Cheaper Alternative to Royal Canin Urinary S/O?

OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 09:13

As title states.

Our male cat had to undergo surgery for a blocked urethra in January 2023 and has been on Royal Canin Urinary S/O since at suggestion of the vet to stop it from happening again.

We've had the wet food 48 pack on a subscription with Budget Pet Products every 3 weeks so I haven't noticed the 36% inflation in twelve months:

$97.84 @ 03/01/23
$133.94 @ 26/02/24

I note the cheapest it can be had at the moment is $119.36 (on eBay with FEBSAVE code + Macquarie 2% off giftcards).

Is there any cheaper urinary friendly foods the OzBargain brains trust would suggest?

Pets Cat Food Pet Food Royal Canin

Comments

  • Kail on 06/03/2024 - 09:54
    +2

    What does the urinary food have in it that's so important? It's hard to tell from the ingredients list.
    Honestly I'm not sure how much better this stuff is compared to regular wet food with water added.
    You can either add the water straight to the pouch, or into the bowl before/after you pour the wet food.

    Best of luck finding something more affordable, that pricing is very high.

    • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 09:55

      Honestly it just appears to be strips of beef in a very watery gravy. I'm not sure there's much else to it than that - I'll need to consult the ingredient list when I get home.

      • Contrice on 06/03/2024 - 11:43
        +3

        I believe its to make the urine more acidic to help dissolve any crystal forming.

    • SydStrand on 06/03/2024 - 13:06
      +2

      Honestly I'm not sure how much better this stuff is compared to regular wet food with water added.

      That strategy only helps with kidney disease. If OP's cat got blocked, it's likely due to struvite crystalluria, and prescription food content is designed to lower pH to prevent this. So yes, it's not just bullshit.

      • Kail on 06/03/2024 - 13:55
        +1

        Interesting. If that's the case then the dry food version should work the same, right? It's definitely more affordable. Supplemental wet food could be mixed with water to make up for the lower moisture diet given it sounds like OP's cat doesn't care for the water fountain. Or maybe the move to dry food will encourage kitty to drink more.

  • JiggyJiggy361 on 06/03/2024 - 10:04
    +2

    My cat's recently gone from Royal Canin Urinary wet to Purina PRO PLAN Urinary and loves it even more than the Canin. About $100 for 48 at normal price.

    Previously tried to swap her dry from Royal Canin to Purina One (not the Pro Plan) but it caused her problems pretty early on. No problems with the wet at all though.

  • scotty on 06/03/2024 - 10:05
    +1

    Our cat is on Royal Canin Veterinary Urinary So Dry Cat Food. Actually our vet recommended dry food rather than wet pouch, and it's a lot more economical as well — 7kg lasts ~16 weeks.

    • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 13:50
      +1

      $114.95 / 16 weeks is a lot better lol. Think I'll transition to this + one wet pouch, thanks

      • scotty on 06/03/2024 - 14:10
        +1

        Yes the 7kg pack lasts our 6.5kg Russian Blue around 16 weeks (but our vet has been asking her to be on diet). Mix with water every now and then to force it to drink more water.

  • scovid on 06/03/2024 - 10:50
    +3

    I buy the wet and dry food ever since one of my cats has a urinary blockage.

    From the beginning I noticed how expensive the food was, however I slowly transitioned to feeding more Royal Canin Veterinary Urinary So Dry Cat Food and one wet food pouch a day.

    It's become a lot more economical. Don't take them off the prescription urinary diet without consulting your vet.

    Edit: Also feeding more dry food is dependant on how much water your cat drinks. Always have fresh water available (get a fountain to encourage more drinking), or mix some water in with the dry food if you notice your cat rarely drinks.

    • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 13:47
      +1

      Thanks for the tips. I think I'll be switching to your regime.

      I don't think I've ever seen him drink from the water fountain we have set up for him, but that may be because he's not eating dry food.

  • cramjo on 06/03/2024 - 11:07

    There is a Hills Urinary Care prescription diet I use in conjunction with the Royal Canin but it's around the same price.

    It seems there is a 30-40% off Royal Canin promo every 3-4 months… im just going to stock up next time it comes around.

    • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 13:46

      Do you mean the promo is across multiple stores or a particular one?

      • cramjo on 18/03/2024 - 09:01
        +1

        Just in general, usually one pops up every 3 or 4 months.

  • picklewizard on 06/03/2024 - 11:21
    +2

    Do you feed him the dry? We used to be on both the wet and dry but switched to dry only (with ordinary wet - Felix sensations - in the evening)

    • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 13:45
      +1

      At this stage wet only - one in the morning, two in the evening - however it looks like I'll be adding dry to the mix

      • picklewizard on 06/03/2024 - 21:40

        Far out that must be costing you a fortune! Ours only goes through around 0.5 - 0.75 cups of dry and the one pouch, but even at two pouches of normal food you'll save a heap (if he's partial to dry)

        • OZBMate8911 on 06/03/2024 - 22:48

          It is, hence the post! So glad I did now too

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