Types of Urinary Crystals in Cats

Urinary crystals can be a serious health issue for cats. There are several different types of crystals that can form. Struvite crystals — magnesium ammonium phosphate — used to be the most common type of urinary crystal in felines. Twenty years ago, approximately seventy-five percent of urinary crystals were struvite crystals! As a result, prescription diets used to focus on preventing struvite crystals. The diets were low in magnesium. It worked — by the late 1990s, struvite crystals were to blame for less than fifty percent of urinary crystal problems. Still, struvite crystals are the most common urinary crystal seen … Continue reading

Why Does My Body Need Phosphorus?

Phosphorus is a mineral that has many useful roles for the body. It is used in energy metabolism, to help the body use some B-complex vitamins, for muscle and nerve function, and for kidney function. But one of the most important roles of phosphorus is to help the body maintain its calcium balance. This mineral is essential to the formation of bones and teeth, and bone and tooth health throughout all stages of life. Cool phosphorus fact: approximately one percent of an adult’s total body weight is phosphorus. However, most of that phosphorus (about 85%) lives in your bones and … Continue reading