[Lori J M]

My dog had a few UTIs, then had surgery for bladder stones. Even though he had no struvite crystals in his urine, the labs done on the stones came back as struvite.

So, after a struggle getting him to eat that nasty Royal Canin – he looked at me as if I were punishing him for no reason 🙁 and I refuse to feed him Science Diet, I went to another vet.

This one prescribed the new Blue Natural Veterinary Diet WU (a Blue Buffalo prescription) and both my dog LOVE it! It is protein based but low in the minerals that can cause stones. My little guy does get bored with one flavor, so when he begins to balk at his food again (he’s not very food motivated), with my vet’s blessing, I’ll give him some of my other dog’s Merrick which he goes bonkers for. He is also taking cranberry supplements and I have increased his water consumption dramatically. I also fill his bowl only with distilled water. He has had NO problem in almost 2 years now! With so many variables changing, it’s hard to know what is helping. Is it the food or the supplements or the water? Is it a combination of some or all?

So, my problem? We moved to another state and I’m trying to find a good vet who carries this product or one who will give me a prescription if I can find it sold somewhere. Blue Buffalo has no answered my email about how to find a distributor. I did find it on Amazon but the price is just STUPID. Almost $50 for a 6 lb. bag with Prime and over $50 for a case of canned (I feed both). While I was searching for this food, I came across some articles about the deceptive advertising in the past that Blue Buffalo was accused of. If it’s true that they use animal by-products but lie about it, I don’t want to use their food. However, if my dog is doing well on it now… maybe I should. I’m confused.

Since I’m not having luck finding a local vet who carries this, I’m considering keeping him on all Merrick again. Do I keep looking? Switch foods and keep him on supplements and maybe add vitamin C to be sure? Suck it up and pay the premium price on Amazon? Find a different food?

All opinions welcome.

[Susan W]

VeRUS has a cold water fish formula with Menhaden fish as the base.
Here is the ingredient list: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lentils, Chickpeas, Green Peas, Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Tapioca, Herring, Herring Meal, Yams, Natural Flavors, Menhaden Fish Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Flaxseed, Chicory Extract, Dried Cranberry, Tomato Pomace, Dried Carrots, Kelp, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Pediococcus acidilactici Fermentation Product, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, L-Carnitine, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Betaine Anhydrous, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate

As an aside…I thought my dogs were allergic to chicken & beef & all things gluten. Turns out they had mites. You can try dusting your dog with food grade DE powder. If they stop scratching, food isn’t the problem.

VeRUS sends fantastic samples f you want to give them a try.

[anonymously]

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

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.

“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”.

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.

Don’t add supplements unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cranberry

PS: Start brushing the teeth once a day, see YouTube for how to videos, small breeds tend to have lousy teeth.

[don h]

what would be the daily amount of vitamin c and cranberry supplements to give a 9lbs 8 month old puppy to lower urine ph and which dog food . She is on Merrick dry puppy kibbles now.

[J S]

That’s an educational article, but their dog has oxalate crystals, not struvite and the diet needed would be different due to needing a different pH urine.

PH strips can be found either on-line or at the health food store. Our Saluki/Husky struvite crystal maker is holding steady with occasional signs of what we call “pee-crawling” which means there might be some crystals starting up again (no blood is observed). The keys to her improvement are using mostly canned wet food, a bit of kibble and extra water (float the kibble) at both meals, and one of the meals we still use the Royal Canin for struvite crystals. The other meal is Canidae grain-free, which is what we feed our other dog. We also use cranberry relief powder in one meal, and a pH lowering powder in the other other (the non-Rx meal). With increased water consumption the best thing is to get her on a schedule of peeing outside every four hours or less, and so far, no more crystals or infections that have been requiring a vet. Her noon and bedtime snacks are also broken up and floated in some water to increase her liquids. We try to keep her pH lower with grain-free and more meat in her diet. One snack is Texax hold-ems dehydrated sheep lung. Hope this helps.

[anonymously]

Please check the search engine here for “struvite” “bladder stones” or click on my avatar and read my posts on this subject , this topic comes up about once a week.
However, I am not a veterinarian, so please check with your vet before making any changes to your dog’s treatment.
I wouldn’t mess with supplements, keep the diet simple.
There are prescription meds that your vet could subscribe after surgery if her condition is stubborn. I would ask about that.

Example: /forums/search/struvite/

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.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cranberry

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.

PS: If he is overweight or inactive, start taking her for daily walks, that helps too.

[adam]

Just got back from the vet with surgery scheduled to remove what appears to be 20+ decent sized Struvite Stones from my Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Sheapard mix coming up in about a week. She had been blocked up, peeing blood, with recurring UTIs off and on since being spayed at age 7months (may or may not be a connection, I switched vets just in case).

I am dumbfounded as she has had nothing but 5 star foods since I got her as a 10 week old puppy who is now nearly 3 years old. She has mainly been on Earthborn Holistic Costal Catch and Primitive, with some rotation through Pure Balance Wild and Free Bison, and Native Performance Level IV. I also add a lot of meats, several times a week- mainly fish, sometimes beef or chicken, also whole eggs. She also gets Missing Link or some other skin/coat/probiotic supplement everyday.

Any suggestions specifically on what food or what tips generally speaking to keep Great Pyrenees urinary tract healthy is appreciated. When all of these problems started I went through cranberry pills, vitamin C, apple cider vinegar, probiotics with prebiotics, and many rounds of antibiotics, so none of those could keep her free and clear for more than a couple of weeks.

Or if there is anything I should specifically ask the vet to check for or investigate further before surgery, anything would be helpful. The vet did have me (at least temporarily) switch to “Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Urinary SO” which isn’t directly rated on this site, but at best looks like a 2, maybe 2.5 star food, pretty terrible.

It is frustrating to spend so much time and money on quality foods and then have the vet say the food caused, at least in part, her stones.

Could 5 star food cause her crystals/stones? Should I use the Vets suggestion of this sub-par Royal Canin food? Is there any alternative to surgery that has worked for others that have this many stones with some blockage (the vet was willing to hold off on surgery, it is up to me)? Or, how does someone find a vet that won’t immediately blame the food? I don’t need vet bashing, they are not all out to get more money at the expense of animals, I just need real science/wisdom guided solutions.

