Feeding guide for struvite prevention or FLUTD in adult cats
With CompleteMe Urinary Feline
Make high moisture, high protein therapeutic cat food with controlled magnesium and phosphorus at home quickly and easily.
Choose the meats and other ingredients you would like to use with our simple, flexible guide. If preferred, select novel or well-tolerated proteins for cats with IBD.
Makes 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and frozen.
Ingredients
1 kilogram of lean raw muscle meat (2-5% fat)
Please see the FAQs below for options for meat types and cuts.
Leaner meats may reduce urine pH to a greater degree than fattier meats. Some cats with pancreatitis and/or overweight cats may respond positively to a moderate fat diet.
30 grams CompleteMe Urinary Feline
1/2 cup (125 mL) of water
Optional:
200 grams of cooked zucchini (grated or finely diced)
Adding zucchini to the diet will further increase the moisture content without adding a significant amount of carbohydrate.
1 mL of omega-3-rich oil
(choose from: fish oil, salmon oil, krill oil, marine algae oil)
For cats with concurrent IBD, algae oil may be a good choice.
1 to 2 teaspoons of prebiotic fibre
(choose from: chia seeds, oat or barley bran, psyllium husk, inulin, FOS (fructooligosaccharides), hydrolyzed collagen or gelatine).
10-20 grams of other nutrient-dense foods
(choose from: liver or other offal, or sardine or mackerel fillets).
Directions
Batch prep with raw meat:
- Dice or grind the raw meat, as desired.
- Combine with 30 grams CompleteMe Urinary Feline, and half a cup of water, and mix well.
- Portion and refrigerate, or freeze.
Batch prep with cooked meat:
- Gently cook the diced or ground meat in a pot or slow cooker with 50-80 mL water, until cooked (20-30 minutes).
- Allow to cool, then combine the cooked meat (including liquid from pot), 30 grams of CompleteMe Urinary Feline, and half a cup of water, and mix well.
- Portion and refrigerate, or freeze.
Storage and safety
Do not add to any commercial cat food, or use with any other nutritional supplements (containing vitamins and/or minerals).
For raw meat, freeze for 10 days before use to destroy parasites like Toxoplasma. In areas with Trichinella, please freeze pork for 3 weeks before use. In areas with highly pathogenic avian influenza, we recommend avoiding raw poultry.
Larger batches can be made and frozen for convenience. Keep refrigerated food for 3 days, and frozen food for 3-4 months. Please discard any uneaten food after 30 minutes.
Feeding guidelines
Based on your cat's body weight, these amounts (per day) may be a good starting point:
2 kg: 80-100 g
3 kg: 110-130 g
4 kg: 130-160 g
5 kg: 160-190 g
6 kg: 180-220 g
7 kg: 200-240 g
8 kg: 220-270 g
Adjust up or down based on your cat's size, age, body condition, and activity level. Most cats eat 2-4% of their body weight daily. This is a general guideline; please consult with your cat's veterinarian as needed.
We recommend feeding 4-8 small meals per day. In cats, meal frequency and the resulting "postprandial alkaline tide" (a drop in blood and urine pH that occurs after eating) are important to consider.
Feeding larger meals less frequently can increase the magnitude of the postprandial alkaline tide, potentially promoting struvite formation. Conversely, feeding smaller, more frequent meals may help to reduce the alkaline tide and reduce the risk of struvite recurrence.
For underweight cats, we recommend calculating your cat's energy requirement and required grams per day with the help of your cat's veterinarian. Similarly, for overweight cats, please discuss a weight management plan with your vet.
Be sure to monitor your cat's weight regularly; an at-home digital baby scale makes this very quick and easy.
Nutritional information
Food made as per the instructions above is complete and balanced, and meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profile for maintenance in adult cats.
It is not suitable for growth and should not be fed to kittens or reproducing females.
The average kcal/gram for the diet is: 0.85 kcal/gram
This is relatively low, due to the high water content of the diet. Please make sure you are feeding enough to maintain body weight and condition.
The average moisture for the diet is: 73.5%
With the added zucchini, as per instructions above: 77%
The average protein for the diet is:
228.5 g per 1000 kcal ME
69% on a dry matter basis
The average fat for the diet is:
37 g per 1000 kcal ME
17.1% on a dry matter basis
Average phosphorus for the diet is:
1.55 g per 1000 kcal ME
0.7% dry matter basis
Average magnesium for the diet is:
0.25 g per 1000 kcal ME
0.11% dry matter basis
All possible combinations are high in protein, ultra-low in carbohydrate, high in moisture, and have controlled phosphorus, magnesium and sodium.
FAQs
What meats can I use?
A large number of meats and cuts can be used with CompleteMe Urinary Feline. Variety is important; we strongly recommend feeding a range of different meat types and cuts. It is important to choose leaner meats, as this helps to acidify the urine. Try to include different textures as well, for example, chunks, small strips, mince, etc.
