[Lori J]

My dog has been diagnosed with a crystal/stone in his bladder. He had surgery for this 3 years ago and the vet prescribed Hilll’s Science Diet, which I took him off of after maybe a year. I disliked what I read about it. I put him on a natural foods diet, aided with Cornucopia wet food. Given that he’s developed another crystal/stone, he needs a second surgery and the vet says he cannot eat as I’ve been feeding him. She suggested Royal Canin, Iams or perhaps Purina, who is coming out with prescription food specific to ph levels.

Any advice? I’m not sure what to trust. Thanks in advance.

[anonymously]

There is NO magic supplement. The trick is to add water to each meal 3-4 small meals per day soaked in water, don’t measure, just fill the small bowl, the dog will lap it up to get to the food.
The dog must be taken out to void (pee) ideally every 2 hours during the day. At bedtime and first thing in the morning. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation.
There is nothing wrong with Royal Canin Urinary SO. If you get the dry, soak it in water overnight then add water too. Once the dog is stable, few months to a year, you can talk to your vet about adding something tasty to the prescription food, like cooked chopped up chicken breast or some other lean meat.
Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/bladder+stones/
Read my posts, you may find some helpful tips
Some info at this site you may find helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bladder+stones

[anonymously]

Excerpts from previous posts:

As your vet will confirm, dogs that have a tendency to make bladder stones have to be on a special diet the rest of their lives, this is a serious condition and it just doesn’t go away.

I would comply with the prescription food for now.
And don’t forget, water, water, and more water added to the diet. Ask the vet ….but I believe this helps big time. And frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate.

“My dog had both (struvite and calcium oxalate), no symptoms till the age of 11, started with UTIs. He has had no recurrences in 4 years since his emergency surgery.
In fact, I just took him in for a geriatric workup and his lab work was good”.

“I was afraid the vet would want to do x-rays and test his urine…..but he said as long as he is not having symptoms we are not going there (he’s too old to tolerate another surgery)”
“I do monitor his urination habits and check for normal flow, stream, amount. If I note any discomfort I will take him to the vet”.

“There is a genetic component and some breeds are more prone to bladder stones.

“Anyway, if you do nothing else, add water and take her out to urinate frequently.
I went along with the prescription diet for almost a year, since then he has been on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea kibble soaked with water +, I use the wet food too”
PS: Soak the kibble, even the prescription food in water overnight in the fridg, add more water prior to serving. Keep the bladder flushed. Maybe add a little canned prescription food as a topper.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by anonymously.

[anonymously]

Ask your vet if a prescription med would be helpful, they are often used in stubborn cases.
I’m not talking about supplements or otc meds.
It would depend on the type of stones, of course, and requires a prescription from your dog’s vet. For example: Uroeze, Allopurinol…..

[Lori J]

Thank you all for your replies.

Has anyone tried doggy litter boxes? I work outside the home and am gone 11 hours a day, so I can’t take him out every 2-3 hours during the week.

[anonymously]

No, but how about a few pee pads placed in one location? That might work, it’s best that dogs with a history of bladder stones don’t “hold it” too long.
Place a soiled one down, so that he get’s the idea. I don’t think dogs like litter boxes, they prefer a flat surface to eliminate on.

Don’t know if this would be an option, but could you have someone take him out in the middle of the day for a bathroom break? I know, it might be costly…..but maybe you have a retired friend or a family member that could do it.

[Lori J]

Good idea, anonymously. Thank you! I’ll check into the pee pads today – – he’s scheduled for surgery on Friday.

[anonymously]

Good luck, I hope he has a smooth recovery, don’t forget to ask the vet for pain meds, and use them!
I added a sentence to my previous post.
PS: Shop around for those pee pads, try Chewy, Petco…..
Don’t forget, leave fresh water in a couple of locations.

[Lori J]

I do have a pet sitter/walker that lives in my complex – – it’s just the cost. Although I may not have an option.