[anonymously]

Age 7 is considered a senior, the vets often recommend an exam and lab work at this stage, if you haven’t done so. Excessive licking and hot spots is an indication that something is wrong, I think a visit to the vet may be in order.
I would discuss diet changes with the vet before taking her off of a prescription food.

“Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea that in itching problems”.
http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm

Check the search engine here for allergies: /forums/search/allergies/

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies You may find some helpful information at this site.

Regarding bladder stones:
/forums/topic/crystalstone-in-bladder/

Often when the infection is treated (antibiotics) and water intake is increased the condition clears up, unless they have another type of stones, also. They can have more than one type. Often there is a genetic component.

The best thing you can do is to increase water intake and offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate. Sure, dogs can hold it, but that’s not good for this condition, You want to keep the bladder flushed. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation.
PS: Has your dog had an x-ray to rule out calcium oxalate stones?
I use a potassium citrate/cranberry supplement I get from Chewy.com. It depends on the type of stones.
It is best to get approval from the veterinarian that is treating the dog before adding anything, and I would go along with the prescription diet for now. PH levels fluctuate and it takes a while (sometimes weeks) to see changes, at least that is what my vet told me.

you may find this site helpful: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/ Recent blog about cranberry supplements.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/ Regarding raw diets.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by anonymously.

[Jenna R]

Hello!

My 7yr old dog Nelly (she is a rescue but we think she is a Bichon/Shih Tzu/Havaenese) has had a few bladder infections and most recently had to have crystals (or stones) removed from her bladder in late 2015. Nelly was on Royal Canin food for medium dogs her whole life until about 2015 when my mom thought she may have a wheat/dairy allergy so she switched her food (not sure the brand). The bladder infections were treated with antibiotics and she seemed to recover just fine. After her surgery, our vet recommended going back to Royal Canin SO and we added in giving her a bit of canned Royal Canin as well however recently Nelly has been having “hot spots” and licking places she has never licked before so we are beginning to think it is a wheat allergy or SOMETHING along those lines!

Now that Nelly is better my mom is terrified to have her go through that experience again (it was AWFUL!!!) so we are looking for the best option to keep Nelly free from bladder issues all together.

I read a lot about a raw diet and cranberry pills. We are open to absolutely anything so that Nelly can have the best quality of life 🙂

*I also read about them getting enough water, i dont think this is Nelly’s issue as we do leave water out and she drinks it all the time*

Can anyone recommend the next steps that we should take?

Jenna

[anonymously]

Have you checked the search engine at this site for “bladder stones”

Example: /forums/topic/crystalstone-in-bladder/

Often when the infection is treated (antibiotics) and water intake is increased the condition clears up, unless they have another type of stones, also. They can have more than one type. Often there is a genetic component.

The best thing you can do is to increase water intake and offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate. Sure, dogs can hold it, but that’s not good for this condition, You want to keep the bladder flushed. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation.
PS: Has your dog had an x-ray to rule out calcium oxalate stones?
I use a potassium citrate/cranberry supplement I get from Chewy.com. It depends on the type of stones.
It is best to get approval from the veterinarian that is treating the dog before adding anything, and I would go along with the prescription diet for now. PH levels fluctuate and it takes a while (sometimes weeks) to see changes, at least that is what my vet told me.

you may find this site helpful: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/ Recent blog about cranberry supplements.
I don’t know what you are talking about “So Index”. I would listen to the vet and use the prescription food, just a a bite of something tasty, pre-soak it overnight, a spoonful of plain chicken broth…he’s right, cranberry will not clear up crystals. Antibiotics will, but they will come back if you don’t make necessary changes.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by anonymously.

[Shirley F]

Hi, I´m new here and would like some feedback about nutrition facts and lack of nutrients in the raw food I feed my 2 dogs? My older is 4 years old and has recently been diagnosed with crystals in his urine. My vet recommended a dry food that contains an SO index, but he would rather eat carton than that kibble…I am using vitamin C and a cranberry dosage in his food, but my vet said that would not clear up the crystals, but am I wrong in assuming that the SO index is just magnesium? I´m feeding them Nordic, a food blended here in Iceland, but the same ingredients the Swedish company uses except for the meat, it´s local. They also get raw turkey necks once a day. Anyone here with thoughts on extra nutrients in their diet? Thanks!

[anonymously]

PS: Has your dog had an x-ray to rule out calcium oxalate stones?
I use a potassium citrate/cranberry supplement I get from Chewy.com. It depends on the type of stones.
It is best to get approval from the veterinarian that is treating the dog before adding anything, and I would go along with the prescription diet for now. PH levels fluctuate and it takes a while (sometimes weeks) to see changes, at least that is what my vet told me.

[Georgia L]

Thank you all for the above posts. My dog has the exact same problem and the vet just put her on Hill’s Urinary Care but I agree this food is not very nutritious and I really do not want to put her on it. One of you suggested Vit C. Can you please be more specific? Tell me how much to use for a 19 lb dog (powder or pill form) and where to purchase. The other suggestion was a cranberry supplement (which my vet also mentioned). Thank you for that info. I will check it out. My last vet said it was urinary crystals; my new vet says its a UTI and her ph level is 8.5. Your help is very much appreciated. I have another dog and would prefer they each eat the same thing, if possible.

[Lisa P]

Jaclyn, one other thing…I ordered a cranberry supplement for Jack, too. I’m hoping that will help. Again, good luck to you and your sweet baby!

[Deborah R]

Thank you! I printed off the info from MN. That is where they sent her stones for analysis but I don’t have the results yet. Expect them to be stuvite. I will check out the other links as well. Vet seemed ok with the cranberry (Solid Gold) supplement I told them she is on. Just told me not to give her Vit. C. She has had recurring UTI’s. This was her second. MN site recommends low protein. Yes, she is currently eating the Hills CD dry. I add a cup of water to it and let it soak 20 minutes or so. I add green beans as well. And yes I would like to add some other foods too. I am still trying to decide what to do. Thanks for your responses. Yes, I have increased her water intake at least when we are home. I work 4 days a week and she doesn’t get as much till I get home. I mean she has water out all the time of course but she doesn’t drink it. I have to take her food bowl and put a few teaspoons of chicken broth and 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of pumpkin, and about 4 kibble crunchies and then she will drink it. It’s in her food bowl so she thinks it’s food. LOL. So I try to make sure she gets at least 4 cups a day. She does drink water in the summer when we’ve been out walking. But winter, she’s really bad. Before the stones we weren’t monitoring her intake though. Now we have to.

