Nate,
I used to have a dog with struvite crystals. What worked for me was adding canned & water to his food, adding cranberry & one 500 mg Vitamin C. Do NOT do the last one without talking to your vet. Now, I’d feed just a wt food, no dry. It’s so important they get enough liquid.
Hi Nate-
The good news is that Struvite crystals are dissolvable. The other types are not. The bad news is that Hill’s Science diet has been proven to dissolve them. The Hill’s s/d is to be fed only short term to dissolve them and the c/d can be fed long term to prevent them. My cat had Struvite crystals as well and I wish that I had fed the Hill’s when I suspected a problem. It may have saved him from a blockage.
While that is much less likely to happen to a dog, they still may be painful for him because they are sharp little suckers. You want to feed as much moisture as possible to flush them out, so getting the fountain was a great start. I would also try to feed as much canned or raw food as possible. Dry kibble is not the best option.
Another helpful bit advice that I’ve learned is that feeding smaller meals more often per day helps to keep the pH more steady. I now feed him 3 times per day. Also try to keep the dog’s stress level as low as possible. I think that was one of my cat’s biggest issues. We had a lot of changes in our household. Our son moved home, we stopped kenneling the dogs in the house, his litter boxes got moved and to top it off, I switched brands of litter! Does your dog have anxiety or had some changes lately? Did you have a urinalysis because you suspected something or was it routine?
After my episode, I would definitely follow the vet’s advice and use the Hill’s to dissolve the crystals and then go from there. After using it for a month, Casper’s crystals are gone, there is no blood or infection. It has been four months now and I am slowly weaning him off the prescription food. But I still feed mostly canned. His ordeal almost killed him so I’m being very careful!
So in conclusion, 1. Dissolve the crystals with the Rx food 2. Moisture, moisture, and more moisture, 3. Small frequent meals and 4. Reduce stress as much as possible. Then maybe you can start to use those supplements rather than the yucky food. And I do agree it seems yucky, but it did work for my cat who is lucky to be alive! Anyway, you will get other ideas as well. But that is my two cents. Good luck!
I’m fortunate enough to have 3 dogs and no UTI’s the past 7 years. I feed a high moisture diet (raw and canned), never just plain dry kibble. I also give a bladder supplement with cranberry and d-mannose (and other herbs) and I give probiotics. I also used to monitor my dogs’ urine pH using home pH test strips. Hopefully someone who’s actually dealt with UTI’s will give some input.
http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/bladder-health-for-pets/
https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/struvites-crystals-urinary-tract-infections-treatment-and-diet/
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/10/22/these-3-things-may-indicate-your-pet-has-a-bladder-problem.aspx
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjanxiety.html
Hi! I’m a newbie who needs help. A little background… I have a weimaraner named Ruby who will be 5 yrs old May 8th. Originally she was on Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin formula due to her having a skin allergy that we think is because of a tall weed like fungus that likes heat (I live in the South) and has a black powdery top that when you touch it it makes a black powder on you. It’s VERY annoying. Anyways, she kept throwing up from time to time when I realized she likely had a food allergy. (This dog is allergic to everything it seems!) I’m not sure what she’s allergic to in foods. All I know is I switched her to Natural Balance L.I.D Sweet Potato and Fish formula and it cleared right up.
Fast forward to last week.
She had been peeing a lot for a couple of weeks. I knew she needed to see a vet when she peed in her crate a couple of times. I take her in and she has a UTI and struvite crystals. The vet puts her on Royal Canin SO for urinary problems. I inform her she has a food allergy so she sold me the smallest bag she had. I slowly presented it to her along with her normal food until she was eating only the royal canin. So of course she’s throwing up at least once a day now. I looked at the ingredients and the food looks like rubbish. Seems like every ingredient that a dog could be allergic to is in it. Being that I don’t know which ingredient she’s allergic to it makes it tricky. I lucked out and bought a LID food that worked right off the bat.
So what is your suggestion as to what I should feed her? I saw in another post someone didn’t switch foods but just started giving their dog cranimals original formula http://www.cranimals.com and it cleared the crystals right up. All the info I’ve read about crystals said a special food/diet would be needed so I was nervous about doing that. Does anyone think that would be a good route? It’d be so much easier on myself and Ruby if that’s a possibility.
Also, I read something that made it sound like feeding a fish based dog food can cause crystals to form. Can anyone confirm that? Is fish not something I should be feeding her? Any suggestions on food if not?
