[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 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/
I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed.
Some info at this site you may find helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bladder+stones

[anonymously]

I personally would not add any supplements to this dog’s food unless a veterinarian that has examined the dog recommends it.

For example: Some supplements can increase the tendency for bladder stones to develop, especially with older dogs that are sedentary and don’t drink enough water.

More info here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=glucosamine

[Dilys S]

Please be careful about feeding dogs broccoli as it has oxalis acid, which can lead to bladder or kidney stones. Any of the family of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, will be similar, with oxalis acid.

[Jo D]

I’m getting him to drink more water, and have also ordered a self-watering/purifying system for him too, since he seems to like to drink water more if it’s coming out of a faucet.

To clarify: He had surgery for stones in 2012, but it was discovered last month that he has stones again. Also, his cancer is not in remission. He was diagnosed with cancer last month as well, and we have opted not to do any traditional treatments on him, such as surgery, radiation, etc. That’s why I was looking for a good diet that would help boost his immune system to fight against the cancer, yet not upset his bladder stones.

[anonymously]

If the dog has not had a recurrence of bladder stones since 2012, he is doing very well. Whatever treatment he is getting appears to be working, diet and all. Continue to work with your vet.
Of course, water, water and more water added to the diet, frequent bathroom breaks help, big time.

[Jo D]

I first need to clarify, that he actually was diagnosed with calcium oxalate stones, and NOT struvite stones. But yes, he has been on the Royal Canin SO ever since his surgery in 2012. I have started him on the canned SO, to go along with some of the dry SO for now, until I can figure out what to do. If he had the stones, and not the cancer, or if he had cancer and not the stones, this wouldn’t be such a difficult issue to handle. The problem is, I can feed him a great diet for the cancer, but end up making his bladder stones worse. The oncologist did not refer me to a nutritionist. Actually, none of the vets I’ve seen for Bandit have said anything about a nutritionist.

[anonymously]

I meant to say I used Royal Canin So for a dog with bladder stones (hx of both struvite and oxalate).
I used Royal Canin Renal support for my dog that had kidney damage.

Both times the food agreed with them and no adverse effects were noted. Once the dogs were stable (after at least a year) I made changes in their diets under the supervision of their veterinarians. However, the dog with kidney damage stayed on the prescription food for the remainder of her life and did as well as could be expected.

[anonymously]

Did you check the search engine here, example: /forums/search/bladder+stones/ See some of my posts.

[Jo D]

Hi Susan,
He had surgery in 2012 (just after we adopted him) to have the bladder stones removed, but we just discovered last month that he has them again. Not as bad as in 2012, but they are definitely back. Can the stones even be dissolved? I’m going crazy trying to figure out a diet for him since he has cancer AND stones! ugh!!

[Jo D]

Hi all,
I have 3 Minaiture Schnauzers, all of whom are rescues. One of them, Bandit, was rescued from a local shelter in 2012. He was an owner surrender, and the shelter was told that he was about 10 years old. So, we’re presuming his age now as of November 2015, is about 13-1/2 years old. In October, 2015, he was diagnosed with Oral Melanosarcoma. A small mass was removed from his upper left gum, and as of now, it does not appear to have metastasized past his gum. In June of 2012, He was also diagnosed with having Struvite bladder stones, and has been on the Royal Canin SO diet (dry) ever since that time. I have opted not to do any type of treatments on him (radiation, surgery, etc) for the cancer, but I do want to put him on some type of “cancer diet”. I have been searching the internet, and haven’t really come up with anything that I can try on him (and even my other 2 Miniature Schnauzers) that would work for him since he also has bladder stones. Does anyone know of a good diet to try on Bandit? Of course, my vet, and even the oncologist, said to just keep him on the SO, but I have a feeling that might be part of what has caused his cancer in the first place. Any advice would be appreciated!

[anonymously]

http://www.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/health/2015/10/diet_aids_bladder_stones
Excerpt below:
The cause of these stones developing is not well understood. It is thought to be an inborn error of metabolism that, given certain diets, causes the pH of urine to become more acidic than usual, leading to crystals and stones formation.

Diagnosis is usually made by X-ray, palpation or ultrasound.