[Deborah R]

My dog had bladder surgery for stones and is now on Hills CD food and the vet said she would need to be on it the rest of her life. I think it is pretty crummy food and would like to put her on a better quality food but it’s confusing since some say low protein (like CD) is best while others say No, high protein like Wysong or Flint River Ranch is best. The vets only recommend the Rx food of course so it’s hard to figure out what to do. I don’t want her to have a recurrence and I am using a cranberry supplement and making sure she drinks more water but just not sure what food is ok for her with this issue. Does anyone have any recommendations? They were Stuvite Chrystal stones. So her PH needs to be more acidic, less alkaline. I will test her periodically, have a culture every few months and bladder x rays every 3-6 months to make sure she’s doing ok. Just a question of what food she should be on and no I can’t do home cooked. I can supplement with some home cooked but need a base of a commercial food. Thanks for any info.

[doxygal]

I have a 10yro doxy she’s been paryllized from waist down
for 6yrs she has urinary tract infections constantly
I feed her canned food with extra water added to it and put some dry food in it also put cranberry capsules in it what else can I do she still has infection do I need different food

[anonymously]

What does a prescription food have to do with his age? I don’t understand.
Ask your vet, but I believe a medical condition takes priority. Just add a little cooked chopped up chicken breast to it (for example) if you want more protein.

Supplements, if they do anything at all, depend on the type of stones your dog is making.
I give my dog this item, but I have cut down to only 2 tabs a day. I am not sure it does anything, but I keep giving it just in case it is helping….his struvite cleared up after antibiotics and increase in water, calcium oxalate stones are a different story (genetic).
K-Plus™ Potassium Citrate Plus Cranberry

[crazy4cats]

Hi Maureen-
Sorry to hear about the return of crystals in your pup. Sounds like you are doing a great job of making sure she is getting plenty of water and bathroom breaks. However, I caution the use of too many supplements without vet knowledge. Both DL-Methionine and cranberry supplements can alter the pH of her urine. You could over acidify and cause oxalate crystals instead.
I would feed the Royal Canin until the issue is cleared up and then go from there. Good luck!

[MAUREEN W]

I just rescued a little 8lb Shih tzu Bichon who is 6 years old. She was having so many problems & I needed to get her help & surgery right away. tests shown she had several bladder stones & some much larger than others so surgery was her only option after meds not helping. She is now a VERY HAPPY fun little girl & loving live after getting the care needed.
However results just came back from the stones being Struvite & vet wants to put her on Royal Canine SO.!! Im not going to do that, Ive seen so many clients dogs on this crap & there is noting good in it. I feed all my dogs good quality food & believe doing that will help her more than anything.
Ive been giving her canned food since I rescued her & some boiled chicken with the broth & even veg & I do add a probiotic powder to her food. What are the best veg for her & what do i stay away from. I also bought a powder called Methionine by Dogzymes where i buy my pet probiotics from along with joint supplements. It says regulates the formation of amonia & creates amonia free urine which reduces bladder irritation. I also add fish oil to dogs diet each day. Should I add a cranberry supplement too & what is best kind. I want to do what is best for the little girl but I know that is not Royal Canine food. Any help would be great. Im also going to order PH strips too. I have water supply in every room for her & even bought her a fountain to help her drink more. I have 2 giant dogs so used to them drinking gallons of water, this tiny girl, I dont know what amount she should drink & what to to to make her drink more. She gets Plenty of potty breaks & I put her potty pads down if i need to be gone so she knows it ok to go on them & not hold it. (she uses them too) 🙂
Any help would be greatful, I dont want this little girl to suffer again the way she was when I took her in to get her surgery & help she needed.
Thanks so much. Mo

[3pupmom]

Good afternoon. My apologies for the length of this post. My Miniature Schnauzer Ninja was dx w/struvite crystals in Sept. I took him to vet to get some Metro for his yucky diarrhea & it turns out he had a raging UTI, his liver function was out of whack plus pancreatitis all at once. He was hospitalized for 2days, xrays showed no stones and he came home w/antibiotics. I think clavamox. 1 month later at his recheck, ph was 7 still has struvites in his urine plus some rbc/wbc but no infection (vet did a culture). 2nd recheck in Nov ph was 5.5, no struvites, but now he has calcium oxalate crystals. In Sept, before the hospitalization, Ninja was on Canidae All Stages only. When he came home I started him on THK Halcyon, the duck formulation, with a little of the Canidae. After the Oct followup I started him on VetriScience UT strength supplements which contains D-Mannose & Cranberry Extract and switched the kibble to Nature’s Domain Turkey. I was going to add Vitamin C supplements but now after the Nov followup with his urinary ph being 5.5 my vet said not to. I’ve now completely cut kibble out of his diet & he’s on 1/3cup THK only with 3/4cup water to rehydrate twice per day. I give him a 1/2 cup of unsalted broth (23mg sodium) mid-day and there’s plenty of fresh/clean water throughout the house which he barely touches. I’m putting a little bit of white rice in his food/broth to entice him to eat/drink. 2weeks ago I switched from the VetriScience UT Strength to UT Stat. He goes back for another recheck on 12/18. He’s 5years old & this has never been an issue before. Since Sept the vet has been suggesting Royal Canin SO. It’s garbage food & I’d rather not feed that. I’m at a loss at this point. Any suggestions on a different supplement?