Sorry for my LONG, drawn out post. I wasn’t sure what info would be helpful so my apologies.
Thanks!
Kristi
Hi Bailey5244-
I have a cat with struvite crystals as well. I am also currently feeding Hill’s C/D. It is an OK food to feed long term, unlike the Hill’s S/D. But you are right, the ingredients do not look great. Are you feeding canned or dry? One of the most important things that I am learning about crystals and possible stones is that moisture is of great importance. It is best to try to feed as much canned as possible and try to get them to drink and pee often also. Another thing that I’m reading is that stress can be a factor with forming the crystals. My cat is on an anti-anxiety pill that seems to help a lot too. I think the addition of two crazy dogs was very hard on him.
In addition to the C/D, there are other prescription urinary tract foods that you could possibly rotate with, such as Purina, Iams and Royal Canin Rx urinary foods. I am currently adding some over the counter urinary foods that are made by Purina, Friskies and Dave’s. I am going to slowly attempt to wean him off the expensive prescription foods. But, so far they are working as his recent urinalysis showed no crystals, blood or infection. Woo Hoo! It has been about 3 months since his blockage and he is doing well.
I definitely could not recommend you doing any of these things without approval from your vet. You would need a prescription for the RC, Purina, or Iams food anyway. But, I like the fact that at least I am giving him some variety. I hardly feed any kibble to any of my cats any longer, but I do plan to transition off the vet food some time. But, like I said, in good conscience, I could never suggest you do the same. Most vets say they need to stay on it for life. But, I’m hoping if I feed mostly high quality canned, like Weezerweeks mentioned above, he will stay healthy. Good luck!
Hi Corey-
I’m sorry to hear of your dog’s troubles with stones. While I have no oxalate stones experience, I do with the struvites. But, I have read about the oxalate a bit when doing reserch on the struvite crystals due to my cat’s blockage.
I have learned with any type of crystals or stones, it is best to get the most moisture in their diet as possible. And they also need plenty of opportunities to pee. I would try to feed as much canned or raw food to your pup as possible. Some vet therapeutic diets actually add salt to encourage the dogs to drink more water to dilute their urine as much as possible. Another thing that has been mentioned with trying to keep the pH levels stable is that it is best to feed a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than one or two large meals. Also minimize the amount of calcium being fed to your dog.
At least the struvites can be dissolved with some types of vet foods, but the other types of stones and crystals cannot. So it is best to prevent them to begin with. Here is a site that has some decent information on it. Good luck! http://www.2ndchance.info/oxalatedog.htm
I do not know about stone formation – you may want to check Dr. Karen Becker’s web site, part of Dr. Mercola’s web site. http://www.mercola.com Type in those key words, e.g., struvite crystals, calcium oxalate stones, oxalate, oxalate stones, something may come up.
You are correct with the low protein levels. That is what I am looking for too. My vet has asked me to reduce the protein level 30/70. I need to supplement something other than potato. My dog has a severe allergy to it. I believe my next choice to cut the protein will be pumpkin or sweet potato. (Presently, I’m feeding Purina’s Beyond, Grain Free, Wild Caught Tuna and Egg Recipe. Right now it is the only thing she can eat that doesn’t cause a major skin out break. The protein is too high which causes her to wet the bet constantly. Yes, she has been on Blue Buffalo and etc. with no luck or the protein is too high.)
Good luck with your quest.
I was told you do not have to treat struvite crystals with food change. They do respond to cranberry supplement and they have powder for so you don’t have to worry about the capsules.
I’m looking to see if anyone has ever had any experience with a dog with severe urinary issues. My dog is 4 years old and has had issues with crystals in his urine and utis. His crystals have been struvite and urates. For the urates it was recommended that he eat the prescription UD. In Dec however he got blocked and had to have surgery. The craziest part of this is that he had 8 stones removed and we were sure they would be urate stones but they were 100% calcium oxalate stones. He needs low protein for the urates but should not have soy or oats or brown rice etc for the Calc oxalate so I’m at a complete loss as to what to feed him!
Hi Rob,
My name is Ellen. My 5 yr old cocker spaniel suffered with this high ph of 8.6 and struvite crystals x 4 years. He was placed on Kidney prescription diets with absolutley no difference. I found a high density cranberry supplement called CRANIMALS, original formula. [there r 3 formulas]
After just one month, Ozzie’s ph was 5.5, no crystals and no peeing in the house from the crystals blockng the urethra.. Go to their website http://www.cranimals.com. I will guarantee this will do the job without having to change the food.
