[anonymously]

How old is the dog? It would be best to work with a vet and go with the recommended prescription food (check chewy.com). At least until the dog is stable, then you can evaluate your options. Has the dog been treated for infection? If so, he may need another round of antibiotics or other prescription medications along with the special diet.
Of course add water to his meals and provide frequent bathroom breaks, keep the bladder flushed.
If you buy it in a larger bag, divide it up and keep half of it in a tightly closed container in the freezer or fridg.
Use the other half first, store in a tightly closed container in a cool place.

[Donna B]

He is only 5 months old. He just started his antibiotics today. Adding warm water to his food and he loves it. So glad he eats it and likes it.

[anonymously]

Sounds good. Thanks for giving us an update.

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

[EC P]

Hi I have an Aussie/Border mix. He is 16 and just had 2nd surgery for struvite bladder stones. The surgery is costly, but he comes through it quite easily (except for the cone) and has no surgery-related issues after a couple weeks. I fed Science Diet at $80 – 90 per 25 lb bag, which lasted as well as a lower cost food. He learned to eat it & admittedly I added stuff a couple times a week. Post 2nd surgery we are going with the Royal Canin, since the SD didn’t prevent reoccurance. I have not found a “cure” for stones . . . like in people they can & often will reoccur. My boy is happy and until he starts to strain, I notice no difference in his behavior – seemingly, no pain or discomfort, though thinking about it, he begins to lick his belly around the bladder area. . . hmm will watch for that now. Its the protein, magnesium and potassium that you’ve got to watch, so if you want to try it natural let me know how that works. I didn’t opt for the ph strips, but did insure that he got quite a bit more water. I’m a full-time graduate student, so I know what this food cost does to the budget. Good Luck!

[Rene d]

To EC P and other people whose dogs are suffering from urinary stones. Here is a link to a very informative article that describes in detail how one person is successfully managing his dog’s urinary stones with mostly homemade food.

http://www.petdietdesigner.com/blog/entry/cosmos-urinary-stones

Hope this helps.

[Laura C]

Scary what I’m reading here. I’ve worked in a veterinary clinic/hospital going on 10 years. Struvites do not necessarily have a correlation with infection, but rather can cause infections via irritation.

We’ve removed stones the size of the entire bladder, and gravel that looked like pie weights, and in vast quantities.

We’ve kept track of various foods and found and strong food-crystal corollary. We used to see these conditions only in older cats (and dogs). We took out a 9cm stone out of a 24m dog with no prior history of infections.

All our struvite dogs go on prescription diets for life. Client that were non-compliant found that their animals developed crystals again. To infer that this course of treatment is wrong and to “find another vet” is ill-advised.

[InkedMarie]

I had a dog with struvite crystals, The course of treatment was a round of antibiotics. Vitamin C and to water his food. He did not eat prescription food and never had a recurrence of the crystals.

[marilyn s]

Where can I get the strips to monitor her PH? Our overweight 8 yr old mini poodle developed urinary stones (had an xray) for the second time in 2 years. She also had blood in her urine and felt the need to urinate often. Our vet prescribed Clavomox for the infection and Royal Canin urinary SO wet do food, which she hates, She also suggested Crananidin which I purchased. After 2 weeks on the antibiotics, her urine seems clear and I think the infection is gone. I don’t know how much longer she will be on this dog food, but she does not like it and it is hard to get her to eat it. I think if I can monitor her PH, perhaps I can prevent her from getting stones again. I don’t know if these stones have dissolved. Am hoping if I monitor the PH and it is below 7 we can prevent them from coming back. And I will give her the Crananidin (from Amazon), though it is expensive. Any other suggestions? I really don’t want to keep her on this dog food forever.

[anonymously]

Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/struvite/
Water, water, and more water.
Frequent bathroom breaks. Otherwise, consult a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist.
The food can only do so much, most supplements are crap.
The PH strips are a joke, go to your vet every 3 months to check (urine sample).
Even with dietary changes, a change in the PH won’t show up for a month or two (this is what my vet told me).
Also, walk the dog more, get the extra weight off. Two meals a day, measured amounts, no snacks. No free feeding. If need be, 3 small meals per day.

PS: Nothing wrong with prescription dog food. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

[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]

“but their dog has oxalate crystals, not struvite”
Where did you see that?
Anyway, only a veterinarian that has examined the dog and reviewed it’s history can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
PS: Dogs can have more than one type of stone at the same time, and don’t underestimate the genetic factor.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by anonymously.

[J S]

I was speaking of the article Rene d posted here: http://www.petdietdesigner.com/blog/entry/cosmos-urinary-stones They determined their dog had oxalate crystals, both by diet experimentation and also by x-ray and then surgery.