[Jonathan S]

I have two recipes I use, but I feed half raw half kibble. They are as below. Measurements are not always exact…

Lamb Recipe:
2 lbs Ground bone in rabbit
1 lbs ground lamb
1 lb reconstituted lamb green tripe
2 lbs chicken organs (hearts, gizzards, livers)
2 large carrots
1 container greens (green juju)
1 lb of peas
1 can organic pumpkin
blueberries
apples
coconut oil
turmeric

Thanksgivingish Recipe:
2 lbs ground duck necks
2 lbs turkey organs
2 lbs ground chicken backs or ground turkey necks
broccoli
butternut squash
mango
greens (green juju)
ground fennel seeds
ground hemp seed hearts
1 can organic pumpkin or 1 cup Firm Up! with cranberry

One thing I did to develop these recipes is I look carefully at the ratings on this site. If Dog Food Advisor praises a particular food for having a beneficial ingredient in it, you can bet that ingredient is going to find its way into my food.

[Shawna]

Hi Sheila23,

Although a homemade diet is absolutely doable I would do a LOT more research before you decide on any one brand. Example — Tripe is a great food for kd dogs but it is supposedly already balanced in calcium to phosphorus. Adding a premix like Preference, that is designed to balance higher phosphorus meat, could be problematic. Although phosphorus needs to be watched, you can go too low too early in the disease.

Balance IT could be an option but I personally wouldn’t have fed my KD girl such a low protein diet (ESPECIALLY in the early stages). Based on the nutrient profile of their beef and rice early stage kd diet the protein amount is only 15.3%. That’s ridiculously low for early stage kd without any complicating issues like proteinuria. Not even enough to meet the minimum protein amounts required for an a complete and balanced diet. They also use corn oil — EEEEKK. The chicken & rice recipe is even worse at 14.9% protein.

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend looking at Darwin’s prescription KD diet formulated by vet Dr. Barbara Royal. The ingredient list is
“Human-Grade Meat: Beef Meat, Beef Tripe, Beef Pancreas, Beef Lungs, Beef Kidneys, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Spleen.

Vegetables: Cabbage, Celery, Squash, Sweet Potato, Beets, Romaine Lettuce.

Special Nutrient Mix: Filtered Water (for processing), Sardine oil (source of EPA, DPA and DHA), Egg Shell Powder, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Inulin, Cornsilk, Dandelion Root, Cinnamon, Cranberry, Linden Flowers, , Chitosan, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3, Aloe Vera.” http://www.darwinspet.com/our-raw-foods/our-raw-dog-food/intelligent-design-ks/

I LOVE that you are starting Alvin on Standard Process Renal Support. It is the one supplement that my Audrey NEVER did without since diagnosis. She had KD from birth (symptoms showed at just 6 weeks of age) but she wasn’t diagnosed till she was 13 months old. She was given one year to live after that. She lived to almost her ninth birthday and it was an infection that took her life not the normal progression of kidney disease.

Some other things to look at for Alvin — purified water (as much as he wants), extra water soluble vitamins if he urinates large volumes of water. A high quality probiotic and a prebiotic made with acacia fiber helps to clear BUN etc from the blood allowing for higher protein to be fed or simply helps clear BUN when necessary. This is called “nitrogen trapping”. Giving Evian (or another higher calcium, lower sodium mineral water) has been shown to be beneficial for kidney disease. I did give my Audrey fresh, raw garlic most of her life. I still believe that if I hadn’t gotten lazy and quit giving it to her near the end of her life she wouldn’t have developed the severe infection that ended up damaging her kidneys and taking her life. Enzymes to help with the digestion of his food. Certain supplements and herbs can be helpful — spirulina provides many nutrients, food grade activated charcoal given off an on in small amounts can help clear toxins, organic turmeric helps with inflammation and also helps prevent scar tissue (works best when combined with pepper or the enzyme bromelain from pineapple). Chlorella is a wonderful detoxer and it helps build red blood cells due to the high amounts of chlorphyll in it. Apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion (fed with food in small amounts or given via syringe but must be diluted first). Ginger extract and therapeutic grade peppermint oil can help with nausea (later in the illness). I also recently read that there is other therapeutic grade essential oils that can help the kidneys but I don’t remember the particulars of the article. Vet Dr. Melissa Shelton would be the person to seek out if wanting to incorporate essential oils.

I was lucky with Audrey, she was able to eat commercial raw products clear up to a few months before she passed. I’m not sure if that was because of the supplements, being fed raw from weaning or what but she did quite well. Possibly look at lower phosphorus commercial foods and then add small amounts of low phosphorus toppers (lightly cooked egg whites and coconut oil as an example) to keep the calories up while lowering the overall phosphorus even more. There are some great nutritionists out there as well that could be quite beneficial to you and Alvin.

Hoping Alvin does as well as, or better than, my Audrey!!!

Thank you Marie!

[Sue S]

We had a pug with significant struvite stones. They were removed surgically 2
1/2 years ago. Since then we had her on a daily OTC cranberry gel capsule simply added to her dry kibble with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Kibble swam in the water. We had her checked with ultrasounds several times and have had not even a slight recurrence of struvite stones. Give it a try! Good luck.

[J S]

Thanks Nate. I looked into Zignature when it was first mentioned it and I didn’t like the “natural flavors”. What is so great about that that it’s in everything? Seems completely unnecessary for something supposed to be healthy. I will try the distilled water idea tho, as I’ve been using filtered tap water and our water is a bit hard. I’ll look into the gold berry balance now that I’ve used up the Cranberry Relief. Thanks to everyone for all the ideas!

[Nate D]

J S, look into trying Zignature. Try the Kangaroo formula if you can get it. It’s low calorie, lower protein, grain free, potato free, chicken free, gluten free, the mineral levels aren’t high, its limited ingredient so not a lot of high alkaline vegetables, etc..
I add 250 mg of Solid Gold Berry Balance once a day to the food (vet said to give my dog 250 mg’s of cranberry so I use the berry balance) and float the food with distilled water. I also add a tablespoon of wet food.
The canned Zignature is much more expensive then the dry which is why I just use it as a topper and more moisture.
Any of the Zignature’s are worth a try, but the Kangaroo is working great for mine. Might be worth trying and see how your dog makes out.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Nate D.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Nate D.

