[Carol K]

Have been feeding Nutra Nuggets to all my dogs for years. All of a sudden one dog has bladder stones so bad she had to have surgery and I got a big bill. Then 2 weeks later another dog got a bad UTI but no stones . Another of my friends feeds same dog food and one of her dogs is having same problems. I’m now having to buy very expensive dog food for the bladder. We don’t know the cause, both dogs are adults and never had any problems before. Vet suspects the food. What changed? Is it the dog food formula? Is the manufacturer supposed to inform the public if/when changed formula? Why are none of my other dogs sick if it’s the food? Thanks, I needed to vent. CK

[Meredith M]

Royal Canin makes a veterinary diet called “Adult Satiety Support Weight Management” that my Vet put our dog on for bladder stones. We use this because she is prone to weight gain but it also has the SO properties.

[nicole E]

Hi All,

My 5 month old Vizsla had a bladder infection. We found this out because he was peeing while he slept. We were able to get him in 3 weeks of antibiotics which cleared his urine of any infection. We tested him again due to incontinence and he has a 9 PH.

We put him in hills for 4 weeks with no change.

We are now introducing cornucopia wet foods as well as glucsocamine and cranberry supplements.

It’s been 4 days and he is still peeing while he sleeps. I know I should probably give it more time… but I’m worried about stones or an ectopic ureter. Does anyone have any experience with this! I don’t want to over supplement him either. I just think an ultrasound/x ray will rule some more serious things out. I don’t even know how much they cost … I’m sure it’s expensive but this poor little guy is not improving!

Thanks for any comments or advice!

[Brenda I]

My 4 yr old Pug, Luna, developed kidney stones, ureter stones; we ended up in ER with hydoflush and aggressive medications to flush stones into Bladder. After 7 days they were able to flush them out and she came home without surgery.
Vet gave her R.C. SO food and Hills C/D.
4 days later she almost died due to severe pancreatitis. The Vet was “preparing” us.
She got a miracle and came home 36 hrs later with 5 medications and
R.C. Gastrointestinal food.
She is doing good with this food…
We have 2 Dr appts with Internal Medicine in Boston on how to help her kidneys AND pancreatitis.
We also have an appt with Nutritionist.
Having said that, the only food ( In My Opinion) that I have found in my research for all this; that can do both Kidneys and Pancreatitis is
Hills Rx Gastrointestinal BIOME.
I have not yet asked Vet about this food. But I have researched it.

Check it out.

[Cara G]

We have had success in using an antiseptic mousse, as our vet recommended, to prevent future bladder stones. This has worked but you have to do it EVERY time after your pet goes to the bathroom. It’s a pain but so worth it. We use Royal Canin Gastrointestinal dry and wet food for her pancreatitis. We add water each meal to further help prevent stone formation.

[Tammie B]

Good morning Tracey! I’m so sorry your babies are going thru this! I give my baby a supplement that eliminated his incontinence and I have a friend who had great success eliminating the bladder stones/crystals. If you’d like more info, just let me know. He’s a yorkie and has had bouts of pancreatitis, haven’t had any of that in a very long time. He may not be as prone as your babies, but I’m happy to share what and why I feed what I do. He does have horrible allergies and was on apoquel for years, successfully off apoquel and on an all natural supplement now.

[Tammie B]

Hi, this is a rather in depth video, but crystals and stones are the first topic. Please feel free to reach out to me via fb with any questions or concerns. My Harley had a UTI and as a senior, started leaking. Unfortunately we discovered this because he sleeps with us and waking up to a wet bed is no fun. I started giving him the Bladder Support and no more leaks! He gets it everyday. I have a friend who’s baby had crystals, and haven’t had any issues since starting the bladder support. Here’s a link to the video I mentioned.

https://www.facebook.com/117246353015706/videos/2876111409326853

[Piki G]

My dog Tapi succumbed to death a month ago, from pancreatic complications after he was placed on the bladder stone diet. He had just turned 8 (his breed lives for about 16 years).

Tapi always had a bit of a weak stomach; couldn’t tolerate fatty food. He was placed on a low fat diet all his life. I was never told why (& I never asked why) except for the fact that this diet suited him, so nothing to worry!

Upon having a detailed discussion with the doctor who saw him last, I understood that a possible reason why Tapi couldn’t tolerate fatty food was most likely a sign of underlying chronic pancreatitis.

Every year Tapi suffered from seasonal allergies and his vet prescribed him Prednisone. I am told now that Prednisone affects the pancreas. Supposedly Apoquel is a better alternative with milder side effects.

The irony is Tapi could have continued with his low fat GI diet post surgery; all the doc needed to do was to add an enzyme to his diet to prevent the bladder stones from forming. It was just that simple.

What I learnt from this is to not change your pets food all of a sudden, especially if the pet is on a special diet. There is always a way around it.

[Lori H]

Hi Glenn,

My dog also has Cushing’s among other things and if you are willing to change up your dog’s diet, I highly recommend reaching out to Rick. Buddy was a mess before finding Rick. He had been diagnosed with Cushing’s and diabetes. He had recently undergone surgery to removed bladder stones from him urethra and also the liver failure diagnosis over three years ago and my vet prepared me for the fact that he was going to die. It was a lot and I was so overwhelmed, but I was not willing to accept that he was going to die so I started doing research online. I found Rick and the rest is history. Buddy is still here and a little over 13 years old and healthy and happy. The diet saved and changed his life.

