Terry —
I would urge you to have your water tested to see if the source of silica is in your water. We were on well water for the past 7 years – and my border collie was diagnosed with silica stones (after $3000 worth of surgery to remove them). There is only 2 possibilities for the source – the Natural Balance Buffalo & Sweet Potato Limited Ingredient dog food he’s eaten for the past 5 years – OR – the well water. USUALLY – it’s the well water, but because we have since moved from that home – I will likely never know if it was the source. So now our dogs drink distilled water ONLY. It’s a SMALL inconvenience compared to the expense of surgery & the pain my dog has been in for so long (unbeknownst to me).
Both food and water – at this point – matter greatly. When I saw that you were feeding your dog from the hose – I would urge you to have the water tested just to make sure that wasn’t the source of the stones. Best of luck to you!