[CornchipCorgi]

My puppy is now an 8 month old corgi. Shortly after getting him from his breeder we transitioned him to a raw diet. However starting in January when he was about 2 months old he’s had recurring UTIs. Since then we have visited the vet 3 times and had him on 4 different antibiotics. From what they told us he has crystals in his urine because his urine has a very low pH. We feed him cranberry powder with his raw.

I don’t know what’s causing my poor puppy to be sick like this constantly. I want to find the cause and get him treated ASAP. I heard from a vet tech friend of mine that raw diet will cause bladder and UTI problems. I asked my current vet and they said it is possible. Is this true? Why can other dogs thrive on it but not mine?

[InkedMarie]

The best food for a dog with UTI’s is a wet food: raw, canned, dehydrated/freeze dried. If you must feed kibble, add a little canned and warm water. Using a cranberry supplement is helpful as well.

[Pamela S]

I haven’t read everyone elses posts. But my Bernese (1 year old) had crystals and vet suspected probably stones. Ever since I went to vet they were pushing science dietl. I feed top rated foods from this site and from Whole Dog Journal. I also feed a different brand every day so they have variety. (vet absolutely hates that!) So as soon as vet said crystals need to feed special diet ie Royal Cain or Science Diet. I did research, I immediately added a two to one ratio of water to food (two cups water to one cup kibble) and stated giving cranberry vitamin gels. Went in next week, no crystals, no stones. I am not saying that it worked that She is doing great!

[J S]

I would do some research on struvite crystals to make sure your doc is giving you the right info. From my understanding having a high pH (non-acid) in the urine with an infection is the environment in which struvite crystals form. The battle is two-fold. First you want to increase water to flush the uti out of her system which also means frequent and low stress times outside to empty the bladder entirely each time. We take our Saluki/Husky rescue outside every four hours and have her kibble swimming in water so she has to drink that before eating (she’s never been a big water drinker). Sometimes we drip an ice cube in the water bowl to make it more interesting. I’ve also just started adding some colloidal silver to the water bowl as that helps with all infections and is supposed to help deter tooth plaque (I used CS when I had a UTI and didn’t have to take an antibiotic). We also put cranberry urinary plus powder in her kibble, but it did not stop another infection so I don’t know if we’ll continue using it in the future. We also use a powder called Biotic-pH from Wysong. The main ingredient in it is the same as in the Royal Canine food used to keep the pH lower. Our bodies have their own systems of regulating pH, but what we eat does make a difference. Increasing meats would increase an acidic environment. We’ll be switching to a non-grain kibble next to see how that works. Royal Canine is a lot of chicken fat and our girl does plump up on that somewhat. Best of all would be to get off the dry kibble completely but we haven’t been able to break that habit yet. She does get wet food, chicken leftovers, canned premium dog food, etc. along with her kibble and water stew. If we could keep her from digging in the dirt (which I think is what’s giving her the UTIs) then maybe we’d have a chance to end this cycle, but as part Husky that would be asking a lot! Best of luck as you find out what works best for your pooch.

[Anonymous]

http://www.entirelypets.com/k-plus-potassium-citrate-plus-cranberry-300-tabs.html?cmp=nextag&mr:referralID=2b34b4bd-6c95-11e2-b779-001b2166c62d

All I know is that it appears to be working for my dog, he had both struvite and calcium oxalate stones. He has not had a recurrence since his surgery (2011) he turns 15 next month. I listened to the advice of a veterinarian.

DL-Methionine is a prescription medication that I am not familiar with, my vet told me to try the potassium citrate supplements first. After testing a few times his ph lowered nicely. I still think increased water is the key.

For dogs, calcium oxalate stones are more concerning than struvite, often the struvite clears up when the infection (antibiotics) is eliminated and increased water is added to the diet.

The treatment for cats is different than for dogs, that’s why it is important to work with a veterinarian regarding treatment choices. Not a DIY

Articles are not always correct, neither is information shared on the internet, I take it all with a grain of salt.

[Kathy B]

Hello Carrie
I had the same issue with my cockers this winter. vet said the UTIs could have been caused by the food which started a merry go round of other issues. I did use the D mannose which helped and switched them to Merrick and at that point, they began to eat their stools. I connected it to the new food which they loved!
Switched them to Natures Varity Duck Limited Ingredient and the other issues have (at this point) stopped. Had to watch some of the cranberry products, as some add Vitamin C which gave them loose stools.
Good Luck!

[J S]

Update on our 2 dogs with struvite crystals. The girl with the recurring UTIs and previous-to-being-adopted-stone-surgery is getting more water with her food and getting out to pee more often. Trying to be calmer on our walks so that she can pee as often as she wants/needs to (every five feet if there are good smells around!). She hasn’t exhibited the crawl-peeing of an infection the last two days and has never exhibited pain when peeing. As soon as the crawl-peeing showed up I added 500 mg of vit c to each meal and she’s already getting a scoop of Cranberry Relief in the morning and a scoop of Wysong Biotic Ph with dinner, and eating the Royal Canin S/O with a little wet food. I’m also using Colloidal Silver (10 drops each meal for 2 days, then 6 drops, until 2 days after symptoms ended. Her pH this morning was 6.75. I’ve used Vit C and colloidal silver on myself when I was told I had a UTI. I really dislike using antibiotics unless extremely necessary. Here’s a website on C.S. by a holistic vet: http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/08/colloidal-silver-diy-treatment-for-dogs.html . Our boy dog shows no signs of a UTI and his ph on regular diet is 5.75. Next time we run out of food I’m going to switch from All Stages Canidae to their grain-free version to see if that will help with our girl. If anyone has found a difference using distilled water please let me know. I know our country water is a little on the hard side so that would be the next best thing to try. We’d also started giving her a glucosamine/MSM pill which I see includes other minerals which may have contributed to her last crystal-forming. She sure felt like a puppy on that even with signs of an infection, but obviously we’re still learning! I’m thinking her recurrent infections are because of her psyche as well as nearly touching the ground when she pees, and she’s also part husky and loves to dig in the dirt, which flies right back through her hind legs.