Ellen
I have 5 year old cocker spaniel male named Ozzie. He has been diagnosed with struvite crystale fo 4 years. There is protein in his urine from the sloughing away of bladder tissue from the crystals. i am a critical care RN for 33 yrs and have tried everything to get rid of the crystals. I HAVE FINALLY SUCCEEDED. “CRANIMALS” is a company that make a powder like substance to add to any food. Unlike the capsules of cranberry that have only 250 mg of cranberry this product has 2400 mg of cranberry extract with every teaspoon. # month after I had Ozzie on this supplement, the struvite crystals were gone, the PH of the urine was 5.5 which is normal and the urine was negative for protein. Ozzie always ha an elevated urine ph of 7.6. This is where struvite crystals are made. The urine ph has to be acidic My vet is now selling this product to all the cats/dogs with this struvite problem. Ozzie was always having pee accidents in the house. Since the crystals are gone so is the accidents.
Ellen Kane,
Hopefully some of you folks could provide me input.
My dog has a UTI and struvite crystals. He was prescribed Baytril then Simplicef. His urine results just came back and has a high pH and bacteria – cocci and rods.
The culture sensitivity is quite pricey and I wanted to know if that is really what I need to do next. The vet wanted to continue another round of baytril and have him neutered. From reading this thread, it seems like vitamin C and the cranberry supplement are primarily for the decrease of struvites.
I believe the focus is to rid of the UTI. Am I on the right track? I am trying to make sure we are going in the right path and that my vet is not leading me astray.
Hello,
These posts were really informational, but I don’t see anyone who mentioned our particular struvite issue. My 5yr old golden mix has started to leak in her sleep, anywhere from small puddle to lake, not great when you let you pup sleep on the bed! She had this problem about a year ago and the vet checked her urine: the ph was high and it was full of crystals but no UTI. A couple of months of the prescription SO food and the problem was alleviated. The vet made no mention of alternative supplements or options. Do you think the cranberry, vit c, or low protein foods might help her? She already drinks a lot of water every day and has access to the yard fairly often but I’ll make a point to take her out even more now that the leaks are back.
Hi Terry H-
Since the vet prescribed the u/d, can I assume your pup does not have Struvite crystals? I would definitely recommend feeding the food to try to rid of the crystals before they do become stones. Unfortunately, I just had a bad experience with one of my cats having the Struvite crystals and wished I would have used the vet food sooner. Can the non Struvite crystals be dissolved? Also, there are other brands of urinary prescription foods that may look more appealing. Have you checked out any of those? I actually feed my cat 3 or four different brands and rotate them. Purina, Royal Canin, Iams and Hills all have them. After feeding these his crystals are gone. I hope to slowly add back in regular food after about 6 months. And have him regularly checked to avoid another blockage. Make sure she gets plenty of water and has plenty of opportunities to pee. Believe it or not, I think Purina makes the best canned food for the Struvite crystals. I’d try to get them under control with the Rx food and then figure out how to control them without. Good luck!
What was her diet before? And what kind of crystals? You can do a forum search for “crystals” and “struvites” and several topics will pop up.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by
pugmomsandy.
Because of the appearance of Struvite Crystals, I changed Trixie’s diet to Canidae and/or Wellness Casserole, grain free. Organic chicken jerky treats from Maine and some freeze dried and organic grain free treats. No urination in the house and no crystals, new vets and more tests.
We’re walking and hiking more and she was hungry I realized so I gave her 3 meals today (the sticky diarrhea started yesterday) , 2 little Wellness casseroles and Evo kibble(grain free) mixed with Canidae grain free.
This started yesterday, before I realized she might be hungrier so maybe she ate something in the yard that she shouldn’t have.
Also found a new vet. Yesterday and today diarrhea, sticky, smelly have to put her in the sink and wash her little tush, now she is wary of me poor baby used baby wipes on her too.
She’s on D-Mannose, Vit C, and Glucosamine delivered via cream cheese. What to do about the diarrhea that won’t even drop off to the ground. It’s very gooey.
I have 2 mini-dachshunds ages 7 and 9. They are not overweight in fact one only weighs 5.5 lbs. Both of them have had recurring urinary tract infections with struvite crystals. My dogs eat a raw diet (Natures Instinct) with NO grains at all. They also get plenty of water. My vet wants me to put them on Royal Canin urinary support food. For obvious reasons I don’t want to do that. Any suggestions on what to do?