Below is Buddy’s story off of Rick’s website.
https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Good luck and I hope you find the direction you need to make changes for your dog.

Lori

[Cara G]

My Mattie is doing well now after a lot of experimentation by my vet. Hopefully this can help someone else’s pet! My vet took her off the Royal Canine GI low fat and put her on the Royal Canine Urinary after her bladder stones(calcium oxalate) were surgically removed. This was a huge mistake to switch her food!! She developed the Pancreatitis which is SO much worse. We immediately returned her to Royal Canine Gastrointestinal low fat dry and wet food, plus I give her several Royal Canine GI snacks a day. She is also on one Denamarin pill each morning an hour before eating her first meal. I have to give it to her with a small amount of her GI wet food. Then twice a day after eating she gets a syringe of the compounded prescription Ursodiol (my vet sent the prescription to my pharmacy to compound). She finally is back to her old self and feels wonderful! We check her liver enzymes every two months now and they continue to go down. We also check her urine which is now normal. The following is what we are doing to prevent future bladder stones from forming: I feed her four small meals a day. A scoop of dry with water twice a day and 1/4 can of wet with lots of water twice a day. The water has her peeing the crystals out before they can form stones! I do have to take her out more frequently but it is so worth it! My vet recommended the wet in addition to the dry because it has so much more water in it than the dry. Plus he recommended to add even more water to it, which I do. My Mattie is 11 pounds and my vet has told me exactly how much to feed her so she will not gain wait. I give her 1/4 cup of dry twice a day and 1/4 of wet twice a day. So far so good!!

[Piki G]

My 8 years old Daisy (mixed breed) have been on Royal Canine GI low fat diet his entire life until he developed bladder stones (calcium oxalate) and was put on Hills c/d diet. He was on this diet for about a month, and ended up getting pancreatitis.

I too am struggling to find a diet suitable for both conditions, but am leaning towards home cooking just because I don’t understand /rely on dog food anymore.

He is on boiled white rice, boiled chicken, boiled carrots and bone broth to begin with, while still trying to figure out a balanced diet.

He surely is suffering way more from pancreatitis than from his stones and bladder surgery.

[Patricia A]

Wow that’s a lot of abnormal symptoms without the vet resolving any. Seems like they are guessing and giving possibly unneeded medications since it never resolved the problems. No definitive diagnosis of hypothyroidism but put on that medication could cause more symptoms .
Has the vet given a cause of the constant UTI’s? Were these her symptoms?
( The most common cause of UTIs in dogs is bacteria, which enters upwards through the urethral opening. The bacteria can develop when feces or debris enter the area, or if your dog’s immune system is weakened from lack of nutrients.
In most cases, E. coli is the bacterium that causes such infections. In more severe, but less common cases, causes include cancer, bladder disease, kidney disease and stones, diabetes, bladder inflammation or infection, spinal cord abnormalities, and prostate disease.)
Symptoms of UTIs in Dogs
Bloody and/or cloudy urine
Straining or whimpering during urination
Accidents in the house
Wanting to be let outside more frequently
Dribbling urine
Licking around urinary opening
Fever
If not then is it possible she never had constant UTI’s? Because if she did they at least should have found a cause and preventive treatment.
Also is it possible she has chronic pancreatitis? Then a change in dog food and given high protein and low fat diet should help. But worst thing is the constant switching of food . This will give stomach pain and diarrhea . Any switch has to be done VERY VERY VERY slowly to get used to. With the chicken was it ONLY white meat? Normally if a dog has pancreatitis they can tolerate WHITE meat boiled chicken (not from store bought seasoned already) and plain rice. Give this for a few days and a few times a day and see if she tolerated that. Give a break from meds and all the switching of foods and just work on her digestion first possibly. Have a calm place for her to eat with no excitement so the food doesn’t go right through her if she’s an anxious by nature dog. Hope this helps a little If not take her back to vet for some definitive tests and answers.

[Patricia A]

Maybe a starting point would be to find a food low in fat but has a good protein level. I feed freeze dried raw. This way with the hydration they are getting plenty of water. I also stick to only the LOW IN FAT proteins because my one would get diarrhea with the high fat. So maybe the best you can do with diet is the hard task of helping with the pancreatitis as well as the bladder stones is the high protein/low fat diet.
I read this in Whole Dog Journal
Low-protein diets have also been shown to predispose dogs to pancreatitis, especially when combined with high fat intake. Some prescription diets may be a concern, such as those prescribed to dissolve struvite bladder stones; to prevent calcium oxalate, urate, or cystine stones; and to treat kidney disease; especially for breeds prone to pancreatitis.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Patricia A.

[Cara G]

Patricia thank you for your insight but my main issue is preventing the pancreatitis flare ups while preventing future bladder stones. Royal Canin Soho prevents future stones but does not deal with the Pancreatitis. Royal Canin Gastrointestinal deals with the pancreatitis. What I’m looking for is a food that does BOTH.

[Patricia A]

There are different types of stones with different reasons for formations. However, hydration is a big key in all stones to prevent recurrence. Helpful article below for Calcium oxalate stones.
Nutritional management of Calcium Oxalate stones

While it can be difficult to completely prevent your dog developing calcium oxalate stones (particularly if they have a genetic predisposition to it), there are some things that you can do to decrease your dog’s chances of developing bladder stones, and to prevent them coming back in dogs who have previously had them.