[Kirsten W]

After reading everyone’s stories and gaining some advice, I thought I would share Luna’s story. Luna is a 2yr 10month old cavachon, in January she was taken for emergency surgery for bladder stones. One was stuck in her urethra and she was rushed to a specialist after 4 days of not being able to go for a wee after her op, they were constantly having to drain her bladder poor thing. Since then she has had 2 UTI’s and it seems like she is constantly on antibiotics, today she is going back for treatment of another possible UTI. We were advised to out her on Hills c/d food which she hates and I don’t blame her! So we have switched her back to her pate which has high moisture levels and the hills biscuit. Her last urine sample showed she still had crystals and the vets don’t seem to know how to get rid of these, after reading everyone’s comments on this page, I am going to ask my vet today about cranberry capsules and vitamin C. I will do anything for her to not have these stones again as one was the size of a large peanut and she is only a small dog. They removed over 25 total and we know she had passed 3. It was the worst time of my life seeing her in so much pain, to the point where she nipped me when I touched her Fter she tried to wee and rolled on her back in pain. So glad I have insurance on her as the operation and days following would have cost £7000 each round of urine tests and antibiotics is costing me £80 every 4-6 weeks.
Is there anything else people can suggest? She has water put in her food plus water all, day and constant access to the garden.
Thank you

[Kirsten W]

My little Luna had surgery in January to remove over 24 bladder stones. Two got stuck in her urethra and she had to go to a specialist to remove them. Since then she has had 3 possible UTI’s which the vet gives antibiotics for. She is on Hills’s c/d biscuit with encore pate (only way she will eat hills food). Her last urine sample showed crystals, I really don’t want her to have another op and am at a loose end with her constantly on antibiotics costing me around £80 a go! She is only 2yrs 10months and a bichon/cavalier, can someone recommend something else? I have read about giving cranberry and vitamin C capsules? I have also seen that diet food doesn’t help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carrie-
Well, shoot, sounds like the food helped solve one issue, but maybe helped create another. As far as the UTI problem, adding moisture to the diet and providing frequent bathroom breaks is the best thing you can do. There are also several urinary and bladder support products on the market that contain cranberry or d-mannose that are also helpful. Do you add any canned food or water to their meals? Keeping their urinary tract flushed out is very important.
Now, the very gross problem of stool eating (coprophagia). It is a very difficult one. There are many theories on why dogs do it. Since your dog only started after food change, it very well could be related to that. My dogs have always done it and none of the remedies have worked except for picking it up immediately. There are products you can buy that may help at most pet stores. Also digestive enzymes and/or fresh pineapple in their food are also frequently recommended. Good luck!

[J S]

Thought I should register and share our story since I’ve gained so much info from all of your stories. We just found out dog #2 ALSO has struvite crystals and high pH, so I’ve been researching foods. Both dogs have been on Canidae All Stages kibble with water and mix-ins (human leftovers or soup, etc.). Both are 1/2 Saluki and from a great rescue organization in NorCal called Stola. I’m beginning to think this breed is high strung, and if not, their early years of abuse or neglect has probably not helped them be mellow, however, we’ve seen improvements lately even in the one we’ve had for two years now, so that tells us to never give up. Anyway, I was angered by someone’s message whose doctor said there was no alternative to Science Diet. That stuff is cr** and it makes me mad that Vet’s are pushers of that. We have our #1 dog (who did have stone surgery just before we adopted her) on part Royal Canin, which probably isn’t much better. We did it all the time for several weeks but she blimped up because of the chicken fat. We used NaturVet Cranberry Relief for awhile but that didn’t prevent a 2nd UTI a year later, so that’s when we started swimming the kibble in water and going out to pee every four hours as well. Now we have to do the same with #2 dog. There’s no sign of infection, but we want to get the pH lower. Even though Canidae is a good brand I’m looking for other options other than cooking for them, if possible. I’m probably going to be baking dog biscuits in case the Kirkland brand is part of the pH issue. I’ve subscribed to this thread so will be following along. Thank you for all your help.

[Anonymous]

The symptoms you describe sound like what my small breed dog had. I took him to the emergency veterinary clinic (open 24/7) and one x-ray showed he needed emergency surgery to remove stones (both types).
It was a life threatening condition (blocked urethra). Often the veterinary clinics have payment plans, or accept credit cards.

The supplements and special diets are for prevention, they won’t help an existing condition or cure a blockage or infection.

They are available online, example http://www.entirelypets.com/k-plus-potassium-citrate-plus-cranberry-300-tabs.html?cmp=nextag&mr:referralID=2b34b4bd-6c95-11e2-b779-001b2166c62d Once your dog has received the appropriate treatment and is stable, ask your vet if these are options.

[karen k]

I returned home today and my dog is having major pain and wanting to pee constantly, he has not had an episode for a couple of months. Living in Mexico, I do not have access to a lot of different kinds of special prescription dog foods, which is why I was searching for home made http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/diet_and_urinary_tract_stone_and.htmld
There are recipes for dealing with the crystals. However, my vet could not confirm that there were stones or crystals. I did read on this forum about science diet to get rid of the crystals, I will see if I can locate it. If not, I fear we might have to go the exploratory surgery route, which I really hate to do. If the episodes are a few months apart, I guess we all can live through it, but more often, I am not so sure.

I also am sure cranberry supplements are not available here, maybe when I return to visit the US I can try and pick some up, or maybe there is a health food store that might have something like that.

[DogFoodie]

I had recently been using Nature’s Variety Instinct LID treats, and I still really like them a lot, but had to stop using them. Even the small amount of flax that Sam gets in an occasional treat was causing problems for him. I’ve gone back to using Brothers Complete treats again and they’re perfect for us. They’re a crunchy biscuit treat, the same size as the NVI LID treats and Sam loves them. They come in venison, buffalo and turkey. They’re not labeled “limited ingredient,” but they basically are – not a single one of Sam’s problem ingredients! I’m so glad to have something that he likes that doesn’t cause any intolerance issues. I’m especially happy to be able to use a product again that I trust. Bella just finished a bag of Brothers Complete venison kibble – she loved it and did great on it.