I’ve always heard about how mineral profile is so important with crystal formation, but for dogs and cats, unless you go into reading research papers, there isn’t much info out there about specifics. If you are reading about standard care for goats or sheep, you can’t help but learn that struvite crystals form when the calcium/phosphorus ratio is off from feeding high grain diets(would be the same when feeding meat without adequate bone, I suspect). In sheep and goats, they recommend keeping the C:P to at least 2:1. I wonder why it’s so much easier to get these kinds of preventive recommendations for large animals than for small.
Hi C4C,
Glad to hear that your cat is doing better. What a scary incident that you sure don’t want to repeat.
I’ve come to view urinary blockages as a multi factorial problem. Sometimes blockages are composed of mucoid matrix without any crystals, so be cautious on not having tunnel vision in regards to struvite. You can find good information on OSU indoor pet site which used to be indoor cat initiative.
The old adage “the solution to pollution is dilution” applies here. Crystal formation is a factor not only of pH but concentration of components that make up the crystal. Because pH can fluctuate throughout the day I think striving for a dilute urine is as important if not more important along with watching mineral content of the diet. I’d be willing to sacrifice a bit in the pH department to get a dilute urine. Moist foods can help along with extra water mixed into the food, flavored water “treats” providing multiple water sources and knowing what your cat likes. Some cat like “staler” water and others absolutely fresh!
pH varies with dietary factors, management factors and likely individual cat factors. Evaluating what goes in is important but I think close monitoring of what comes out is even more important. Veterinary diets are formulated to hit certain pH and concentration milestones. Some of the veterinary diets rely on salt to drive thirst. But I don’t think this “guarantees” that when fed to “your” cat the appropriate pH and concentration are achieved. Investing in a pH meter and refractometer to test urine at home is a good investment.
How often the cat eats also plays a role in urine pH. After eating the urine will become basic due to what is called the “alkaline tide”. This is noted in the cat more so than in the dog. The generation of HCL in the stomach releases bicarb in the blood which alkalizes the urine. Multiple 4-6 small meals a day are preferable to 1 or 2. I can see that there could be a bit of a trade off here. With a dry diet the cat is free to and often does eat multiple small meals a day with moist diet the food can’t be left out for hours and people usually don’t feed 4-6 times a day. If this results in the cat eating a larger amount less often the alkaline tide could result in a higher urine pH for many hours during the day despite a diet that would be otherwise be acidifying.
I personally don’t think the answer to struvite and urinary blockages can be found solely in added methionine to a diet without looking at the entire picture. Methionine is metabolized in the body and the sulfur excreted as sulfuric acid hence it is acidifying to the urine. But since minerals in the diet and feeding practices also influence pH I don’t think all the eggs should be put in one basket per say. Methionine can cause GI upset, and hemolytic anemia( large doses).
If you can achieve a dilute mildly acidic urine by adding methionine to a base diet that otherwise wasn’t reaching those parameters than great but be open to finding what works in your cat.
Recently I read a great interview by Dr. Becker with Dr. Lisa Pierson, feline guru. The topic was feline nutrition. She stresses three important factors for a healthy diet:
1.) moisture
2.) protein from animal sources
3.) no or very low carbs
While I thought I was following these guidelines pretty well, one of my male cats ended up with a urinary tract blockage due to Struvite crystals that caused bladder spasms. Very scarey! After a 2 1/2 day stay at an emergency clinic and a huge bill. He’s doing really well.
I’ve been feeding him prescription food and his crystals and blood in the urine are gone so far. He was also on a muscle relaxer for the bladder spasms and an anti anxiety med. He’s off the muscle relaxer, but might keep him on anti-anxiety long term.
When reading the interview, I learned that Dr. Pierson recommends using DL-Methionine as a separate supplement rather than prescription food. She states that it is better to acidify the pH with this pill and feed a higher quality diet that is healthier for the cat.
Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this medicine? I think I’d like to ask my vet about it, but fear I’ll be met with resistance. Any thoughts, anyone?
Btw, I’d like to note that this condition is much, much more common in male cats than females or dogs of either sex due to their internal plumbing. Don’t want to scare anyone!
Hi,
My 5 year old Australian Shepherd mix has been told that she has high pH urine, currently around 8.5, and has struvite crystals. The vet said that she would probably need to go on the prescription diet food from Hill’s Science or Royal Canine but when looking at those ingredients they look terrible, first ingredient in the dry food is corn and in the wet it is mainly meat by-products. She is currently on Nature’s Recipe Grain Free kibble and since I switched her to grain-free a few months ago her mood dramatically increased and she has so much more energy so I want to keep grain free.