I will definitely shop around. I used to get his Rx food from Chewy.

[anonymously]

Most dogs sleep a lot when left alone, and hopefully he will use the pee pads when he needs to. They adjust to a routine.
Work with the vet and try not to worry.

[Jeanette A]

Hi All,
My 6 year old Jack Russell developed a UTI 2 years ago noticed by blood in the urine and also could not walk a 3 steps without peeing. Took him to the vet and was x-ray’d found stone blockage. Vet gave us some pills and scheduled surgery. The day of surgery I walked him in the am and noticed steady good stream and a happier dog (no doubt) Took him to the vet as scheduled just in case I was wrong and sure enough all cleared up. He has been on Urinary SO ever since 2 yrs total. I really would like to switch him off the script food too expensive as well can’t be good for a length of time Vet claims he should stay for life. I am currently not measuring his PH and I have noticed lately he is cleaning himself alot more then usual but no other signs of a UTI still walking good and good streams. Before the UTI I did notice a strong deep yellow colour and odour in the urine. Can anyone help recommend a good resonably priced food? Not Blue buffalo I was feeding him this when he got sick with the UTI…any help would be greatly appreciated

[anonymously]

Have you read my prior posts in this thread? Did the vet do an x-ray/ultrasound recently? He could still have stones, it doesn’t become an emergency until one blocks the urethra…the stones can move around.

Also, it depends on the type of stones he has, and they can have more than one type.
I wouldn’t mess with the diet as you have indicated his condition may not be stable ie: excessive licking.

[anonymously]

I might ask the vet if a U/A is indicated due to the licking you described and because of the dog’s history.

[Jeanette A]

Hi Anonymously,
Thanks for the feed back I have not read your posts new to forums and still trying to navigate my way around. I was also wondering if the licking could be a response to some
other dogs in the area being in heat. He is not licking constantly mostly when we come back inside from a walk. He gets walked 3 times a day for a total of 1-2 hours depending on the weather. I am in Canada and the weather right now is a little unstable. Also I work all day. On the weekends we do much longer walks and more frequent.
He has always been the type of dog to lick himself ever since we got him…

[anonymously]

It still would be a good idea to get a urinalysis done at least once a year, maybe as part of his annual checkup. It sounds like he had struvite crystals that may have caused the UTI and it cleared up with antibiotic treatment.
Sometimes the crystals pass on their own (if they are small enough) with a special diet and increased water intake, frequent opportunities to urinate. However, dogs that are vulnerable to this condition have to be monitored.
When dogs lick they are trying to fix something, it’s instinctive, their saliva contains antibiotic properties.
If he has crystals, even if they don’t cause a blockage or UTI, they are abrasive and can cause irritation, especially when they pass through the urethra. That might explain the licking.

[donald f]

I can tell you from years of personal experience with a mini schnauzer who had calcium/oxalate (CaOx) stones, that if your dog has CaOx stones, you can completely eliminate them and prevent them by searching on the internet for the FuzzerFood diet created by Leslie Bean, and feeding it to your dog. It is a combination of home cooked, low oxalate food (typically chicken, broccoli and rice, and certain inexpensive supplements), easy to prepare in advance and even freeze individual meals. My holistic vet gave me an article out of the Whole Dog Journal that explained all. This protocol gave my Max many years of fun life after already having stones removed surgically by another vet. Going further, join the K9KidneyDiet yahoo group. Leslie posts on that frequently. It is a huge source of support and knowledge by people who live and breath canine chemistry. Its topic are limited to kidney/renal issues and bladder stone issues- both CaOx and struvite stones. I am happy to pdf a copy of the WDJ article to anyone whose dog has an issue with stones. oulalaw13@aol.com
Oh and BTW, the K9Kidney group is ultra critical about commercial “vet” sold foods purporting to be for dogs with stones, and recommends none for stone issues due to other chemicals in the food. Home cooking your dog’s food does take a little more work, but it is SOOO worth it for a dog with recurring stones.

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