I respect your point of view, but I disagree with your statement about only a vet can prescribe treatment. God gave us all brains to research, ask questions, involve other experts, share our own stories, etc. I’ve healed a whole lot of things without running to a vet, an MD or a pharmaceutical drug. It’s a more natural way to treat dis-ease. Of course in extreme circumstances there are reasons for the vet and drugs and surgery. I’m not against those, but maybe our medical system wouldn’t be so screwed up and people and pets would be healthier, if we ate better and used more common sense, rather than ran to an “expert” who is often just “practicing” on us anyway. That’s my personal experience and point of view. Your mileage and experience may vary.

[Jackie F]

I have an 11 month male old pit bull, he started having problems urinating and there was blood. First low cost vet clinic gave him amoxicillian and it didn’t work so the next vet took xray and did a urinalysis and culture. His urine came back good, pH at 7, good concentration, no signs of bacteria, white blood cells slightly high but could be from inflammation of the bladder but said I had to wait for the culture results because the xray showed a cluster of stones in his bladder but they are not sure of the type. Vet gave him a different antibiotic and said Royal Canine food until culture comes back. He also said surgery is likely but I felt that he was focused on that and just trying to make money. I am reading that no point in the Rx dog food if we don’t know the type of stones yet, and his PH level is 7, so should I go ahead and put him on Royal Canine Rx or wait for the culture results?

[Barbara M]

If you don’t want to start with prescription until you know at least add water to his food. To the point that he has to slurp it up to get to the food. Increase water helps if it’s struvite crystals

[anonymous]

I hope you will listen to the vet that examined and diagnosed your dog. Bladder stones are a potentially life threatening condition. A blocked urethra can result in emergency surgery.
Calcium oxalate stones don’t just go away. They won’t know for sure what type of stones he has till they get them out of there and analyze them.
In my opinion the vet is focused on trying to help the dog and prevent more pain and infection.
PS: They can have more than one type of stone, my dog had struvite and calcium oxalate, struvite cleared up with antibiotics but the calcium oxalates required surgery.

[pitlove]

Hi Jackie-

Anyone with an opinion can post on the internet. Unfortuntely, more often than not that does not mean they know what they are talking about.

If your vet prescribed a therapeutic diet, there is a good reason and I would trust his judgement.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, please listen to your vet. Don’t end up in an emergency situation like I did with a cat two years ago. Luckily we have a Blue Pearl Emergency Clinic in my area, but it cost thousands to save him. His bladder was totally blocked and he spent three days there. Otherwise, they recommended euthanasia because he would have died a terrible painful death.

I kept him totally on Rx food for six months after the episode and very slowly weaned him off of it after that. Now, I feed him mostly canned and add water to that. I also have a water fountain that my cats enjoy and encourage them to drink more. He’s on medication to help with his anxiety and bladder inflammation now.

I guess stones are caused by different reasons in cats and dogs. Dogs are typically caused by infection and cats are typically caused by stress. Of course, there are other reasons as well. Best to keep them at bay by adding moisture and an appropriate diet until the cause is known and fixed. Best of luck to you.

[marilyn s]

My 8 year old mini poodle just got another bladder stone infection. After the last one, we tried the Royal Canin prescription canned food, and she hated it. She is not much of a meat eater. So the vet recommended Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food. I switched to that about 3 months ago. But now I noticed frequent needs to urinate and blood in her urine. The vet put her on Clavamox 125mg 2X a day for 2 weeks. That has helped on all her other occurences. We give her plenty of water and walk her frequently. But I think we have to clean her genital area more often. I will try that now.

[Kim H]

My dog is on that for the same reason but throws up bile the last two nights. She likes the food and has more energy but not so sure something in it she can’t tolerate.

[J S]

My dogs have only thrown up yellow bile when they didn’t have enough food on their stomachs, and they were/are the nervous-ninny types.

The blood in the urine is a red (no pun!) flag that you have a serious infection and need antibiotics. Frequent urination can also be an indicator, but I noticed that the new formulation of Royal Canin dry food has added salt for the very reason to make the dogs pee more, to keep the bladder and kidneys flushing. We have to give our girl extra trips outside and give her more than one chance to squat before coming back inside.

After our last round of antibiotics, she’s on dry RCanin, floating in water/broth, with no-grain wet food and part of a Vit C capsule sprinkled on top, along with a mini scoop of Cranberry Relief. So far no “pee-crawling” for over a month!

[marilyn s]

As I wrote above: After the last one, we tried the Royal Canin prescription canned food, and she hated it. She is not much of a meat eater. So the vet recommended Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food. I switched to that about 3 months ago. But I just noticed the Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food is not recommmended on this site. And it didn’t seem to prevent her from getting the stones again. The antibiotics seem to work the best and I think keeping her genitals clean will help. I didn’t know that Royal Canin had a dry food for this problem…I will try to see if it has a better rating than the Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food.