Keeping your dog well hydrated is vital. This dilutes their urine, which in turn dilutes the levels of chemicals that promote stone formation, and so decreases the chance of your dog developing bladder stones.

You can help your dog drink more water by placing a few bowls of fresh water in different locations around the house. Always make sure the water is fresh and that you change it regularly.

In the ideal world we are aiming to maintain urine specific gravity <1.020. I always encourage my clients to buy a refractometer, which makes it very easy to measure your dog’s urine specific gravity.

The food your dog eats also impacts on the development of calcium oxalate stones.

To decrease the chances of your dog developing bladder stones, you should avoid feeding foods that contain high levels of oxalate such as spinach, sweet potatoes, organ meat and brown rice. Instead, include foods with lower oxalate levels like apples (peeled), wild rice and meats and fish in their diet. It’s also a good idea to boil vegetables and discharge the water before giving them to your dog – this helps to reduce the oxalate levels in them.

Restricting calcium is another strategy for reducing oxalate levels in the urine – a reduction in calcium should be accompanies by a similar reduction in oxalate levels. However calcium restriction should be done very carefully, as too much restriction can be damaging and may lead to health problems including osteoporosis.

Other dietary measures that can be taken to help prevent formation of calcium oxalate stones are reducing dietary sodium (salt) and avoiding excess vitamin D. This is because excess sodium and vitamin D promotes excessive urinary calcium excretion. Therefore moderately reduce dietary sodium, stay away from high sodium treats and do not supplement with vitamin D.

Vitamin C supplements are not recommended because when vitamin C is metabolised and broken down, it produces oxalate – therefore avoiding vitamin C supplements avoids an increase in oxalate levels.

Vitamin B supplements are water soluble and are excreted in the urine. Therefore in all cases of urinary tract stones it is prudent to give a vitamin B complex supplement.

There is still some debate surrounding magnesium and bladder stones. Some studies have shown that magnesium in the urine impairs formation of calcium oxalate stones. But other studies have shown that when given to healthy dogs, magnesium supplements resulted in an increase in urinary calcium levels. So because there is no definite consensus, restricting or supplementing magnesium is not recommended and so both should be avoided.

It’s important to note that not all of the oxalate in your dog’s body stems from their diet. Some is produced naturally by your dog’s body, mainly the liver. Nonetheless, avoiding incorporating foods with high levels of oxalate in your dog’s diet is an important preventative step against calcium oxalate stones.

Including fiber in the diet may reduce absorption of some minerals and so should be considered as part of any dietary changes being made. However, take care not to increase levels too much which can result in overfeeding.

Calcium oxalate stones cause the bladder to become inflamed by rubbing up against the bladder wall. To help reduce this inflammation, you can give your dog fish body oil supplements. However, avoid liver oil as this contains vitamin D which should be avoided (see above).

There are a few veterinary prescription diets designed to (theoretically) reduce the likelihood of calcium oxalate stone.

You can also prepare you dogs food at home using the same high quality ingredients that you eat. There are several health benefits of making your dogs food at home. By feeding your dog a home-prepared diet rather than a dry kibble diet, you can increase the amount of water they are drinking. And as mentioned above, increased water consumption makes urine more dilute and can help prevent stones forming.

A home-prepared diet is also the only way you can truly control what is going into your dog.

If you’d like to try cooking for your dog, the best way to ensure that the diet is meeting all of your dogs nutritional needs is to get your recipe from a qualified nutritionist. Dietary manipulation to address a health problem should be done by someone who will work with your dog.

[Cara G]

I’m having the exact same issue! No Royal Canin does NOT have one that covers both issues. My vet has her back on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low fat again and off of the Urinary SoHo but says she will most likely will have future bladder stones. I so wish someone would come up with a dog food that covers both issues! Mattie is just recovering from bladder stones removal surgery and i know we will have to do the surgery again since she is off the SoHo due to her pancreatitis! It’s so frustrating!

[Gaz M]

Hi I have a male pug nearly 7yrs old Tyson. he recently had surgery to remove bladder stones. vet put him on royal canin s/o..he has an allergy to this food (i think it may be the chicken?) vet then said he must continue to eat this and prescribed Apoquel indefinately.. it has stopped his scratching (which he did till he bled) and licking/biting his paws, although i have read that apoquel is quite dangerous as it lowers their natural immune system making him more prone tp cancer/tumors etc.. i am living in BKK and the vets aren’t much help.. i d on’t know what to do. i have since changed to Hills c/d being the only other urinary food i can find though it seems to have same ingredients.. does anyone have any experience with this situation or advice on a solution to this problem?
Any input would be much appreciated

[Gaz M]

Hi I have a male pug nearly 7yrs old Tyson. he recently had surgery to remove bladder stones. vet put him on royal canin s/o..he has an allergy to this food (i think it may be the chicken?) vet then said he must continue to eat this and prescribed Apoquel indefinately.. it has stopped his scratching (which he did till he bled) and licking/biting his paws, although i have read that apoquel is quite dangerous as it lowers their natural immune system making him more prone tp cancer/tumors etc.. i am living in BKK and the vets aren’t much help.. i d on’t know what to do. i have since changed to Hills c/d being the only other urinary food i can find though it seems to have same ingredients.. does anyone have any experience with this situation or advice on a solution to this problem?
Any input would be much appreciated

[Frenky C]

Hi Marion, actually the symptom of your pup may very well be secondary to a urinary tract infection. It can cause urinary retention due to dysuria (pain upon urination). That may have caused your pup to be uncomfortable. It is common for urine tests to show some crystals but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your pup has struvite stones in the bladder or any other stone. Antibiotics will solve dysuria. However I suggest you take an xray rather than urine testing strips to confirm presence of bladder stones outright.