These kinds of bladder stones are the second most commonly found (struvites being the most common). They each require different types of management with specific prescription diets. Several companies make these specific diets, and I would work with your veterinarian to choose one. Sadly, even with special diets, these stones can still come back, so if your dog shows any signs like before, get him right in for evaluation

[anonymously]

Okay, so, soaking the kibble overnight in water, adding a spoonful of topper, more water, should work. What foods did he say were okay? Let’s see the list.
Check Nutrisca and Salmon and Chickpea http://www.chewy.com/dog/dogswell-nutrisca-grain-free-salmon/dp/35031

If your vet is recommending prescription food, I would go along with it for now at least until the dog is stable, then discuss options.

Per the search engine here: Check out my posts. /forums/search/bladder+stones/

PS: Take the dogs out frequently for bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate. Keep the bladder flushed, stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to struvite and calcium oxalate development.

[aimee]

Hi Dawn,

So sorry to hear that your dog recently needed surgery for stones. Were the stones really in the kidneys or were they in the bladder?

From what I’ve read preventing recurrence is difficult. The vet diets have some backing behind them regarding establishing parameters to prevent formation where as a lot of this type of information isn’t available for foods you’d purchase on your own.

If faced with this situation I’d be devoting a lot of my time on monitoring what is coming out of my dog in addition to what is going in. It seems all are in agreement that “dilution is the solution to pollution” in other words water water and more water. I’d want my dog consuming a lot of water which means moist food or if feeding dry I’d be adding a lot of water to it. But again what is most important is what is coming out. To that end I’d buy myself a refractometer so I could catch urine and monitor the concentration at home. I’d also invest in a pH meter to monitor that aspect as well. Having your vet spin down a fresh ie still “warm from the dog” sample and then looking for crystals is another piece of information.

Frequent rechecks and x ray screening can identify reformation when the stones are still small and then may be able to be recovered without surgery.

If you don’t want to use the vet food there are home cooking options through balance it dot com and you could ask your vet what to look for in a store bought food. I’d think you’d want to avoid high oxalate ingredients, and use a food whose calcium level is close to AAFCO minimum( 0.6% DM) That can be a bit tricky as companies may not monitor this closely hence the vet diets. Vit D levels should be controlled as well. Vit C is metabolized to oxalate so avoid that. Protein amount is tricky it may depend on the amino acid profile as I think certain amino acids are metabolized to oxalate. You will likely need to call the company of any food you are considering and ask what is the average urine pH the diet produces and get a nutrient profile. Larger companies are more likely to have the information and type of quality control you’d need over small companies.

Best of Luck

[anonymously]

This article was in today’s paper, I thought I would share. http://www.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/health/2015/10/diet_aids_bladder_stones
Excerpt below:
The cause of these stones developing is not well understood. It is thought to be an inborn error of metabolism that, given certain diets, causes the pH of urine to become more acidic than usual, leading to crystals and stones formation.

Diagnosis is usually made by X-ray, palpation or ultrasound.

These kinds of bladder stones are the second most commonly found (struvites being the most common). They each require different types of management with specific prescription diets. Several companies make these specific diets, and I would work with your veterinarian to choose one. Sadly, even with special diets, these stones can still come back, so if your dog shows any signs like before, get him right in for evaluation.

[anonymously]

Check the search engine here: /forums/search/bladder+stones/page/2/
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.

The x-ray is important, but once she is stable for about 1 year, ask the vet if you can skip the x-rays and testing urine PH as long as she is urinating normally and having no difficulty? Ask him the warning signs to look for. You didn’t mention her age?

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.

Below is a previous post of mine:
“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, but the canned foods seem so greasy to me”…

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, 6 months ago by anonymously.

[C4D]

Hi Ptcbass,

So sorry for the loss of your other pup. In regard to your remaining one, the others have given you some good information. I do use some of the Grandma Lucy’s Purformance formulas in my rotation, but mostly the premixes to which I add fresh cooked meat. I also make a batch that will last 2-3 meals. If your pup gets UTI’s and crystals, you might consider giving all fresh or rehydrated food as the increased water will help flush the crystals out. Do you know which type of crystals form? There are sturvite and oxylate and different diet requirements for each type. If you know which ones they are, it would help you to adjust her diet for that particular crystal.