- Poultry:
Skinless and boneless chicken thigh, drumstick or breast, mince (2-3% fat), gizzards, hearts (fat trimmed off)
Skinless and boneless turkey or duck breast
Skinless and boneless quail meat, pheasant, goose or pigeon - Pork:
Extra-lean pork mince or diced pork loin with 5% fat, rump steak (untrimmed) - Lamb, beef, goat, or venison:
Extra-lean diced lamb or goat meat (including heart or tongue) with 5% fat
Lean venison fillet or steak (e.g. shoulder, backstrap, rump eye, leg steak)
Extra-lean (5 star) beef mince, gravy or chuck beef with 5% fat, blade, round or rump steak (fat trimmed off), eye fillet or topside roast or steak (fat trimmed off) - Game meat:
Lean kangaroo mince or steak with 2-3% fat
Wild or farmed boneless rabbit or hare meat
Emu fan fillet or flat fillet (1-3% fat)
Wild boar backstrap, boneless leg, or loin chops
Crocodile tail or leg meat (2-3% fat)
Why add extra fibre or omega-3 to my cat's diet?
For some cats, the included fibre in CompleteMe Urinary Feline will be adequate to ensure healthy stools. However, particular cats (for example, older cats, inactive cats, overweight cats) may be at risk of constipation, and therefore benefit from some more fibre in their diet. Added fibre can also help to support a healthy gut microbiome, and there is plenty of evidence that indigestible parts of an animal carcass, like collagen in tendons, can act as fibre in the diet of wild cats.
Extra omega-3 can also benefit some cats. For example, large cats like Maine coons can be at increased risk of joint disease, and feeding an omega-3-rich diet may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Overweight cats or older cats may also benefit, given their increased risk of arthritis.
Can I add offal to the diet?
Yes, you can add up to 20 grams (per kilogram of raw muscle meat) of additional liver, kidney, pancreas or spleen to the diet. Heart, gizzards and tongue can be used as muscle meats; please trim off visible white fat around the base of the heart before using.
Can I use raw meat?
You can include the meat raw or cooked, depending on preference. We strongly recommend human-grade meat for any meat that is fed raw. Please discuss raw-feeding with your cat's veterinarian; raw feeding is not necessarily suitable for all cats or households. Cooked diets can be just as nutritious and the food safety risks are obviously lower.
My cat needs a low phosphorus diet; can I feed this?
For cats with chronic kidney disease needing a low phosphorus diet, we recommend using CompleteMe Renal Feline.
We are very mindful of phosphorus in all our feline products, though. CompleteMe Urinary Feline contains no added water-soluble phosphates, like dipotassium phosphate or sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP). High dietary water-soluble phosphates may contribute to the development of chronic kidney disease in cats. Total phosphorus in the product is controlled and recipes just meet the AAFCO minimum requirement for adult cats.
Where can I buy omega-3 supplements or fibre?
We recommend buying krill oil or marine algae oil capsules via iHerb. Some high quality brands with algae oil that contains both EPA and DHA include Nordic Naturals Algae Omega, Sports Research Vegan Omega-3, and Wanderlust Plant Omega-3 (Australia only from Chemist Warehouse). If you would prefer to avoid capsules, consider Dog By Dr Lisa omega-3 oil, or Adored Beast Potent-Sea Omega-3.
For krill oil and fish oil, look for MSC-certified products; Sports Research is good for krill oil. Do not purchase flavoured fish oils (for example, fish oil with added lemon oil). Nordic Naturals Pet Omega-3 is unflavoured; so are most Now Foods fish oil capsules (discard the capsule shells).
For fibre supplements, iHerb can also be a good choice. However, many options are available from supermarkets or pharmacies (for example, plain psyllium husk or chia seeds). Barley bran may be harder to find and need to be ordered online.
Need to restock?
CompleteMe Urinary Feline
CompleteMe Urinary Feline contains essential nutrients, omega-3, fibre, and therapeutic compounds to create a balanced, very high moisture urinary diet at home.
Formulated for the prevention and/or management of:
- Struvite crystals or stones (uroliths)
- Feline idiopathic cystitis/FLUTD
- Calcium oxalate crystals or stones (uroliths)
- Stress and anxiety
Suitable for raw or cooked diets, depending on preference. For homemade diets only; not suitable for commercial diets.
Must be used with our simple feeding guides to create a therapeutic diet. Choose the ingredients you would like to use and add CompleteMe Urinary Feline to ensure the diet is balanced and appropriate.
Both the product and feeding guides were developed by VNG's two Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists®, Dr Becca Leung and Dr Meredith Wall.
Please note that the product is intended for the prevention of struvite crystals/stones, rather than dissolution.