Royal Canin Urinary S/O is designed to support your cats urinary health and reduce the risk of urinary crystal and stone formation. It can also be used to dissolve struvite bladder stones.

Bladder stones are formed when mineral crystals in the urine combine to form stone like structures that sit in the bladder. Crystals and stones can come in many different mineral compositions, the most common two are struvite (magnesium, ammonium and phosphate) and calcium oxalate.

Signs of bladder problems in cats include:

• Straining to urinate
• Blood tinged urine
• Frequently urinating small amounts
• Urinating in unusual places
• Reduced appetite, lethargy and restlessness
• Excessive licking of the urinary opening

If a plug of crystals becomes lodged in a male cats urethra it can cause him to become blocked (unable to pass urine) which is a life threatening emergency. If you suspect that your cat is unable to urinate, you must contact your veterinarian immediately for emergency care.

Once bladder stones form they often require surgery to remove them, although some may be dissolved over time with the correct urinary support diet. If the underlying cause is not addressed after the stones are removed, crystals will persist in the urine causing them to build up again. Usually your veterinarian will recommend feeding a prescription urinary support diet as part of your cat?s treatment plan.

Royal Canin Urinary S/O creates an acidic urine pH, effectively dissolving struvite stones and helping prevent their reoccurrence. It helps to decrease the concentration of crystals present in your cats urine by increasing their water intake to actively dilute the urine. It also creates undersaturated urine, which is an environment in which crystals cannot proliferate, helping to reduce the recurrence of struvite and calcium oxalate stones. Urinary S/O contains low levels of magnesium, one of the main building blocks of struvite stones. In older cats, kidney function should be checked before Urinary S/O is prescribed.

Not recommended for chronic renal failure, metabolic acidosis, heart failure, hypertension, in conjunction with the use of urine acidifying drugs, pregnancy, lactation, or in growing kittens.