[Suzanne J]

I found a new vet for a second opinion about my puppy, Cookie, & her sturvite crystals. I really like this vet & his conservative approach. We are going to try to cure my 4 month old Cocker Spaniel with diet first. The only thing I did not love was that he said I should give her Royal Canin, Iams, or Hills science diet for puppies (none are prescription food). I did take my Ziwi Peak to the office to show him, and he had never heard of it, but he had nothing bad to say about it, either, except that it’s not puppy food. That kind of bummed me out because she loves that food so much.
They also did an ultrasound & said her bladder & everything looks totally normal. I’m very happy about that report. She still has crystals without an infection, but they are not large enough to show up on an ultrasound. I thought that was great, too.
He also suggested that I give my puppy broth, and lots and lots of water. I’ll go along with that, too.
I’ve researched these three foods here, and the only one that gets 3 stars is Hill’s so I ordered a couple of small bags from Chewy & another small bag of Ziwi Peak to use as treats. I guess I want to know if you have any opinions different from mine about the three puppy foods?

[InkedMarie]

I highly suggest feeding wet food: raw, canned, dehyrated. If you can’t feed all wet, use a kibble of your choosing (if your puppy is large breed, they have special nutritional needs; other than that, you can use an all life stages food), add cann & warm water.

It’s very important that your pup be able to urinate often.

[zcRiley]

KEY NOTES: Not enough liquids consumed during the day is “probably” the most common cause for those benign struvite crystals being observed in your dog’s urine. A basic pH urine encourages struvite crystal formation, urine with a pH greater than 7. It might also be possible for pets forced to eat a bizarre vegan-type diet that supplied only plant proteins to produce basic urine that was more likely to precipitate struvite crystals. Example: diets that rely primarily on soy protein and beans rather than MEAT to meet the pet’s protein requirements – never a good idea.

ZiwiPeak is better than puppy food; I’m sure Cookie loves that you keep it around as treats or sprinkled on top of her meals! Buy it in small bags so it doesn’t dry out or go stale/mold on you. The word “puppy” in front of the word “food” is a whole marketing issue I won’t go into.

Royal Canin, Iams and Hills all have by-products and/or bad grains. If this was all that was left on Earth as dog food, I’d switch to human food. Of course, my opinion only. Chewy’s will refund your money on everything, just press the “Chat Live” button.

I forgot if I suggested ZIGNATURE ZSSENTIALS to you, also for your perusal on Chewy.com. It’s affordable ($9.99/4 lb bag) and:
-Grain-free and multi-protein formula
-Gluten-free diet
-No potato, chicken or eggs
-No guar gum or carrageenan
-Complete and balanced diet for all life stages.
My pups have been on it for over a year after becoming diarrhetic to Orijens Adult. They are now 75 lbs of lean, mean, loving machines LOL. And yes, they get urine tests done twice a year.

Also to add more moisture to Cookie’s diet (put on top or to the side of dry, the case of 12 will last a looong time, refrigerate an opened can):
Canine Caviar 95% Venison Grain-Free Canned Dog Food OR
ZiwiPeak Daily-Dog Cuisine Lamb Or Beef Canned Dog Food

Affordability, long term health issues, ingredients plus either “striving on” or merely “surviving on” certain foods are all controversial topics that these forums help further our insight.

[Suzanne J]

I’ve been pretty sick so I haven’t been checking in. I’ve decided to keep feeding Cookie the Ziwipeak, and I am going to order some of the “wet” food. I ordered Zignature ,too. I’m sure Cookie would enjoy some variety. I know I’d get tired of eating the same food everyday.
Thank you for the advice…

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