[Chipy]

Hi Lauren,

I’m so sorry to hear you are going through this with your senior pup. My favourite vet, Dr. Dobias has written some articles that I can share with you to learn more about these conditions. I absolutely love his natural approach and hope that it will be helpful for your beloved boy.

URINARY BLADDER INFECTIONS IN DOGS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/57048581-urinary-bladder-infections-in-dogs-what-you-need-to-know

5 STEPS TO PREVENT CALCIUM OXALATE CRYSTALS AND STONES IN DOGS – HOLISTIC APPROACH:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/53667141-5-steps-to-prevent-calcium-oxalate-crystals-and-stones-in-dogs-holistic-approach

WHY DO DOGS GET BLADDER AND KIDNEY STONES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM NATURALLY:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014185-bladder-and-kidney-stones-and-urine-crystals-in-dogs-natural-approach

Having veggies in the diet can help balance PH. Dr. Dobias discussed within the following article;

WHAT VEGGIES ARE GOOD FOR DOGS?
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014993-what-veggies-are-good-for-dogs

I hope this helps and wish you and your pup all the best for good health! 🙂
Chipy

[Lori H]

Hi Lindsy,

I totally know how you feel, I was in the same situation as you about three years ago with my dog Buddy. You might want to look at the following website. My dog Buddy (long hair Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian) has been through a lot. He is now almost 13 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes as well as Cushing’s and I was also told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was over three+ years and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has energy. It has been an amazing turnaround. I basically had to get him healthy myself. My vet did not support my decision to do what I did, but he is healthy and that is all that matters! I switched vets because I did not believe that the prescription food was helping him, it was killing him. There is not one whole food or much nutritional value in prescription foods. I remember asking my prior vet in an email what the difference was between the labels which consisted of a bunch of names I could not pronounce and he never got back to me, that is when I realized that the industry needs a checkup.

If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life. Rick has had success getting dogs and cats healthy!

http://www.doglivershunt.com

Following is my dogs personal story:
https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. My vet wanted me to have Buddy on Hills Science Diet for the rest of his life! He smelled, was overweight and totally miserable while on that crap. I looked at the ingredients and thought to myself, there has to be something better out there. There was not one thing on there that was considered a whole food or ingredient that comes from the natural world!

I was at my wits end as well and thought that I was going to lose Buddy, but I was not willing to give up so I did a Google search and found an amazing person who brought Buddy back to the healthy dog he is.

If you choose to go with his program, it is not cheap, but I believe that over time, I will save money by not taking Buddy to the vet time and time again because I don’t know what is wrong and having a battery of tests run and racking up bills in the thousands, I have been there!

He was slowly weened off of his processed food Science Diet U/D and placed on a diet of fresh veggies and meat based on a very slow transition to follow with Rick’s help.

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life.

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to talk to you. I have helped three others with their dogs and I truly believe Rick knows what he is talking about. I put my trust in him and I now have a healthy, happy dog. Lori

[Lori H]

Hi Cesar,

I totally know how you feel, I was in the same situation as you about two years ago with my dog Buddy. You might want to look at the following website. My dog Buddy (long hair Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian) has been through a lot, much like your dog. He had so many medical issues including being diagnosed with Diabetes. He is now almost 13 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes, my vet thought he had Cushing’s and I was also told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was over two+ years and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has energy. It has been an amazing turnaround so I know how you feel. I basically had to get him healthy myself. My vet did not support my decision to do what I did, but he is healthy and that is all that matters! I switched vets because I did not believe that the prescription food was helping him, it was killing him. There is not whole food or much nutritional value in prescription foods. I remember asking my prior vet in an email what the difference was between the labels which consisted of a bunch of names I could not pronounce and he never got back to me, that is when I realized that the industry needs a checkup.

If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life. Rick has had success getting dogs and cats healthy and insulin free!

http://www.doglivershunt.com

Following is my dogs personal story:
https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. My vet wanted me to have Buddy on Hills Science Diet for the rest of his life! I looked at the ingredients and thought to myself, there has to be something better out there. There was not one thing on there that was considered a whole food or ingredient that comes from the natural world!

I was at my wits end as well and thought that I was going to lose Buddy, but I was not willing to give up so I did a Google search and found an amazing person who brought Buddy back to the healthy dog he is.

If you choose to go with his program, it is not cheap, but I believe that over time, I will save money by not taking Buddy to the vet time and time again because I don’t know what is wrong and having a battery of tests run and racking up bills in the thousands, I have been there!

He was slowly weened off of his processed food Science Diet U/D and placed on a diet of fresh veggies and meat based on a very slow transition to follow with Rick’s help.

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life.

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to talk to you. I have helped three others with their dogs and I truly believe Rick knows what he is talking about. I put my trust in him and I now have a healthy, happy dog. Lori

[anonymous]

Please consult your vet. There are no veterinary healthcare professionals affiliated with this site.

Per the search engine /forums/search/bladder+stones/

PS: Ask your vet if the prescription canned food would be better? Discuss with your vet.

