SBS Pet® for Urinary Tract Health in Cats
SBS Pet® (sodium bisulfate) is an acidifier that is well-suited for diets designed to promote urinary tract health. Lowering urine pH, reducing levels of dietary magnesium and phosphorus, and increasing urine volume are three ways a diet can help control the formation of struvite. For cat owners, foods that support urinary tract health are particularly of interest since struvite stones are among the most common bladder stones in cats.
SBS Pet effectively:
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Lowers urine pH |
Does not add phosphorus to the diet |
Helps promote increased water consumption |
Combined, these abilities make it a great natural option for inclusion in diets focused on urinary tract health.
Understanding Feline Struvite Stones
Often found in younger cats who have been sterilized, struvite stones tend to form in highly concentrated alkaline urine. They are composed of a mineral called struvite, which is a combination of ammonium, phosphate, and magnesium. Three types of struvite uroliths (or stones) are found in cats, including amorphous urethral plugs, which are thought to form as the result of certain dietary ingredients. Cats who consume high amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, chloride, and fiber have a higher chance of developing struvite stones.
Fortunately, struvite stones can often be dissolved, rather than requiring surgical removal. Treatment focuses on reducing urine pH while also reducing urine magnesium concentrations; this is most often accomplished through a special diet formulation.
Assessing the Qualities of Acidifiers: SBS Pet vs Phosphoric Acid
Acidifiers are often used in pet food for pH stabilization and preservation, as well as for feline urine acidification. The two most common options for acidification are SBS Pet and 85% phosphoric acid.
SBS Pet offers the added benefits, as compared to its competitors, of being:
- a natural product that acidifies the diet without affecting the calcium/phosphorus ratio
- A human food grade acidifier that is made in the USA
- A cost-effective solution with stable supply for manufacturers.
- A dry mineral acid that is very safe and easy to handle and store. Given the hazardous nature of some acidifiers, this is an important distinction.
Learn how your pet food formulation can benefit from our natural acidifier. Contact us today to discuss the implications.