our boy didn't make it.
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