[Kelly A]

My dog recently had surgery for bladder stones and now has to be on prescription urinary diets for the rest of his life. However, the only ones I’ve been able to find are chicken-based, and he has a sensitive stomach to that. He’s been on fish and sweet potato-based foods his whole life, and those have seem to settle well with him.

Does anyone know of a fish-based urinary tract diet/food that exists? He’s been having an upset stomach pretty much since we started him on these foods, and we have changed around the options that my vet has. Poor guy is not having it, but clearly we don’t want to go back to surgery in a year.

[m3ntat]

Prescription Royal Canin SO diet can help dissolve struvite uroliths specifically, and prevent formation of struvite and oxolate uroliths. RC also makes multiple diets with the SO index, including a behavior modifying diet, Calm. Stress is primary contributor to urinary disease, including bacterial infections, sterile inflammation, uroliths in the bladder (cystolith) or kidneys (nephrolith), as unsure which your vet has diagnosed. Moderating stress with diet, supplements, environment, and exercise, can help reduce stress induced disease and inflammation. Feliway (cat) and Dog Appeasing pheremone products are very helpful. Over the counter products by veterinary companies, such as Composure (Vetriscience), Zylkene (Vetoquinol), and Calming Care (Purina) are the most utilized amongst vet professionals. Long-term use of the rx urinary diet is recommended in repeat urethral obstruction or urolith affected pets. Obstruction by crystals blood/bladder cells, and stones is emergent, as blood cannot flow through the kidneys to filter toxins into urine, and toxins accumulate in the blood, leading to electrolyte imbalance, azotemia, dehydration, hypotension, and shock left untreated. Since he is older onset, ensuring water intake and more elimination opportunities on walks/yard visits will help decrease risk for concentrated urine accumulating crystals, which can form uroliths that gain size the longer crystals are present. Dilution decreases urine crystal formation. Inquire as to the serum kidney values, to ensure underlying kidney changes are not the contributors to the bacteria and crystals sited in his urine. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose urinary tract changes, inflammation, and foreign material; limited abdominal U/S can find early kidney changes, prior to any abnormality in serum/blood work. Hope your boy continues to improve, as he already sounds 100% turnaround. Link to SO index Calm diet https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/canine-calm-dry-dog-food

[Chipy]

Hi Lauren! Sorry to hear that your pup has recently been diagnosed with crystals. The below article has a natural, simple kidney and bladder stone treatment protocol and diet recommendations that I hope you will find helpful for your boy. It can be used as a resource if a dog has already been diagnosed with urinary stones or if you simply want to prevent this painful and annoying condition in the first place;

WHY DO DOGS GET BLADDER AND KIDNEY STONES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM NATURALLY:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014185-bladder-and-kidney-stones-and-urine-crystals-in-dogs-natural-approach

[Ronald B]

Wendy – I’m not sure what the difference is between the Hills, Royal Canin or Purina with regards to specific types of Bladder Stones. Our Miniature Schnauzer unfortunately was diagnosed with both types.

[Ronald B]

Wendy – Sorry your pup isn’t responding to the Hills Science Diet. We had similar results early on with our Miniature Schnauzer but it was more related to the fact that she just didn’t like/wouldn’t eat the prescription Hills. After 3 surgeries to remove bladder stones, she’s been having great results with prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO (dry, wet and treats) and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary Ox/St Canned. We were fortunate to get samples from out Vet before having to commit to a full order from Chewy.com where the smallest order size is 12 or 24 cans at a time. Also, I did see the Royal Canin prescription dry food in Petco the other day. You can read other comments I have made above. Good luck, we know how hard it is to treat this condition which is more common in some breeds than others.

[Wendy B]

My 4yrs old Staffy has just had surgery to remove dozens of cystine bladder stones 2 of which were lodged in his urethra. Was advised to feed him Hills UD wet food or the dry soaked in extra water. He is tolera ting this slow introduction. However his pee stream is still a bit slow 4 weeks on. May need to return for further imaging soon. Anyone offer advice on this prescription diet or alternatives. Told good chance of reoccuring! Any info on helping me to reduce reoccurrence would be grrat

[Ronald B]

Lauren – As a long time, Miniature Schnauzer owner, I will say that the breed is prone to Bladder Stones. That said, we tried Science Diet prescription food but our last two wouldn’t touch the wet food. We finally gave up and went with a low protein, mainly human grade food which seemed to work for a while. Our current puppy (12 years old) has had 3 surgeries in her lifetime. After the last one, about 6 months ago, together with our Vet, we researched and contacted other Vets and the UF Veterinary College. That research provided Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO (dry and wet) and Purina PRo Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary Ox/St Canned. Our puppy loves both of the brands and we feed her them all at the same times, rotating the wet foods every other day for variety, without any problems. Last lab results showed no crystals for the first time in years. Your results may be different but we extremely happy with both brands.

[anonymous]

I would feed the food that your vet recommends. Was an ultrasound done to rule out bladder stones? Ask your vet…because often dogs can have more than one type of stones along with crystals.
Food does not dissolve all types of stones, sometimes surgery is needed.

had a dog with calcium oxalate bladder stones, struvite crystals and urinary tract infections. It was serious, emergency surgery and all.
From what I could tell, the main culprits were genetic predisposition and inadequate water intake, not the food.
A lot of pet owners serve kibble dry. Put down a bowl of water and assume their dogs are drinking enough….this is often not the case.
Also, expecting these dogs to hold their urine for 10 hours a day is conducive to stagnant conditions in the bladder, perfect environment for crystals and bladder stones to form.
Keep the bladder flushed, offer bathroom breaks at the minimum, every 4 hours (every 2 hours is ideal). Exercise, long walks, keep the weight down. Feed twice a day, measured amounts.

