[Nate D]

I actually did contact Sojos and Grandma Lucys and they both told me with dry matter basis they had no low fat options.
I did however go with Dr Harveys Paradigm. They also have Raw Vibrance that is low in fat.

[Nate D]

Well I’m going to confirm the Primal Pets. I think the amounts they gave me is as fed not dry matter. So they are probably higher.

[Nate D]

Thanks for the information. I’ll check those all out.

Instinct and Primal Pets both wrote me back and Instinct has some raw formulas at 10%.
Primal Pets has 3 I could use. Venison and Rabbit are the lowest in fat at just 5% fat. The Turkey & Sardine formula is 7%.
I like the simple ingredients in them too. I just dont like the cost, but they are low carb as well so I might give them a try. I’ve been using Dr. Jone’s Ultimate Canine Formula as an added supplement so it would actually work well with it.

[Nate D]

I actually have one on the Annamaet Lean, but its full of a lot of starches. Lots of peas. I’m trying to go more natural because of the high possibility of one of my dogs having cancer. (has to have a lump removed) I don’t want to feed it with grains or lots of starches.
I have tried The Honest Kitchen Preference where you add your own protein. I could possibly go back to that. I did find Instinct has some frozen raw food that says only has 8% fat but I emailed them to find out if that’s correct.

[Nate D]

Almost forgot. I need it to be grain free.

[Nate D]

J S, you could email the company and see what they say about it or what it is. They’ve answered all of my questions so far. The food works wonders for me so I’m sticking with it.
You could also look into using Biotic ph- by Wysong. They have a – and + version. You’d want the – version for acidity. Only thing is the ingredients aren’t the best at all, but are why it makes the urine acidic.
If your water is a bit hard even if filtered then I would defiantly start using distilled water only.
I would get 5 gl bottles of water myself for the water cooler, but testing the ph came back slightly alkaline so that wasn’t going to work for me.

[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 9 years, 10 months ago by Nate D.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Nate D.

[Nate D]

Red that is not true.
Yes ph levels do fluctuate especially after dogs eat which is normal.
That is why one needs to check the first catch of the day or at least 5/6 hours after the dog has had any meal or treats and has gone to the bathroom a few times.
When a dog eats the food naturally rises urine ph levels.
I recently switched vets and the vet has a nutritionist phd. Won’t even sell the prescription foods unless absolutely necessary.
It does not take 3-4 months. You can most certainly see a a difference in ph in just a day of being 100% on a new food. I sure did.
Now if you’re giving supplements on top of it then urine needs to be checked on a regular basis just to make sure things are not going in the wrong direction. Waiting 3-4 months is to long. 3-4 months is good for checking for actual crystals if a dog comes back negative. ph checking should start right away and if a dog is prone to crystals it should never stop. I check mine weekly as long as the levels are staying steady.
So the key is to check the first catch of the day prior to feeding which will be accurate.

For those looking for ph strips amazon is the best place to get them as they are affordable for a lot of them.
Wysong also sells them.

[Nate D]

It’s been a quite some time since I’ve posted here, but wanted to give everyone some information.
A lot of you are doing good with the water, supplements, etc..

For dry food check out Zignature. I just recently heard of it. I’ve been feeding Fromm for so long.
Zignature is limited ingredient, grain free, potato free (which I was told was very important), lower in calories, etc..
All good things for helping keep ph in check and is good for dogs with kidney/bladder issues.
I contacted them about the target ph and they said theirs is 5.5. That’s lower then most high quality foods. Fromm is 6-6.5 and Wellness was 7.
A few others wrote me back with numbers all within 6-7, but Blue Buffalo told me they don’t know the ph because they aren’t prescription food. A response like that will keep me away from that food forever.
I can say that since switching to Ziganture, adding water, a tablespoon of wet food and using an occasional dose of Berry Balance my dogs ph has been holding steady and no crystals.
I did try the Wysong Biotic ph supplement, but I was not a fan of what was in it.
What works for my dog may not work for another, but I thought I’d mention the Zignature food. Might be worth a try. A lot of their formulas have cranberries and blueberries in it, but there are a couple like the new Kangaroo that do not. zignature.com

[Nate D]

Yes they were struvite. He said she never had a uti as she never showed any bacteria, but one possibly could have been starting to brew and we caught it in time. It’s possible with her its just genetic or she just simply wasn’t drinking enough water at the time. Vet said I could keep her on the prescription food as a regular diet if I wanted (even though shes been off of it already) to and I was like no. I’ll pass on the corn. lol
I add water to her food now, wasn’t before and I bring her water at times. The Fromm 4 star food also has cranberries and blueberries in it where as the Gold weight management food didn’t so I don’t doubt that’s helping keep things where they should be.