Here are the ingredients from the venison treats :
INGREDIENTS: Venison meal, cassava/tapioca, peas, pea starch, chicken fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), dried Chicken Liver, alfalfa, carrots, potassium chloride, sea salt, choline chloride, dried Whole Cell Algae (a pure source of Omega 3 DHA), Rosemary extract, Green tea extract, organic long chain branched Inulin Prebiotic, Celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinich, cranberry pomace, Lysine HCL, DL-Methionine, Lecithin, Taurine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, folic acid, biotin, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, L-ascorbyl 2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C activity), zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, Vitamin B12, L-Carnitine

[aimee]

Peter L,

I understand what you are saying but I disagree. I’d expect that there is a significant difference between the nutrient levels in the protein sources that would impact the final analysis. Chicken meal is limited to muscle skin fat connective tissue while beef meal can contain any part of the bovine. Additionally the AA profile should change between protein sources and levels yet this is not what is reported.

Also the canned diets used to report the same analysis as the dry foods did. This has changed for most of the diets yet the rabbit canned diet still reports the same analysis as the dry products, with a few numbers changed here and there : ), despite having a completely different ingredient profile and processing.

chicken dry:Chicken Meal, Millet, Chicken Fat, Pumpkin Seed, Yeast Culture, Spray Dried Chicken Liver, Dried Eggs, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Kelp, Cheese Powder, Porcine Plasma, Dried Tomato, Almonds, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Carrot, Dried Apple, Sardine Meal, Egg Shell Meal, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Apricot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Spinach, Dried Broccoli, Dried Cranberry, Parsley, Dried Artichoke, Rosemary,…

Rabbit canned: Rabbit, Water Sufficient for Processing, Turkey Liver, Dried Egg Product, Porcine Plasma, Montmorillonite Clay, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Apple, Dried Apricot, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Artichoke, Dried Blueberry, Dried Broccoli, Dried Carrot, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Cranberry, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Dried Pumpkin, Rosemary, Dried Spinach, Dried Tomato.

For both diets the Vit A is reported as 23, 020, Vit D 175 Iu/kg, Vit E 21.34 IU/kg,thiamine 46.9mg/kg, riboflavin 8.14….etc

The Fortifier analysis also is very similar to the others yet the ingredient line up is very different.

Another other concern I had with this company’s nutrient reporting was the comparison chart for millet with other carbohydrate ingredients. They report all on a dry matter basis except for millet which is on an as fed basis. When comparing, all ingredient should be reported on a dry matter basis. By not doing this they falsely make the millet look lower in carbs/sugar when comparing to other sources than it actually is. Of greater concern is that they chose to use a processed puffed millet cereal entry from the USDA database instead of millet flour which would more correctly reflect what is in the food. I assume they did this to make millet look lower in sugar than the other ingredients they are comparing to.

[aquariangt]

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Millet, Chicken Fat, Pumpkin Seed, Yeast Culture, Spray Dried Chicken Liver, Dried Eggs, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Kelp, Cheese Powder, Porcine Plasma, Dried Tomato, Almonds, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Carrot, Dried Apple, Sardine Meal, Egg Shell Meal, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Apricot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Spinach, Dried Broccoli, Dried Cranberry, Parsley, Dried Artichoke, Rosemary, Mixed Tocopherols, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidium Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Pineapple Extract, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachtum Fermentation Extract

INGREDIENTS: Duck Meal, Millet, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Pumpkin Seed, Yeast Culture, Spray Dried Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Dried Kelp, Cheese Powder, Spray Dried Porcine Plasma, Dried Tomato, Almonds, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Carrot, Dried Apple, Sardine Meal, Egg Shell Meal, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Apricot, Dried Blueberry, Dried Spinach, Dried Broccoli, Dried Cranberry, Parsley, Dried Artichoke, Rosemary, Mixed Tocopherols, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidium Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Pineapple Extract, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachtum Fermentation Extract

Two different NL formulas. Similar, but not exactly the same. You would certainly need to analyze the full formula with the amount that is in each to get a proper analysis on it. Not good business practice not too, imo

[Anonymous]

The test results (ph levels) will fluctuate, I find 4 small meals with water added, instead of 2 regular meals is helpful.
Potassium citrate/cranberry tablets (if your vet approves), as I mentioned before, I give my 15 pound dog 4 tabs per day. This is what I use. http://www.entirelypets.com/k-plus-potassium-citrate-plus-cranberry-300-tabs.html?cmp=nextag&mr:referralID=2b34b4bd-6c95-11e2-b779-001b2166c62d

Offer frequent bathroom breaks, keep things flowing, you don’t want urine to stay in the bladder longer than it has to. Stones form in stagnant conditions.
These things have worked for my dog, I make sure he doesn’t have difficulty urinating, good amount and normal flow.

I keep his diet simple, grain free kibble, he likes Wysong, with a little cooked chicken or lean meat added. I soak his kibble in water overnight in the fridg so it is like wet food.

I have not complied with the recommended testing and x-rays (this may be an error on my part). But he looks comfortable to me. He is 14+ years old so I’m not sure he could tolerate another surgery anyway.
Good luck.

[Derek L]

Just an update. Sorry @ashley_a that you are going through this 🙁

I took my dog to a different vet and boy was I much more happy with their service, knowledge, and ease to work with. They did an overall exam and noted he looked healthy. I informed them and provided all of the paperwork of what the previous vet prescribed for antibiotics. The ran a urinalysis and a urine culture. The urinalysis returned with no signs of blood and only a slightly high pH. The vet called back a few days later with the culture results which were negative.

At this point the vet advised as long as my dog is not acting differently, there are no signs of blood, that he looks to be fine. They did mention very few or any traces at all of struvite but said we could look into an xray if we wanted to. He advised it is not absolutely necessary given his results.

The things I did differently. After the rounds of antibiotics, I supplemented with a cranberry + vit c supplement. I provided and suggested more and more water intake. Meals were prepared with half a cup of kibble mixed with wet food and added additional water. Water was the key thing I ensured to increase overall. I’m not positive what the perfect combination is, but regardless I am going to continue to monitor him and get a few pH strips just to see how he’s doing.

His demeanor never changed so pay more attention than you need to. The only way I found out about this was I noticed his urine had a little red tint. He acted normal this entire time, so just be conscious.