Here’s a link to Whole Dog Journal regarding bladder and kidney stones. It might be of some help:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_6/features/Kidney-Stones-Bladder-Stones_16231-1.html

Good Luck! 🙂

[anonymously]

Check out Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (dry and canned). Wysong Senior is good, IMO.
The best thing you can do to prevent bladder stones (all types) is to add water to meals and soak the kibble overnight in water, frequent bathroom breaks, keep the bladder flushed. Three or four small meals a day, do not free feed.
There is often a genetic component, some dogs/certain breeds are more vulnerable.
If you use the search engine here, you may find some helpful tips, just type in allergies, bladder stones.
Consider consulting a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist if the regular vet isn’t helpful.
PS: Check out Chewy . com

[Ptcbass]

I have a 9 year old shih tzu that is a little overweight and would like to find a good high quality food. She doesn’t need to lose too much but just trim down. I have been looking for food with a lower fat content but then noticed that sometimes the fat content is higher but the calories per cup number is lower. What number is more important?
She is currently on Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison but has a hard time getting it out of the bowl so I am putting Fromm White Fish and Potato kibble in with it.

The other problem I am struggling with is I just lost a dog this week. She had allergies and was put on prednisone and then developed small bladder stones. Then the doctor put her on Royal Canin SO (with me protesting but caved in). One week later she was in intensive care and in tons of pain with pancreatitis. She lasted a week (and over $4000 dollars later) she died. She was only 6 and I know that food caused it since she was healthy before and I didn’t feed treats or anything else during that week. Now I am looking for a food that won’t cause stones or pancreatic, is grain free and lower calorie, no Chinese ingredients and preferably organic. Well that is about impossible to find! I have read that sweet potatoes are bad to promote stones. Most grain free food contains sweet potatoes and then also low glycemic index food without grains seems to be hard to find. I know I am trying to find the “perfect” food but the pain my family and dog just went through was just horrible. I really want to do all I can not to ever repeat that again. Any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to take a step back and just go with a good food but then I get caught up in the details again. Right now I am looking at Natures Logic (but it is higher fat, acceptable calories), Acana Light and Fit (not grain free), Pinnalce, Stella and Chewy Duck (seems expensive), Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance (higher fat), and Fromm (grain free are higher fat). Help Please!

[Anonymous]

You may find some helpful tips here, in General Guidelines: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

and here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Age 7 is considered senior for a dog, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a geriatric workup done, lab work etc. See what your vet recommends….. otherwise, one or two feedings per day, long walks, an occasional snack (just a bite), should do the trick.

Adequate elimination, one or two bowel movements a day, are a good thing. Constipation would be more problematic. Also, make sure they are getting enough water, as dogs get older they are more vulnerable to bladder stones.
The best scenario is to offer a bathroom break at least every 4 hours (minimum).

[Anonymous]

Did you check the search engine? Example: /forums/search/bladder+stones/

[Anonymous]

I have a 9 pound poodle mix who does well on 1/4 cup of kibble and a tablespoon or two of wet food or chopped up cooked chicken breast, twice a day. Occasional chicken liver (broiled) as a topper instead, or chopped up cooked lean meat.

I give an occasional bite of chicken or something as a snack after a walk, carrots are okay, but I would just use the regular ones, the baby carrots are treated with something?

I don’t remember the exact amounts when she was 4 months, I think I fed her 3 or 4 small meals per day and tapered down to two meals per day when she was about 6-7 months old.

I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea for dry (base). I like Wysong for canned.
She’s a healthy girl at 7 years old, except for her environmental allergies :-/

PS: Start brushing his teeth every evening, see YouTube for how to videos, small breeds have lousy teeth.
You will learn what amounts work best, dogs have different metabolisms….my 20 pound dog eats only a little bit more per day.
If you don’t see the pup going to the water dish, add a splash of water to meals, some dogs don’t drink enough water. These small breeds are vulnerable to bladder stones down the road.

Tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[Anonymous]

Did you check the search engine? Example: /forums/search/bladder+stones/
I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Did you check the search engine? Lots of information here. However, I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed. /forums/search/bladder+stones/
I have shared my experience, my dog had both types of stones, emergency surgery and follow up. I have posted what has been helpful. Please return if you have any more questions.

[Dana G]

I’m happy to have found this forum because I have a big challenge I could use some help with. I have a 9 yr. old Havanese who recently had a Calcium Oxalate stone removed. She also has Gallbladder Sludge and must have a very low fat diet. The challenge is finding a low oxalate food that is also very low in fat. The vet wants to put her on Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry. It meets the criteria BUT it contains a lot of corn which my dog doesn’t tolerate.