[Nate D]

Here’s a final update on my dog. She has no more crystals and ph is where it should be. I will be sticking with the Fromm. I will keep an eye on her ph on occasion just to make sure she’s doing well.

[Nate D]

I’ve been researching dog food again and I still come back to the Fromm Whitefish and Potato recipe that their nutritionist even recommended. The ingredients are well balanced imo and their target ph levels are lower then most foods. The whitefish one does have some grain, but some are acidifying, plus it has cranberries and blueberries. http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#whitefish-and-potato I’ve always been high on Fromm.
I think I’m going to stick with it. I just need to check the ph levels correctly and at the right times and go from there.

[Nate D]

If a company can’t say where they source their food from that’s a red flag. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about them not responding about it. I haven’t tried finding out myself though.
Has anyone tried Sold Gold dog food? It may have grains, but after looking at the ingredients in some of the food they use more acidic grains then alkaline ones. Wouldn’t have to use the berry balance with it either as it already has cranberries and blueberries in it.
Not to mention it’s still far better then what’s in Science Diet.

[Nate D]

Here’s an update to my situation. After 2 and a half weeks of my dog being on Science Diet prescription I switched back to regular food, Fromm….only after working with their nutritionist I went with their Whitefish formula over weight management and I mixed in their Salmon/Chicken wet food and added the Solid Gold Berry Balance supplement.
I noticed her ph jumped extremely high after this, so I switched to straight wet food with the same results at 8.5, however I found out I was doing it all wrong. I should be testing first thing in the morning before eating not a couple hours after eating because that can easily spike the ph. I also wasn’t testing enough during the day so I’m going to test more throughout the day. I was testing today and all times so far are at 6.5…where I want to be.
She is having a new urinalysis done this weekend so we’ll see what the vet says then and what the results come back as. I’m trying to find a grain free, potato free, carrageean free, low calorie food, but it’s hard. What’s funny is some say lower protein diets are needed and others like Wyosong say higher protein. I did look into Wysong, but their protein amounts are very high from what I’m seeing and for a Dachshund that’s not always good. Gas, weight gain, overactive anal glands, etc.. I tried Orijen in the past and that didn’t work well at all.
I’m determined to find a good medium though. We’ll see what the vet says this weekend. Won’t be surprised if he says to keep her on SD long term.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Nate D.

[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.

[Nate D]

Lauren what brand food are you feeding your dog? Wet or dry? If dry are you adding water to it? Do you use filtered water or just regular tap? I’m going to post an update on my dogs in a few so you might find some tips in it.

[Nate D]

Been doing some research and happened to find a page with a bunch of urine ph levels for different brands of cat/dog food.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Urinary-Tract-Infections—Crystals—Symptoms,-Causes,-and-Treatment&id=2943114

Looks like Fromm is good, but I need to switch to the grain free.

[Nate D]

InkedMarie,
As said I’ve already tried Wellness Core RF and didn’t have good results on it. I’m going to keep comparing foods.

[Nate D]

Derek,
Have you tried a water fountain? I bought a Drinkwell fountain on amazon and it works pretty well for my dogs. One thing to take note though is the filters used in them are carbon fiber and can actually make the water slightly more alkaline so be sure to test the water ph with test strips, use distilled water with it, or just don’t use the filters if you try them.

I know you asked if you should be looking into a urine analysis, but isn’t that how they determined your dog had crystals to begin with? It’s important to have re-tests so if it’s been awhile since one has been done then yes I would get one done.

[Nate D]

Yes, lots of water is the most important thing from what I’m learning and being told. That and keeping the pH levels normal and not high. I’ve had 3 vets tell me there is absolutely nothing wrong with dry food as long as water is added and mixed with it.