I have tried supplementing with cranberry tablets but she is picky and often eats all her food but leaves the tablets.
Can anyone recommend a good quality grain-free food to help with urinary issues that would do a similar job as the prescription food but much much better quality of ingredients?
Thanks
Karen,
When potty training any dog, no matter the age, leash training is the way to go. I learned the hard way with this. A past dog followed the other two out the dog door we had in that house. I realized after he had struvite crystals & I started watching him that he wasn’t urinating when I assumed he was. The dog door got replaced with a regular door we could walk out. I now have a kennel inside a fenced in yard; dogs who aren’t housebroken or need a refresher course go in the kennel on leash. Schedule has nothing to do with it nor does neighborhood; just hook the leash to her and have her potty wherever she normally goes. You mentioned medical: I thought your vet already ruled out medical outside of the precursor to crystals?
Yeah, I use enzymes, she never goes in the same place but I do use enzymes. She was spayed at 4 months I believe, she had the stitches when I got her from the rescue. The vet is looking into incontinence. It’s not often but it seemed like the new diet, no grain etc was doing the trick but now not always. I have house guests and it’s been pretty stressful. When I work I’m gone for too long to crate her and I close an number of doors in the house so she doesn’t have free run.
She doesn’t appear to have the struvite crystals or an infection but waiting for the other test to come back. She always used the doggie door until this started a few months ago. Her PH level is lower than the doctor likes, so I’m trying things like adding low sodium chicken broth to one of her filtered waters to see if she will be better hydrated.
Thanks for your input.
Hi Karen J-
I have been trying to follow your posts because I have some experience with Struvite crystals. You are tough to follow because you have started so many topics regarding the same issue. It is easier when you keep it all on one thread! Anyway, I’m a little confused. Does your dog have urinary crystals? Is she straining to pee or have blood in it. If yes, then you definitely want to at least feed canned. If you are going to feed kibble, I would feed the prescription type that dissolves the crystals. My cat had crystals and ended up having a blocked urinary tract. I was faced with having a very expensive emergency procedure or euthanasia. I opted for the procedure and it cost close to $2,000. Now I have no money for Christmas, but we still have our cat. Before the surgery, I was already feeding him at least half of his diet with canned food. I also have a water fountain that the cats use. Increased water intake is also important. There are several theories on what causes Struvite crystals. They might be different in dogs than cats, but the outcome could be the same. The vet food for crystals has restricted magnesium and phosphorous which affects the ph level of the urine. After learning the hard way and thinking vet food is crap, I have been feeding the prescription food for about a month and his last urinalysis was clear of any crystals or blood. I will continue to feed both canned and dry Rx food for 6 months and then slowly switch back to regular canned, but will always feed the vet kibble. I try to feed as little kibble as possible, but he was a shelter cat addicted to his crunchies when I got him.
So, in conclusion, I really hope that you can avoid the same situation. Good luck!
-
This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by
crazy4cats.
I’ve been on here many times about the beginning formation of struvite crystals, but I’m having a problem finding a food Trixie will continue to eat.
Would like to know if a raw diet might be in order? Totally forget the BB kibble.
She loves the Wellness no grain lamb but now that I mix it with kibble she can’t be bothered. Also it gives her terrible gas. She seems tired of the Stella and Chewy too.
I got organic chicken jerky from a place in Maine but that’s only a safe treat. Anything good for training treats that won’t make her condition worse.
Because of the pre struvite crytals:
Freshpet Vital – Grain Free, a roll you keep in fridgy topped with BB wild cuts – she finally seems to eat that and BB Wilderness.
Last night and this morning I gave her Freshpet topped with wild cuts…but she left a puddle of pee no far from where she eats. She has a dog door and I’d let her out from where there is grass and she peed there 15 minutes early…any thoughts from this well informed group?
When my yorkie was diagnosed with sturvites without uti, I switched him to canned food that was low in carbs and even added water to this. My vet says that it makes the urine more alkalinity and with sturvites u need more acidity. I personally think water is the key. I could see the crystals when he tee tee and they looked like diamonds.since I’ve been using canned wellness stews, go fit foods like this that are below average in carbs we have been struvite free. Good luck.