So I’ve been on an exhaustive search for a commercial food that can work for her. The only possibility I’ve found is Earthborn Holistic Weight Control. It is low enough in fat, but the issue is whether it is low enough in oxalate. The concern is the fifth ingredient, Tomato Pomace, which is high oxalate. I called Earthborn to find out what percentage of the total ingredients tomato pomace is. The gentleman said he thought 5% but to be sure, he would ask the nutritionist to call me. After waiting a week I called again only to be told the man I spoke with had just retired, and no one knew anything about them having a nutritionist. The customer service rep said there was only one person who MIGHT be able to help me so I left a message for him. It’s been a week and no call. Since their website claims to be endorsed by Dog Food Advisor, I’m hoping someone on this forum knows something about this company. So my first question is, any ideas on how to get ingredient/nutrient info from Earthborn?

Second question — The only ingredient in this food with significant oxalate content is the tomato pomace. If I assume that the pomace is in fact 5% of total ingredients, does that make this food low oxalate? I’m just not sure if a small % of a very high oxalate ingredient equals a low oxalate food.

I know this is some pretty specific info I’m looking for so I will appreciate any thoughts/advice I receive. I’m out of ideas. If I can’t make this food work, I’ll have to do home cooked.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I like Wysong senior, or Nutrisca salmon and chickpea. I add a glucosamine supplement for dogs by GNC. But, I believe it’s not a good idea to add glucosamine if your dog is prone to bladder stones…so check with your vet first.

I soak the kibble in water overnight.

PS: I believe the Nutrisca salmon and chickpea has no chicken. Wysong has a variety of foods, some have no chicken. Check chewy.com for prices and delivery and compare.

[jcholl9]

Hi,

I joined this forum awhile back looking for a good dog food, for my Mom’s dog Sammy.

Sammy has had a history of bladder stones and just recently we took her into the vet June 30th for second bladder stone checkup. Her first checkup we tried a vet diet can dog food that didn’t do much good, she lost a lot of weight because of it.

So when we took her back in on June 30th the ex-ray showed the stones were still there.

So I gave the go ahead for Sammy’s bladder stone surgery to have them removed! Sammy is 10 years old an active dog but still it was scary. Not something I want her to face again.

Thankfully she made it through her surgery and was able to go home the next day.

Long story short we gotten her bladder stone test results back today.

What the stones were made of:
1. Magnesium Ammonium Phospate
2. Struvite
3.Calcium
4. Phospahate Carbonate

I’m now trying to find a dog food low in, Protein ( less than 5 grams), Phosphorus (less than 170mg) and Calcium (less than 140 mg)

Sammy is a good dog who loves to play for her age and just have fun. Anyone’s advice would be appreciated.

[Linda G]

We are not sure of the type of stone because the analysis has not come back yet. I have always float his dry food in water to up his water intake and has fresh water at all times. His bladder has been flushed already and the vet is not recommending surgery because the stones are the size of cat litter. I was curious if those are good food suggestions since I’m not very familiar of either

[C4D]

Skye G, the only problem with a vegetarian diet is that many of the holistic vets found that it caused muscle waste. It truly must be carefully balanced to provide the correct nutrition for a dog.
On a side not, my husband actually had bladder stones. He did change his diet which included limiting caffeine products and drinking more fluids. He hasn’t had a recurrence in over 20 years. I’m not saying that it cured it, but I really think providing more fresh food to a dog, as opposed to dry kibble, could possibly help. This would increase the overall moisture in a dog’s system, helping to flush out the minerals that are forming.

[C4D]

Unfortunately, Dalmations are one breed that has a tendency to form stones. If you feed a fresher diet as opposed to dry kibble, it will help in keeping fluid in the system to flush out the stones. Of course you still have to watch the purines. Most of the dalmation breeders recommend poultry, eggs and cheese as it’s lowest in the purines. Many seem to recommend distilled water also.
Here are a couple of links that might help you out:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_6/features/Kidney-Stones-Bladder-Stones_16231-1.html

I don’t use Flint River Ranch food, and it only gets an average rating on this site, so I’m not sure of the food, but the site has some interesting information:

http://www.aplusflintriverranch.com/article-healthydalmatiandiet.php

There are several dalmation sites if you google that offer some good information. Good luck with it!