[aimee]

Hi Donna,

From you post it isn’t clear to me if you your boy is on K/d because he his kidney are not working well ( kidney insufficiency?failure) or that he was placed on KD to control stone formation or both?? Does he currently have stones in his kidneys? Was the surgery to remove stones that were in the bladder and urethra or were they really in the kidneys ?
What was the stone composition?

How much K/D is he currently fed compared to the label recommendations? K/D should not be used for weight loss.
If he needs a diet for weight loss and kidney insufficiency and stone formation that looks to be a tricky combination and appears that a home cooked diet tailored to his specific problems and formulated by a veterinary nutritionist would be the best plan.

I agree with anon that you need to work through your veterinarian or seek another veterinary opinion. Personally i wouldn’t be keen to return to a grain free diet until more is understood about diet related cardiomyopathy.

[Coleen A]

So my purebred Catahoula Leopard dog has been having a run of UTI’s. He is 1yr 4 months, we have checked his protein levels non-UTI and during a UTI, elevated only during a UTI and we have done x-ray for bladder stones (negative).

Vet wants me to find a food that has a protein count of no more than 20%….he IS allergic to chicken which makes this even harder.

Currently he eats Sport Dog Dock Dog blend, and Canine Caviar topper…He is suppppppper picky about his food, which of course is unlike a Catahoula to begin with.

Any recommendations would be helpful….we tried the raw diet option, it did not work out for him.

[Chipy]

Hi Graciela,

So sorry your pup has been dealing with this. I know how upsetting this must be for you.

Have you seen this protocol for treating bladder and kidney stones naturally?
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014185-bladder-and-kidney-stones-and-urine-crystals-in-dogs-natural-approach
https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com/

Wishing you and your girl all the best! 🙂

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Chipy.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Chipy.

[anonymous]

@ David H

Thanks so much for sharing. I went through it all too with a small breed boy.
That’s the trick, diet restrictions depending on the type of stones, and water, water, water.
Yes you will have to take them out frequently for bathroom breaks, have to keep the bladder flushed. Very important.

Glad that your dog is doing well.

PS: Keeping the weight down and exercise, frequent walks, helps too.

[David H]

My Parsons Russell Terrier was suffering from tiny bladder stones about 10 years ago, had bladder stone surgery multiple times and hydropullions to remove the stones from his urethra. He was part of a study at UC Davis and after testing his stones and bloodwork they determined he was had a combination urate/struvite Crystal’s, with this information I decided to put him on Prescription diet W/D which is low protein, low fat, high fiber, I add a cup of water to it to keep things flowing. Has been 10 years and not one issue. I’ve told several people people whose dogs were having the same issue, no more issues to speak of. Hope this help anyone who chooses to use. May save them $. Take care

[K K]

Hi. Sorry this is a later post. But my sheltie had surgery last Thanksgiving for bladder stones – biopsy showed struvite – they said her bladder felt like a bean bag. But, no infection! They wanted me to switch her to one of Hill’s prescription diets but I don’t think much of the quality of their foods and they’ve had several recent recalls. The vet also suggested adding “wet food.” Since then, I’ve been soaking her kibble in water before feeding. Her last urinalysis did show crystal formation but again no infection.

My problem now is that the food I’ve been feeding has changed. Ancestry (formerly Sammy Snacks) has been taken over — now “Ancestry Pet Food” and the food has changed. I had been feeding the grain-free Lamb and Sweet Potato which Dog Food Advisory gave 5 stars. I want to switch.

In the past I used Acana when it was still made in Canada, which is no longer the case. I am also wondering if a higher protein diet in grain-free formulas like the Ancestry and in Acana and Orijen may be the cause of the increase in urinary crystals and the formation of struvite stones. Is anyone familiar with this issue.

My pup is only 4 years old, so not a senior dog issue.

Thanks.

K

[Lori H]

Hi Tracie,

I highly recommend checking out the below website. I have worked with Rick surrounding the health of my dog Buddy (my testimonial is on his website) as a result of bladder stone issues among many other things. I can say that after two years of Buddy being on Rick’s program, he is healthy. Rick does free consultations and is a wealth of knowledge. I was at my whits end with Buddy’s health issues, besides the bladder stones, my vet was preparing me for the fact that my dog was going to die of liver failure. I was not willing to give up and wait for this horrible outcome. I did a Google search and found Rick and he changed our lives.

I don’t believe that Royal Canin is a good product, my dog was on this food and gained an unhealthy amount of weight, plus there is not ONE whole ingredient that is discernible on the ingredient label and most I could not even pronounce. I am not here to bash, but most vets receive so little training in nutrition that it is best to do your own research and decide that is best for you and your pet.

Reach out, listen to what he has to say. He is not a vet, but has spent years coming up with this program and has a passion for dogs as well as health and wellness. He changed the way I view nutrition for my pets and he saved Buddy’s life in the process. It took a while to make the change in thought process, but now, I will never go back.

https://www.doglivershunt.com/bladder-stones.html

https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

Good luck and you can always reach out to me as well should you want further details as well.