[Nate D]

Here’s a quick update after making some phone calls.
My dog will be going on the Science Diet for 2 weeks. I actually already started. Went and picked it up. After that if there are no crystals I was told I can go back on the dry food, I just need to add water to it……or I can mix wet and dry and add water. I’m told the solid gold supplement is also ok once off of the SD.
So I will still use dry food, but will mix it with wet. I just can’t afford all wet.
I’m also looking at switching the dry food to grain free. The big problem is with Doxies it’s not easy finding a food they won’t gain weight from no matter how little food you give them. Fromm Gold Weight Management has been the only food that keeps both of my dogs stable and where they should be. They do have a new weight management formula, but I don’t believe it’s grain free either. I have tried grain free in the past, but they just kept slowly putting on the weight. Even tried Wellness Core Reduced Fat. I kept lowering the amount I gave them, but anymore they wouldn’t have any. lol
I see Merrick has a grain free low cal dry food as well as canned. I’m also looking at Evo and Fromm for canned food. Natural Balance has a low cal food as well, but doesn’t look as good as the others, but it is more affordable. By Nature looks good as well.
The Evo dry looks good, but the protein is extremely high. I tried that route with Orijen and Acana before but that high just made their stools very soft and they farted all of the time. lol Not to mention my females anal glands were over active on very high protein.
What brands of foods are you all feeding your dogs that had crystals?

[Nate D]

Yea I don’t plan to do both. My wife is going to call a vet tomorrow that she knows personally who isn’t local, but does know her from her past and see what she says.
My uncle in another state is also a vet I just haven’t talked to him in years so I might give him a call and get several opinions. Anyways as said I’ll report back.

[Nate D]

InkedMarie,
The vet is more then ok with them being on vitamin c to help lower the ph levels.
Since I plan to use the Solid Gold powder which has vitamin c in it I’ll just stick to that.

[Nate D]

Thanks everyone! I’ll report back soon.
I think what I will do is put her on canned prescription food to get rid of the crystals then switch back to other wet food and give the solid gold supplement on top of it.

[Nate D]

crazy4cats thanks for the reply to my post. Although I do agree that the Science Diet works for most I can see why because of it’s ingredients which are just fillers. I just don’t believe this is the route to go nor the only solution like my vet said. I think of it more as a temp. solution since Dachshund’s are crystal prone. I haven’t decided if I want to use it for 2 weeks, but corn, wheat, soy, etc. that is in it is imo not healthy at all regardless of it if works or not and I feel I’ll be depriving my dog of other nutrients. I may try the supplements for 2 weeks then retest and go from there. I am however going to be switching to a holistic vet or at least one that doesn’t just push science diet as every solution is just for their profits. I have been to another non holistic vet in the past who didn’t believe in Science Diet at all and said they would never feed it to a pet, but they are a bit of a drive. I am looking into switching to wet food instead of dry, but of course wet food is much more expensive. I think highly of Fromm so I’ll have to look into their wet food selection.
I have been feeding them more frequently lately instead of just twice a day. As far as stress levels nothing different or changes….besides going to the vet. lol
I won’t totally rule out the S.D., but will look at other options before and the S.D. will be last.
We had the urinalysis done along with a blood profile because our male has been on and off of Rovera (Carprofin) for his back so for him it was to mainly to make sure he’s doing ok from having been on NSAID’s. My female didn’t do well on it for her back as she has back issues as well, but do give her aspirin rarely when needed.
Since I was having my male tested I thought I might as well have both tested. I’ve never had a blood profile done on her before anyways, just him so that was another reason to have it done. Over all though the vet said they are both very healthy and am amazed at how well their teeth are, etc…
Just the ph issue and crystals I have to work on which I will.

weezerweeks, also thanks for the reply. I will defiantly look into wet food.

[Nate D]

I’m happy to have found this forum. Just found out both of my Dachshunds have high ph. One has 7.5 and the other 8.0. My female has crystals in her urine, not my male, but the vet didn’t say anything about an affection. All he said was to put her on Science Diet prescription for 2 weeks, but as everyone knows it just a bland acidic diet full of junk.
When asked if there’s anything I could do besides the food he just said no.
I asked about vitamin c which he put one of my dogs on before and he not only asked if they were ever on it before (he should know they were as his records/notes were in front of him, but said it wouldn’t help with anything but the ph.
I feed them Fromm Gold Weight Management and am now giving them vitamin c again. I’m also mixing distilled water with the filtered water I get for the house. I use a fountain for them which has a filter in it which does make them drink more. The filtered water I get for the house has a neutral ph of 6.0, but between that, the rich food they are on, and the filter in their water fountain, I wonder if that’s whats causing the high ph levels.
I work from home so letting them out to go to the bathroom isn’t an issue. They get let out a lot.
I see the Solid Gold supplement looks like a great product and something I’m willing to try. The cranimals sounds good as well, but I’m not sure which one would be better.
I’ll try anything besides using Science Diet. That would be my last solution.
I am going to look for a new vet as I’m not happy with him just saying the Science Diet is the only solution.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Nate D.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Nate D.

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