[Anonymous]

“Bladder stones are serious and can lead to a life threatening urethra blockage that requires emergency surgery”.

life threatening, not like threatening (spelling correction)

[Anonymous]

Bladder stones are serious and can lead to a like threatening urethra blockage that requires emergency surgery.
I would feed only what your vet recommends, does he have a nutritionist he works with or can refer you to? In case you want to try homemade.
Wysong also has a prescription food http://www.wysong.net/veterinarian/ Ask your vet if it’s an option, if you like the ingredients.
Consider consulting a specialist for more treatment options including diet choices.
In the meantime I would feed the prescription food, cooperate with testing and evaluate the results and go from there.

PS: check out Urate Urolithiasis http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/nutrition/client_info_sheets/uroliths.cfm

Also I have found the blogs at this site helpful, in fact I found the above link there http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2014/02/nutrition-resources-for-pet-owners/

[jcholl9]

Thanks for the good reading guys.. My Mom’s dog Sammy is having issues with bladder stones again and we’ve been trying to clear it up. She’s going into the vet this coming Tuesday for a checkup and an exray again.

I’m going to try and find something better for her. Thanks for the advice here.

Sammy is 10 years old an active and loving schnauzer. Going in search of a health dog food now. But all be speaking with the vet as well.

[jcholl9]

Cool… I just looked the puupy is so cute 🙂 So yeah we’ve been doing all that with Sammy when it comes to her bladder stones. As I said she’s had this all her life since she was a year old.

As we discovered wheat and grain were the main deal causing her stones. Corn from popcorn was part of it which she doesn’t get anymore. But anyways Sammy’s Ph level is something new to us now, and I’m learning all this stuff now on caring for her bladder.

I’m going to go ahead with the xray to see how the vet food helped and make sure she’s still good. Thanks for the advice on 4 meals a day which will be from her canned food. All let her gain weight a little bit at a time, not all at once.

I plan to work with the vet but no more diet food. Sammy burns a lot of energy just being happy and playing 🙂

I’m going to feed her, her 3rd helping soon and last at night.

And yes, we let her drink a lot of water 🙂

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by jcholl9.

[Anonymous]

Check the search engine (home page on this site) for bladder stones, struvite, calcium oxalate, those are the most common types of stones for dogs, maybe you can find some helpful information…..but it is best to run things by the vet before making changes.

Gradual weight gain is better, you don’t want rapid weight gain, it will stress her system.
Best of luck

PS: 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.

Ask him if you can skip the x-rays and testing urine PH as long as she is urinating normally and having no difficulty? Ask him the warning signs to look for.
Ask the vet if Wysong senior kibble soaked in water overnight with water added and a lean meat topper such as cooked chicken breast chopped up is okay? That’s what my guy likes.

I would comply with the prescription food for now, unless your vet advises differently. If your vet okays that you can add something tasty to it, it might make a big difference.
And don’t forget, water, water, and more water added to the diet. Ask the vet ….but I believe this helps big time.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I would call your vet and ask him to call you back when he has a minute (rather than discussing the matter with the vet tech that answers the phone) shouldn’t be a charge.
It depends on what type of bladder stones your dog has as to what you can add to the diet.
Ask the vet what you can use for a topper to mix with the prescription food. For example, dogs love a spoonful of chopped up broiled chicken liver added to the meal.

And, add water to the meals, frequent bathroom breaks to keep the bladder flushed. I find that 4 small meals per day instead of 2 regular seems to help too.

[jcholl9]

Hi I have a schnauzer named Sammy and he’s 10 years old and she’s just one of the family.
She’s had a history of bladder stone issues since she was a puppy. All her life we’ve been in control of it for her. For the last few years she’s been on grain free dog food because we’ve discovered that the grain stuff was bad for her.

But long story short she went into the vet a few weeks ago for a check up and we had an x-ray done on Sammy. Finding a built up of bladder stones, it was bad. Bad enough put Sammy on the s/d dog food they gave us. First off the people at the Vet are nice and my family and I like them.

The dog food has helped Sammy get rid of some the bladder stones and only a few remain. But the main problem now is that she’s lost a lot of weight, slowly gaining it back we have her on, her old canned dog food.

She needs to get her strength and normal weight back. One of the draw backs is she can’t hold her potty sometimes and make’s a mess… Not fun for her and us…
Is there anything natural we can to build up her weight. I want Sammy to have fun again playing with her toys…

Any advice would be great ?