Lori

[Tracie B]

I am feeding him Royal Canin GI food that is prescription- both dry and wet. Is this an okay food for preventing more silica stones.

[Hannah O]

Hello all! My 7 year old red cocker spaniel developed struvite issues 3 years ago. He had them flushed twice and was placed into Hills CD diet which I was told was a life long preventative measure. He has since developed oxalate issues due to the long term acidic nature of his urine. He has also developed a bit of a leak (no infection present) which makes it hard to flush him with high volumes of water, though we go our best. Has anyone had a dog with both struvite and oxalate issues? I’m struggling to find info as treatment for one can exacerbate the other and finding balance is proving very challenging so far. Thank you, all constructive ideas gratefully received.

[anonymous]

Do not give supplements unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.

Do not give supplements that are not approved for veterinary use unless prescribed (off label) by a veterinarian that has examined the dog. Many over the counter meds and supplements intended for humans can include ingredients that are toxic to animals.

For stubborn cases like your dogs, there are prescription medications the vet may recommend. I might consider consulting a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/calcium-oxalate-bladder-stones-in-dogs (excerpt below)
How can I prevent my dog from developing calcium oxalate bladder stones in the future?
Dogs that have developed calcium oxalate bladder stones in the past will often be fed a therapeutic diet for life. Diets that promote less-acidic and more dilute urine are recommended. Most dogs should be fed a canned or wet diet to encourage water consumption. Dilute urine with a low urine specific gravity (Urine Specific Gravity or USpG less than 1.020) is an important part of the prevention of calcium oxalate bladder stones. In certain cases, medications to lower the urinary pH such as potassium citrate may be required. If the dog is fed a home prepared diet, Vitamin B6 is often added as a supplement. Dogs that repeatedly develop calcium oxalate bladder stones without high blood calcium levels may benefit from hydrochlorothiazide treatment.
Dogs diagnosed with calcium oxalate stones should avoid calcium supplements unless specifically advised by your veterinarian. They should not be fed high oxalate foods such as chocolate, nuts, rhubarb, beets, green beans, and spinach.
In addition, careful routine monitoring of the urine to detect any signs of bacterial infection is also recommended. Bladder x-rays and urinalysis will typically be performed one month after treatment and then every three to six months for the remainder of the dog’s life. Dogs displaying any clinical signs such as frequent urination, urinating in unusual places, painful urination or the presence of blood in the urine should be evaluated immediately. Unfortunately, calcium oxalate stones have a somewhat high rate of recurrence, despite careful attention to diet and lifestyle.
Contributors: Ernest Ward, DVM

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/bladder-stones-in-6-year-old-female-pug/#post-113166

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/bladder-stones-in-6-year-old-female-pug/#post-113166

Lots of information on this topic per the search engine

[Kim P]

A great webpage with info on all types of canine bladder stones:

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_4/features/Detecting-Urinary-Stones-Dogs_16215-1.html

Please note – SILICA STONES are very different from the other types of canine bladder stones, and their approach as far as foods is far different also.

Finding foods without potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, brown rice, apples, carrots, spinach and other root vegetables has been next to impossible.

I continue to feed my dog Natural Balance, which so far is the only food that comes close to being 100% free of silica-containing ingredients:

This is a new part of Natural Balance’s product line-up:

** L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® High Protein Beef Formula Dry Dog Food **

Beef, Pea Protein, Beef Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Menhaden Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.

[anonymous]

Also, diet is just part of the treatment.

https://bichonhealth.org/kidneysbladder/management-of-bichons-with-urinary-stones/

excerpts below, click on link for full article

It has long been recognized that some Bichons Frises have a predisposition to formation of urinary stones (uroliths). This condition is known as urolithiasis. There are several types of stones that can form in the bladder, with struvite (also called magnesium triple phosphate or “infection” stones) and calcium oxalate being the most common in Bichons. The most important preventative for stone formation is free access to fresh water. For a dog predisposed to stone formation, there are other considerations as well. This article is intended to provide the pet owner with a better understanding of the prevention and treatment of urinary stones. Good veterinary treatment is the most reliable resource for the ongoing care of your dog. You may wish to copy this article for your veterinarian.

[anonymous]

It depends on the type of stones, you may want to consider consulting with a specialist for follow up care. There are prescription meds for stubborn cases, talk to your vet.

Below copied from a previous post:

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

Also, if the dog is overweight, get the extra weight off, increase walks/exercise/activity.

“Dogs that get urinary tract infections and bladder stones tend to have a genetic predisposition, combine that with not enough water intake, not enough opportunities to urinate and you have a problem”.

“Whatever you decide to feed, add water to the kibble or canned food, even presoak and add water. Take out to urinate at least every 4 hours (every 2 hours is ideal) stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to bladder stone formation”.
“Always have fresh water available for the dog 24/7”.
“Regarding supplements, I would check with your vet first. He may recommend something specific for your dog”. Otherwise, I would be careful, not all supplements are benign.