Karen J,
Keep in mind that “In healthy dogs, more than 50% of urine samples will contain
struvite crystals without a bacterial urinary tract infection and without subsequent urolith formation ”
Joe Bartges DVM PhD ACVIM ACVN http://www.wvc.org/images/session_notes_2013/2013_SA323.pdf
Personally, if my dog had struvite crystals in the urine and infection was not present I wouldn’t be the least bit concerned.
I’m hearing vitamin C and Cranberry. What safe delivery device for Vit C – 500mg? Cheese, cottage cheese or? I used boiled chicken today.
I saw these on Amazon: Cranberry Comfort Soft Chews, are they good?
Also I saw on Amazon strips to measure ph balance of her urine…she hasn’t developed an infection or stones as yet and I’d like to prevent it.
I’ve been getting overwhelming advice to stay away from fish but eHow recommends it – I think I’ll stay away from it.
Karen for Trixie
Here’s a few articles:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/09/09/struvite-stones.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/01/03/fish-as-a-protein-source.aspx
Found this in the above article: “Last but not least, the magnesium content in fish has been linked to urinary tract diseases in cats. A diet overloaded with the mineral magnesium can predispose your kitty to magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals, also known as MAP crystals or struvite crystals. Crystals are a big problem for many, many cats.” Maybe geared more towards cats that eat alot of fish.
http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/bladder-health-for-pets/
This is the test strip I buy: http://www.amazon.com/PH-TEST-TAPE-Acid-Alkaline/dp/B0001SR4NM/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1413557089&sr=1-2&keywords=urine+ph+test+strips
I really appreciate the input. I lost Lucky dog last year. I was heart broken, and Trixie is sunshine in a tiny body.
I know vet said pre struvite…I’ve heard stay away from fish too.
What should the PH be?
I’ve heard one person on FaceBook said:” If the crystals are Struvite, then acidifying the food, as well as high protein, low carb, grain-free food helps them from forming. I feed my dogs Taste of the Wild with wet food added as a topper.”
I’m mixing a little kibble and some freeze dried crumbled on top and part of a can of Blue Buffalo which I may return the BB products, then adding Cranberry Comfort and some water to make it all really moist. Either boiled tap or Brita water only. I’ll get the PH strips and trade kibble in for grain free I also heard “low ash” is good for this.
You’ll probably get several different answers from us as well! And we’re not vets. But, these are some suggestions. (1) increase moisture intake (canned food, freeze dried/dehydrated foods (rehydrated), fresh/frozen raw foods, even kibble flooded with water) to help keep the bladder flushed out. (2) avoid feeding only dry food. (3) more frequent potty breaks. (4) cranberry/d-mannose supplement daily.
If she has alkaline urine, you can also add (1) small vitamin C capsule or a methionine (amino acid) capsule daily. (2) or a commercial pH reducing product (ex: Wysong Biotic pH-) or “grass saver” type product with methionine. Purchase pH test strips so you can monitor the urine pH.
I haven’t heard of fish being a problem regarding struvites.
The vet told me today she has the precursor to Struvite, (magnesium ammonium phosphate).
Karen Jossel
323 882 8241 office
323 630 7552 mobile
http://LuckyDogGraphicDesign.com
Does she have struvite or other type of crystals?
I’m not up on what foods to feed for what type of crystals, it depends on the type. I’ve boosted your post so others who have dealt with this and know the right website to go to will see it. I think Dogaware dot com has some info, but again, you have to know what type of crystals. Struvite crystals form in the presence of bacteria, so I hope that has been checked for. I do know that BB is not a balanced food with out the Lifesource Bits, so if you take those out, you should change foods anyways. I don’t like BB for that and other reasons.
Hi Courtney
UTIs can cause struvite crystals. That’s why your vet wants to wait and see if they go away once the UTI is resolved. Make sure your dog is getting plenty of fluids to flush out the bladder, and lots of opportunity to go to the bathroom. If the crystals don’t resolve on their own after the UTI is gone, then start thinking about what you want to do next, but until that time, there really is nothing to worry about.
BTW, your vet is following the latest recommendations, which is not all that common, which makes me think you must have a pretty good vet who stays up to date and doesn’t jump all over overtreatment as a way to make a buck.
Hi Courtney,
I had a dog with frequent UTI’s and he was diagnosed with struvite crystals. My vet had me give him one 500 mg vitamin C a day but you don’t do this without your vets okay. It is extremely important to get enough liquid into your dog. Dry food is the worst you can feed. Best is a raw diet, canned or dehydrated. If you must feed dry, add canned & water to his food.