[Anonymous]

I mentioned in 2 previous posts in this thread what has helped my dog, he has not had a recurrence in in 4 years and is 14 years old. He had a uti, was treated and then ultrasound revealed both type of stones, he required emergency surgery.

Your dog seems kind of young for this problem. Ask the vet if she is at risk due to her breed? Was she spayed recently? Is this a complication of that surgery? The UTIs, vaginitis? Is she going into heat?
Ask if potassium citrate/cranberry tablets would help?

Increased water, add it to the food is a must, my dog laps it up to get to the food (4 small meals per day). Frequent bathroom breaks, keep things flowing.
Ask the vet if she has struvite or calcium oxalate stones? Or both? An ultrasound is a good idea.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_struvite_bladder_stones.html

“Struvite stones form in urine with a high pH (alkaline urine), diets should help to maintain a low pH (acidic urine). Diets with animal-based protein sources are most important in maintaining an acidic pH, while
vegetarian or cereal-based diets are more likely to cause and alkaline urine”.

“With Calcium Oxalate stones, a high protein diet can cause stones by increasing calcium in the urine. It lowers urinary pH and can increase uric acid. High quantities of animal protein can contribute to stone formation by increasing urinary calcium and oxalic acid excreting and by decreasing urinary citric acid excretion”.

“Your should increase your dog’s water consumption to help dilute the urine. You can do this by adding water to your dog’s food, it should look like wet mush. Avoid table scraps when caring for an oxalate stone-forming dog”.

“Depending on the kind of stone, you either want more, or less protein, and lower in fat (3 -8%). Be sure to check with your veterinarian before changing your dog’s diet”.

PS: Vaccinations should only be given to healthy dogs.
http://vitalanimal.com/vaccinations-consider-carefully/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Anonymous.

[Nate D]

Thought I’d give an update on my dogs.

I’ve had the one with crystals on Science Diet per the vet for 1 week now. ph is down from 8.0 to 6.5 and holding. I am testing daily. I won’t know if crystals still exist or not until I have her retested next week.
I do not have her just on the Science Diet though. I am mixing in a small amount of the dry with it along with water.
I have been giving the Solid Gold Berry Balance supplement that I bought to my other dog with his food and have been adding water to the dry food. His ph is dropping so it is working. I plan to have both dogs on it once my female is off of the Science Diet.
I’ve been mixing a 50/50 of distilled water and filtered water I get which already has a neutral ph of 6.0.

I contacted a nutritionist with Fromm who said their food’s ph is 5.6-5.8, which is lower then most high quality dry foods, but the actual output will vary. A lower protein, lower carb diet is good. As I had mine on their weight management food I was suggested to try their 4 star whitefish and potato food as it has lower protein and the carbs are within the same range as the weight management. The food also has a different protein source.
I mentioned trying the new gold coast weight management food as it is grain free and was told I could try it, but was suggested the whitefish food due to the lower protein. 23% vs. 25%.
I was told a cranberry supplement like I am now using is a good thing.
In reality the food should be grain free with no starch/potatoes, but just eliminating it doesn’t mean it will help. I will give the whitefish food a shot and see what results I get from it.

Water consumption is the main key and if using dry food add water.
I was told even using wet food once a day can help a lot.

Unfortunately what will work for 1 dog may not work for the other so it’s a matter of finding what will. If one thing doesn’t work, try something else, but the best thing one can do for any pet is water, water, water. If one uses tap water which may have tons of minerals in it, testing it is a good idea. Water is very good, but it can also cause issues if the ph levels aren’t where they should be.

Ph test strips and testing regularly is a must.

[Anonymous]

My dog had surgery for both type of bladder stones 4 years ago, I give him potassium citrate plus cranberry 4 tabs per day (he weighs 15 pounds).
I keep his diet simple, he does well on a little Wysong dry mixed with cooked chicken or beef or salmon. He has 4 small meals per day, I add water (about 1/2 cup) to all his meals except his bedtime snack.
I take him out to urinate about every 2 hours during the day…..the stones have not returned. He is 14 years old. I have not complied with the vet’s recommendation of frequent checking of urine ph levels or x-rays. Of course if I observe any difficulty urinating, I will take him right in.

[Derek L]

Thanks Nate i’ll take a look.

So background. I noticed my dog had red in his urine when marking so I immediately took him to the vet. It was a UTI. The vet found the struvite crystals and then gave him a few rounds of antibiotics. Each with a urinalysis afterwards to see how he was doing. He didn’t give me much feedback aside from either do a $200 test to check which antibiotics would work or continue giving him what he already was.

I wasn’t pleased with his answers and ability to really help me understand. I’ve then used the vitamin c and cranberry supplement, incorporated more wet food into his diet and tried to further encourage my dog to drink more water.

I’ve been monitoring and trying to find a better vet in the process. Any next steps that I may be missing?

[Derek L]

Does anyone else have tips to encourage drinking water?

I have added much more wet food for moisture, there is fresh water out but i’m not sure what else I can do to encourage my dog to drink water.

He’s had struvite for a few months now and the antiobiotics didn’t seem to do too much. I purchased the cranberry vitamin C supplement to assist but I notice his urine is a lighter yellow but still noticeable. The vet I visited did not provide me much quality input and I am looking for another vet.

Should I be looking into a urinalysis?

[Laurie B]

I used all supplements to get rid of my girl’s struvites. So saying that supplements are preventative, and not curative, is incorrect. I’m not a vet, and what I did may not work for all dogs. I used a high protein food (and yes, it was kibble!) along with D Mannose (a highly concentrated cranberry) and 500 mg of vitamin C with every meal. Lots of distilled water available. I tested her pH once a week, and when we got it down to 6 and held for a couple of weeks, retested. Crystals were gone. First, what the vet recommends to feed makes them drink/urinate more, which flushes the crystals out. I’ve never heard that the C/D food actually dissolves them. Might be true, but in my research, I never heard it. It’s also made of crap ingredients, which I’d never feed my dogs. Acidifying actually does dissolve them. She’s been crystal free since then, and every couple of months, I supplement her for about a week again. Just my two cents.