Good luck

[mudpud]

Just about 2 years ago, our 11yr old Bichon/Shihtzu had emergency surgery to removed bladder stones. Not long after, in the same year, the 10yr old Bichon/Shihtzu had the same surgery. They were both put on Royal Canin Urinary SO diets, at considerable cost to us, but they are our children now, so who wouldn’t take this on. We were told this would prevent this happening again.
NOT – today, because a couple of things like frequent doggy runs to the yard to pee, and the other dog presented blood in his urine. YUP, both have almost as many bladder stones that took 10/11 years to form, as these ones in 2.5yrs, while on this WONDER FOOD.
WE’VE been HAD! We are waiting on a date and time for surgery for both dogs, this week.
I feel lied to; by the company that produces product that has done nothing to prevent the repeat of the stones, and the Vet Profession who appear blindsided on this matter. Our vet is a caring, capable and well informed individual, who was also floored by the rapid growth of these stones.
DON’T trust the Veterinary Diet line when it comes to your pet. Had I read the comments I have since found on this sight, I would have worked much harder at searching out a better option. We messed up, and put blind faith in a company making millions off the product that does nothing.

[Lori H]

Hi Zach,

I highly recommend checking out the below website. I have worked with Rick surrounding the health of my dog Buddy (my testimonial is on his website) as a result of bladder stone issues among many other things. I can say that after two years of Buddy being on Rick’s program, he is healthy. Rick does free consultations and is a wealth of knowledge. I was at my whits end with Buddy’s health issues, besides the bladder stones, my vet was preparing me for the fact that my dog was going to die of liver failure. I was not willing to give up and wait for this horrible outcome. I did a Google search and found Rick and he changed our lives.
Reach out, listen to what he has to say. He is not a vet, but has spent years coming up with this program and has a passion for dogs as well as health and wellness. He changed the way I view nutrition for my pets and he saved Buddy’s life in the process. It took a while to make the change in thought process, but now, I will never go back.

https://www.doglivershunt.com/dog-seizures.html

Good luck and you can always reach out to me as well should you want further details as well.

Lori

[Lori H]

Hi Helen,

You might want to look at the following website. My dog Buddy (long hair Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian) has been through a lot, much like your dog. He had so many medical issues including being diagnosed with Diabetes. He is now almost 12 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for the bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes, my vet thought he had Cushing’s and I was also told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was over two years and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has so much energy. He is happy and the most healthy he has ever been in his life! It has been an amazing turnaround so I know how you feel. I basically had to get him healthy myself. My vet did not support my decision to do what I did, but he is healthy and that is all that matters! I am going to see a new vet on Friday of this week and I am hoping to actually get Buddy off of the Insulin.

Rick helped me and Buddy is now healthier than he has ever been. If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life. Rick has had success getting dogs and cats healthy and insulin free!

http://www.doglivershunt.com

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. My vet wanted me to have Buddy on Hills Science Diet for the rest of his life! I looked at the ingredients and thought to myself, there has to be something better out there. There was not one thing on there that was considered a whole food or ingredient that comes from the natural world!

I was at my wits end as well and thought that I was going to lose Buddy, but I was not willing to give up so I did a Google search and found an amazing person who brought Buddy back to the healthy dog he is.

If you choose to go with his program, it is not cheap, but I believe that over time, I will save money by not taking Buddy to the vet time and time again because I don’t know what is wrong and having a battery of tests run and racking up bills in the thousands, I have been there!

He was slowly weened off of his processed food Science Diet U/D and placed on a diet of fresh veggies and meat based on a very slow transition to follow with Rick’s help.

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life. I took him to the vet in October to have blood work done and he is perfectly healthy!

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution. Buddy is almost 12, but has a new lease on life.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to talk to you. I have helped three others with their dogs and I truly believe Rick knows what he is talking about. I put my trust in him and I now have a healthy, happy dog. Lori

[Lori H]

Hi Kate,

You might want to look at the following website. My dog Buddy (long hair Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian) has been through a lot, much like your dog. He had so many medical issues including calcium oxalate bladder stones which he had surgery for to remove. He is now almost 12 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for the bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes, my vet thought he had Cushing’s and I was also told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was over two years and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has so much energy. He is happy and the most healthy he has ever been in his life! It has been an amazing turnaround so I know how you feel. I basically had to get him healthy myself. My vet did not support my decision to do what I did, but he is healthy and that is all that matters!

Rick helped me and Buddy is now healthier than he has ever been. If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life.

http://www.doglivershunt.com/bladder-stones.html

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. My vet wanted me to have Buddy on Hills Science Diet for the rest of his life! I looked at the ingredients and thought to myself, there has to be something better out there. There was not one thing on there that was considered a whole food or ingredient that comes from the natural world! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my vet, I just don’t believe he knows much of anything about nutrition. He has been great to me, my dog Buddy and my three cats. He is good at what he does, diagnose and perform much needed surgeries and procedures. He did Buddy’s bladder stone surgery which had the possibility for complications.

I was at my wits end as well and thought that I was going to lose Buddy, but I was not willing to give up so I did a Google search and found an amazing person who brought Buddy back to the healthy dog he is.

If you choose to go with his program, it is not cheap, but I believe that over time, I will save money by not taking Buddy to the vet time and time again because I don’t know what is wrong and having a battery of tests run and racking up bills in the thousands, I have been there!

He was slowly weened off of his processed food Science Diet U/D and placed on a diet of fresh veggies and meat based on a very slow transition to follow with Rick’s help.

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life. I took him to the vet in October to have blood work done and he is perfectly healthy! The bladder stones HAVE NOT returned.

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution. Buddy is almost 12, but has a new lease on life.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to talk to you. I have helped three others with their dogs and I truly believe Rick knows what he is talking about. I put my trust in him and I now have a healthy, happy dog. Lori