Don’t worry about low oxalate foods unless it’s needed. I would not use a prescription food at all. If your vet tells you to, I’d find a holistic vet to go to and get their advice. Keep us posted on how she is.
Sometimes dehydrated foods (add your own water) can be a cheaper alternative to canned, but they have just as much moisture once rehydrated. Worth checking out. I do not know if any are suitable for the treatment of struvite crystals.
Also, a dog water fountain that you plug in worked for my UTI-prone dog. The Big Dog Max is for larger dogs (I use the CatMate for my little ones).
4 year old lab mix 70 lbs. in April 2013, she had a bladder/urinary track infection. Found out she had struvites. She had been eating EARTHBORN Whitefish. Some time later, leaking began. After talking to makers of EARTHBORN, we switched to adult vantage. Also began supplementing with Solid Gold cranberry powder. Struvites and leaking continued. In June 2014, had urine tested and everything came back normal, even the pH. Except she still had struvites and was still leaking. Finally gave in to putting her on Royal Canin OS. Vet has been insisting for a year that she has to be on it, and for the rest of her life! Called 2 other vets that said it was the only option for struvites. No one would address the urine leakage as long as she had the crystals. After 2 months, crystals were gone, but but still leaking. Tried INCURIN for 3 weeks, still leaking. Switched to PROPAC GRAIN FREE, and started PROIN ON 7/22/14, and also started the Solid Gold again. On 9/13, she leaked. Did a urine test at the vet and pH was 7. Vet says only option is the ROYAL CANIN, bc pH is going up. I checked pH at home today and it said 8. She leaked even when struvites were gone, but we keep being told leaking is bc of crystals and pH going up. I can’t afford, and don’t want our dog to be on the ROYAL CANIN for life! Isn’t there any affordable, dry dog food, that will lower pH? And prevent crystals? PLEASE, PLEASE, HELP! I don’t understand why this is so hard to treat and don’t believe the only option is ROYAL CANIN.
My vet also made the recommendation of Royal Canin SO, but after looking at the ingredients, there was no way I was going to feed that! So I switched to a kibble with a higher protein, gave a vitamin C supplement, and D-Mannose. My dog’s urine pH went down to normal levels within a week. The kind of levels where the crystals won’t form (about 5.5.) a friend switched her dog to raw for the same reason, high pH and struvites. Crystals gone, pH normal, within two weeks. Neither case had a UTI present.
Hi Weimdad-
One of my cats urine samples recently showed some Struvite crystals. The vet recommended that I give him some cosequin for cats. This is a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin. She explained why it helped, but I can’t remember exactly how. Something about it protecting the lining of the bladder. I bought some, but it is difficult giving cats any kind of medicine or supplement. Do some research and see what you think. It probably would help with your guys joints as well! Take care. 🙂
I had a dog with struvites. I wasn’t recommended to switch foods; the vet knew better but my vet recommended one 500 mg of vitamin C (don’t do this without talking to your vet). It’s very important that your dog get ample fluid: feed raw, canned or dehydrated. If you must feed dry, add some canned & water to it. You also need to make sure he gets ample opportunity to urinate.
Good luck!
For struvites, I used to add Wysong Biotic pH- to my dogs’ meals. Also, I started feeding at least 50% wet food (canned, raw, dehydrated) or at least add water to the kibble. Rarely do they eat something dry. Now I just use methionine rotating with another bladder support product containing cranberry and d-mannose. Mine never developed stones or UTI’s. I also periodically test with urine pH test strips at home. One of the vets actually suggested 500 mg vitamin C daily. I have small dogs.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by pugmomsandy.
My 6yr old Shiba 2 months ago had surgery. He had a full bladder of Struvite Crystals. The month before he had his first UTI. He had always been a heathly dog. Of course the vet wants to put him on Royal Can os. I have for yrs had him on the best foods. Dry and some times can. Im very confused what I should be doing with him to many mixed messages. Im so lost. He also doesnt drink alot having problems with that as well and he needs to drink and pee more. I want to try and find a food that dry and can or even other stuff to put on or in the food that will help prevent this from happening again to him, with out going to a low quality food. any help out there???
