Does elevated water consumption from a wet food help alleviate problems with urinary tract health?
Yes. Part of the challenge with the crystal formation in the urine that leads to lower urinary tract infections is the super-saturation of the urine with mineral salts. Just like salt-in-water solutions when too much salt is added to water it reaches a point where it can hold no more and salt crystals fall out of solution. Similarly, methods to increase water intake, primarily through canned or wetted foods, have been shown to decrease the incidence of lower urinary tract disease (Markwell et al., 1998). In these circumstances the cat increases overall water consumption on a daily basis, the urine is more dilute (lower specific gravity), and the cat urinates more often. As an added bonus, the more frequent urination decreases the amount of time for crystal formation.