I’m glad I found this site 🙂

[jcholl9]

Hi I have a schnauzer named Sammy and he’s 10 years old and she’s just one of the family.

She’s had a history of bladder stone issues since she was a puppy. All her life we’ve been in control of it for her. For the last few years she’s been on grain free dog food because we’ve discovered that the grain stuff was bad for her.

But long story short she went into the vet a few weeks ago for a check up and we had an x-ray done on Sammy. Finding a built up of bladder stones, it was bad. Bad enough put Sammy on the s/d dog food they gave us. First off the people at the Vet are nice and my family and I like them.

The dog food has helped Sammy get rid of some the bladder stones and only a few remain. But the main problem now is that she’s lost a lot of weight, slowly gaining it back we have her on, her old canned dog food.

She needs to get her strength and normal weight back. One of the draw backs is she can’t hold her potty sometimes and make’s a mess… Not fun for her and us…

Is there anything natural we can to build up her weight. I want Sammy to have fun again playing with her toys…

Any advice would be great ?

I’m glad I found this site 🙂

[Anonymous]

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. My guy is a peke. Did your vet have the stones tested?

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, but the canned foods seem so greasy to me…

[Nicole O]

Red,

We adopted her from the shelter and don’t know her actual breed but many have said she looks like a small American Eskimo mix. She is 5 years old. As far as diagnosis. Vet just told me she is prone to the formation of stones due to the struvite and that’s why she needs to be on the prescription diet. Prior to everything, we had her on Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed Light Dry Dog Food. The vet said it is her food that cause the stones to form. We had only had her for 3 years and don’t know her prior history, the size and amount of stones removed from her bladder indicated that they may have been forming for a while. She nevershowed any signs of discomfort until her UTI.

I will ask the vet about supplements and will start adding water to her dry food.

[Anonymous]

What breed is the dog? How old is the dog? What are her diagnoses? What type or types of stones does she have?
What is wrong with only having 1 bowel movement a day, most dogs go once or twice a day (in my experience).
But is she is a little constipated, increased water in the diet will help.

PS: If you soak the kibble in water overnight in the fridg, it doubles in size, ask the vet if you can add a spoonful of cooked lean chicken or red meat. I would still add more water.
Ask the vet about supplements, fish oil, dog multivit, etc.
Make sure she is offered a bathroom break, the opportunity to urinate at least every 4 hours (every 2 hours is ideal) Keep the bladder flushed.

[Nicole O]

These posts have been extremely informative and I am hoping someone will have some advice for me.

History: feb2015 my pup was diagnosed with a UTI, was given antibiotics, and after completion of the antibiotics continued to urinate blood. 2nd visit the vet did an X-ray. My poor girl had her entire bladder filled with stones varying in size from a grape seed to the size of a lychee. She had surgery to remove the stones and was placed on hills C/D dry mixed with a little hills c/d wet. Everything went back to normal but FIVE MONTHS LATER she began to have diarrhea with blood in her stool. Again, I rushed her to the vet. He placed her on antibiotics and probiotics + a chicken/rice/cottage cheese/pumpkin diet for 7 days. After the antibiotics and the 7 day food change, we started to incorporate the C/D food in to transition her back. 5 days later she began to diarrhea with blood again. Went back to the vet. Did another X-ray (thank goodness the X-ray looked good). But now he is saying she’s having an adverse reaction to the hills C/D. He has now put her on Royal Canin SO dry. There is no more diarrhea, but she is also only having a bowel movement once a day.
After reading all of your posts, I don’t know what I should do. We haven’t been adding water or wet food to her dry, but will definitely start that. But knowing that this super expensive food is mostly fillers has me a little uneasy.
Any advice or suggestions?

[Anonymous]

As you can see by using the search engine (bladder stones) and checking the various posts and threads at this site. The most important thing you can do is increase water intake, add water to all meals, 3 or 4 small meals per day instead of 1 or 2.
Offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate, observe for normal flow/amount/stream. Keep the bladder flushed to avoid stagnant conditions conductive to stone formation.
Otherwise I would defer to your vet regarding diet and supplement choices, at least till the dog has been stable for a while….then discuss changes with the vet.
Some types of bladder stones tend to recur, there is a genetic component to consider.

PS: Wysong has a prescription food, ask your vet if it would be appropriate….if you like the ingredients better http://www.wysong.net/veterinarian/

[Ana L]

I’d been considering home cooking (JFFD) for most of last year but wasn’t on the same page with my husband. When he finally agreed we had adopted our second dog, and after doing the math, it was no longer feasible for us. I had researched quite a bit and came up with Acana for both of our babes.