Well back again and more confused than ever! It turns out after all of that, I had the wrong information. Spoke to my vet again and my dog does not have struvite crystals he has urate crystals. Apparenly a different story. Now trying to learn everything I can about purines in protein because I didn’t like the idea of a lower protein food because I know dogs need protein. I spent some time today at my pet health food store and came up with a grain free dog food from nutria source called tru vita turkey. The girl did some research for me and said that turkey’s purine number is 50 and that is in the low range. Also going to mix this with some Canidae ALS which I’m told has high quality protein. From what I am learning these have better ingredients than this hills prescription food that I really cant afford to feed him. My vet also wants to start allopurinol which apparently binds/removes the uric acid. Now that I have my crystals straight any other advice?
Hi I am new to this forum and would like to ask if there is a mfg. food that would be good for him. The vet currently has him on Hill’s C/D, the initial test showed him to have 11-20 crystals in the test urine.
Would something like one of the Orijen foods be good to help modify his urine pH (8.0) and eliminate the crystals? We have 3 other dogs and my husband is not willing to go the homemade food route.
I also feed Dr. Jone’s Ultimate Canine health formula powder to all the dogs, they also get some raw whole milk to go with the powder.
Your points of view would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
thank you for the feedback. I actually tried the raw diet, and the highest end foods with him prior to the issues and he will not touch them. He seems very picky and also will not eat canned food. I was just reading about the cranberry supplements and may give them a try. He eats IAMs large breed for ages 1-5 now because it’s the only thing he will consistently eat. I am confused about one thing I’m reading. I keep reading that the struvite crystals do not need treated unless there is an active infection. He does have an active infection and is on an antibiotic. My vet tested his urine a week after the begin of antibiotic and it was back to normal. I plan to keep him on the antibiotic for 4 weeks. Why does it say that the crystals are only dangerous if there is infection – is that simply because the infection needs treated? Or do the crystals behave differently or pose a different threat if accompanied by infection? So confusing!!!
Corey: dry food is the worst thing you can feed a dog with crystals. Best is raw, dehydrated or canned. I had a dog with struvite crystals & he did not go on a script diet. If you must feed dry, please add some canned to it plus warm water to make a stew. It’s very important that you make sure he gets enough liquid & ample opportunity to urinate. Do you give a urinary supplement or cranberry? Ask your vet if vitamin C would help.
Hi Corey K,
I had my dog on the Royal Canin SO food for 2 weeks after she was diagnosed with struvite crystals, then once we had a urine check and found that her urine was clear, I asked the vet if I could change her back to a “regular” food that was not prescription. She said, yes. I asked her what food she recommended, because obviously I could not put her back on Blue Buffalo (the original food I was feeding her). The vet told me that many times certain foods do not work for your pet and I believe this to be the case with my dog. My vet said honestly whatever food your dog will eat is what you should feed them as long as it is a name brand food. I hesitantly put my dog on Iams and it has been over a year now and we have had ZERO issues with bladder problems. My dog does have some separation anxiety and even being boarded a few times over the last year has had no issues with her bladder as far as crystals or UTI’s which can be brought on during stressful situations. I don’t believe your dog needs to be on prescription dog food long term. Perhaps keep your dog on the prescription food for a short term, then once all seems to be good, try going to a different food. I was such a firm believer in expensive and more natural dog foods until all of this happened with my dog. Now, I’m a firm believer in whatever food works with your dog’s system is best and Iams has truly made my dog a different dog. 🙂 As a side note, my dog was also experiencing high levels in her liver and once I made the switch to Iams, it has all disappeared. Coincidence? Maybe.. but, I will be feeding her Iams from now on. Good luck with your pup! I know how stressful medical issues are with pets! Try Iams if you feel comfortable and see if it helps your dog. 🙂
I’ve been reading these posts – could I get some info? I have a 3.5 year old dane mix who is a rescue. He has some pretty severe anxiety issues that are the worst in July with all of the firework activity. Two years in a row now he has developed severe UTI’s in July. These have become noticeable to me by seeing pure blood when he urinates. He has been carrying struvite crystals now since 2012. My vet suggested either an ultrasound to ensure no stones, (but with his anxiety issues is very concerned that this would be a huge ordeal for him) or a food change to the Hill’s U/D. He is a very large dog and eats at least 5 cups of food per day. His reasoning for the food change is the continued crystal readings and that they go up and down. He said that when the lab number decreases, it can either be because they have dissolved or that they have formed stones. I am very hesitant to put this dog through the ultrasound procedure at this point but he is showing a pattern of issues. What are thoughts on the food change for this situation? I think if I’m reading right, you guys do not agree for crystals alone but along with infection maybe a different story?
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