Our new boy from last July just got diagnosed and had surgery for bladder stones last Monday. The vet sent him home with Hills s/d wet food. The ingredients are awful, but we don’t want to risk him developing stones again. We’re planning on feeding him this wet food until we get the stone analysis back. I called JFFD today to see if they had a stone recipe and was told it’d be a custom diet consult at $195 and roughly $110/month for the formulation for me to cook at home. That seemed outrageous… but after research I saw UC Davis offers nutritional consults too ($295)… only they don’t have an ongoing charge or formulation they sell you. They just give you the recipe after a consult with your vet.

We want Gunner to have the best nutrition possible, we’re currently paying $78 every other month for Acana, and we’ll need to re-evaluate home-cooking and find an affordable qualified consult.

[Anonymous]

Remember, there is often a genetic factor involved with these conditions.
Best to go along with whatever the vet recommends, diet and otherwise.

When the dog has been stable for a year, I would talk to your vet about what changes you could make, if any.

Again, the things I have found to be the most effective regarding avoiding recurrence of bladder stones (all types) is:

Increased water in the diet, and frequent bathroom breaks to keep the bladder flushed.

[Anonymous]

Anyway you can arrange for someone to let them out to urinate every 4 hours? It might be helpful, urine that stays in the bladder longer provides a stagnant condition that is conducive to stone formation.

Sure, they can hold it, I’m just saying that isn’t the best thing for this condition.
I know it’s hard, I had to leave my dogs when I went to work, I assumed they were drinking adequate water, but it turns out that wasn’t the case for the one that developed stones.

[Jeaneene S]

I am unable to do 4 small meals a day for any of the dogs … we both work more than 45 miles from home and have to cross the Bay Bridge here in Maryland (commutes can be bad). All my dogs are crate trained and don’t have accidents as a general rule of thumb (unless they don’t finish doing their business before we have to leave for work or if we’re stuck at work or in traffic longer than expected).

We do make sure they have plenty of drinking water – and its even twice filtered since it’s well water and all 4 dogs are used to city water AND they use the drinkwell pet fountain – and they drink and are let out more times than I can even count.

The vet said they did send the bladder stones out for analysis, and I certainly intend on discussing the results with them, especially knowing that there are different kinds and each kind is caused by different issues.

(and yup – refreshed the screen about 10 times and finally gave up! *lol*)

[Anonymous]

Been there and back. I just took my 15 year old guy in for a geriatric checkup, his labwork is better than mine. He does have some age related issues.

He has no symptoms of UTIs or stones, I watch him urinate, normal flow, amount, no difficulty. So the vet said no need for x-rays or testing this and that, UNLESS HE HAS SYMPTOMS.

He had bladder stones, struvite and oxalate, emergency surgery in 2011. I put him on that food you mentioned, it was okay….but then I always added a little cooked chicken to it.
The vets wanted to x-ray him every 3 months, I went along with it a couple of times, when they saw a couple of small stones had returned and offered no treatment? I didn’t follow up.

He prefers Wysong senior or Nutrisca salmon and chickpea, wet food is probably better. However, I use kibble and soak it overnight in water, plus add water and a bite of cooked chicken, 4 small meals per day, offer frequent bathroom breaks. Water, and frequent bathroom breaks are very important, keep the bladder flushed.

If you click on my user name you will find posts/threads related to bladder stones, or use the search engine.
I am reluctant to discuss supplements anymore, because it depends on the type of stones your dog has as to what might be helpful. Therefore it is best to ask your vet for recommendations.

PS: Next time it says you are not logged in , try the refresh button.

[Jeaneene S]

I really wanted to put this in the “Struvite Crystals” thread – but for some reason that particular page always shows me as *not* logged in, even when I log in from within that thread.

Anyway, I could use some help. I have a 10 1/2 year old male Siberian Husky who has – his entire life – been on Beneful dry dog food and never had any health problems AT ALL. At one point I tried to change to the Blue Wilderness (thinking it might be better for them), but he and my 10 1/2 year old female Husky had the worst diarrhea I’ve ever seen, so it was back to the Beneful kibble. (I’ve always heard dry kibble is best for dental health, which is why that’s all I’ve ever used)

Now, this past February my big boy had what appeared to be an awful UTI. So the next day, I got a good urine catch (looked super cloudy, but just yellow) and took it and him to the vet. Vet found no crystals but lots of blood (at the microscopic level) in his urine, and did an xray, but didn’t find anything wrong. She put him on antibiotics and it was gone.

On May 1 we moved to a new house, and got a new vet – had all the dogs’ files brought to the new vet (I brought them myself so I knew they wouldn’t get lost). Then, on Memorial Day, I noticed he looked like he was having a hard time urinating again and to my horror it looked as if he was even peeing blood. Immediately called the new vet and explained what it *appeared* to be; she said that even though they were closed, she would call in an rx for Amoxicillin for him. No more than a few days of being off the antibiotics, and we started having problems AGAIN (thankfully not peeing blood this time). So, hubby took him to the Vet this past Monday and with a different kind of xray, she found 1 stone the size of a quarter, 3 stones the size of a nickel, and about 15 smaller ones. Needless to say my big boy went in for surgery yesterday morning (I am picking him up today).

Now the vet is telling me that I have to put him on the Royal Canin SO food (which she has already said he’s been turning his nose up at the vet’s), and the only treats he can have is if I take the Royal Canin SO canned food, cut it up in to squares and bake them into “treats”. We’re talking about a dog who is used to his mommy throwing a steak on the grill to mix in with his food (well, him and the other 3 girl dogs in the house) … getting bell peppers, apples and other fruits/veggies as treats, having watered-down applesauce popsicles, etc. Now she’s saying he can never have any of this ever again AND I have to give him this food that appears to me to be very poor quality and that he doesn’t like?! I’m having a very hard time accepting this.

I asked the vet at the Petsmart (where I am having to get the food) for a second opinion – and oddly enough – he seconded that opinion. How do I tell his regular vet that I don’t approve of this dog food, and that I’d LIKE to try a more vitamin-based/holistic approach as well as make his food for him which I feel would be better quality – not to mention cheaper – and where I can add the necessary added vitamins and minerals and would still prevent any further bladder stone issues.

Should trust both his new vet and the Banfield vet at Petsmart (his previous vet – when I called her last week also said he may have to go on a special diet for the remainder of his life too, so that makes three)? I’m willing to make his food, give him the supplements, test his urine … ANYTHING! Or am I just being unreasonable? And would it be “wrong” to go against the vet and do what I *think* is right?

• This topic was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Jeaneene S.

[Anonymous]

I am not a fan of free feeding, for tips you may find helpful see General Guidelines in this link http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I have recently discovered this site and find it informative http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

My dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea with a spoonful of cooked chicken added, plus a splash of water.

My 15 year old small breed does well on Wysong or Nutrisca kibble soaked in water overnight, a little cooked chicken added, plus water (hx of bladder stones)

I recently took the old guy in for a checkup and his lab work is better than mine, lol.
He has age related issues but otherwise healthy.

PS: I never leave food down, if they don’t eat within 20 minutes the food is picked up and put in the fridg, offered at the next mealtime.

[Anonymous]

Q: How can I prevent my dog from developing cystine bladder stones in the future?

A: Dogs that have developed cystine bladder stones in the past will often be fed a therapeutic diet for life. Diets that promote alkaline urine that is more dilute are recommended. Most dogs should be fed a canned or wet diet to encourage water consumption. Dilute urine with a low urine specific gravity (USpG less than 1.020) is an important part of the prevention of calcium oxalate bladder stones. In certain cases, medications such as n-(mercaptoropionyl)-glycine (2-MPG) (ThiolaTM) may be required. Urinary alkalinizers may be needed to maintain an alkaline urine ph of greater than 7.5.

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 life. Dogs displaying any clinical signs such as frequent urinations, urinating in unusual places, painful urination or the presence of blood in the urine should be evaluated immediately. Unfortunately, cystine stones have a high rate of recurrence, despite careful attention to diet and lifestyle.

Above is an excerpt from http://www.michigananimalhospital.com/page/452281614

It sounds more complicated than it is, increase water, frequent bathroom breaks, make sure dog is urinating normal flow and amount and not having difficulty.

Otherwise, find the appropriate diet (veterinarian/nutritionist approved), continue healthy lifestyle, walks, play.

Follow veterinarian’s recommendation for testing, medication, supplements.

Give us an update, hope all goes smoothly.