[marilyn s]

And we also give her Crananidin by Nutramax.

[brit]

my 11yo dog is on a home made diet and tested high Ph and struvite crystals last fall but no infection. Never had him tested before so who knows how long he has had this, my holistic vet put him on a cranberry/herb supplement and told me to make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. I give him distilled water altho he doesn’t really drink much so I make him a bone broth and give him a cup 2xday and home made food with plenty of liquid. I use fewer veggies in his food than I was using as they are alkaline. I bought some Ph test strips and so far his morning urine is perfectly normal. I read somewhere just to go by the morning urine. I also give approx 250mgs ester C daily and a couple of tsps Cranimals (he weighs 50lbs).

[Mary N]

I would suggest going with the diet the vet recommended but however keep on digging and understanding this medical issue.

This will help you in this battle and it will help you make the right choices for your dog.

Make sure that your dog gets a lot of water and always soak the dry kibble in the water as that will make your dog intake additional water amounts.

[anonymous]

Per the search engine here /forums/search/cranberry/

[Tammy I]

I have been dealing with the exact thing. I emailed a dog food nutritionist for the same question and she told me struvite crystals are very hard to disappear and they only get worse and develop into stone. My dog has to have surgery next week my question to her was what kind of dog food do I feed afterward and she told me dog food has nothing to do with UTI and once I get the surgery have the doctor examine the stone to see what it was caused by and then follow up with the antibiotic afterword. It made no sense to me because for hours I have researched what Hills is made of and why it’s prescribed and I read the same thing that Hills does absolutely nothing in some cases it makes it worse. The nutritionist confirmed for me. A UTI is a bacterial infection and has nothing to do with the kind of food they eat although reading so many different opinions still going to find a grain-free dog food at the pet store. Good luck!

[marilyn s]

After more xrays, her stones have reduced in size , but there is stll one medium sized one. I would like to avoid surgery, so she is now on a stronger antibiotic, Baytril. Her culture tests came out OK and her PH is good. I hope this works. I am still giving her Crananidin by Nutramax. She is still on the Hill’s perscription diet dry food (she would not eat the wet one). urinary care c/d.

[anonymous]

Your dog may have more than 1 type of stones, my dog had both struvite and calcium oxalate, there is a genetic component, some dogs have a predisposition to develop them.
I think the confusion you are having is that you are listening to homeopathic views (the nutritionist) versus the traditional veterinarian. The two will never agree. I prefer science based veterinary medicine. I would be inclined to listen to your vet and do what he recommends, prescription food and all, you can always add something to it with your vet’s approval. Once the dog is stable, you can re-evaluate diet options.

Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/struvite/
Water, water, and more water.
Frequent bathroom breaks. Otherwise, consult a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist.
The food can only do so much, most supplements are crap.
The PH strips are a joke, go to your vet every 3 months to check (urine sample).
Even with dietary changes, a change in the PH won’t show up for a month or two (this is what my vet told me).
Also, walk the dog more, get the extra weight off. Two meals a day, measured amounts, no snacks. No free feeding. If need be, 3 small meals per day.
PS: Nothing wrong with prescription dog food. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

[anonymous]

“Despite some promising laboratory studies suggesting cranberry supplements might help prevent or treat urinary tract infections, the evidence of studies in clinical patients has been disappointing. Conflicting studies in humans suggest, on balance, that there is probably no significant benefit. And now a high-quality clinical trial in dogs has failed to find any effect, even in the the of infections the pre-clinical research most strongly suggested there should be one.
While the risks of cranberry supplements are probably negligible, pet owners should understand, and veterinarians should make in clear to their clients, that there is no good reason to believe they have any real value in preventing or treating urinary tract infections.” (excerpt from link below)

Evidence Update: Finally a Clinical Trial of Cranberry Supplements for Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

[Tammy I]

Should I go with a grain-free diet for my dog after he has a bladder stone removed. There are so many things I’ve read that food has nothing to do with it but I’ve also read the opposite. Frankly I’m so confused and frustrated I have no idea what to do and I don’t trust my vet with the answer… They just want me to put him on prescription Hills crap they give at the vet in which I have also researched and most sites say it’s an awful diet and will not affect the pH in any way. Just found out cranberry tablets will do nothing either so I am just clueless on what to do and who to believe at this point.

[anonymous]

All I can tell you is my experience, I have posted, ad nauseam, so I won’t repeat. If you don’t trust your vet, find another vet or consult a specialist. A veterinarian has 8 years of college, at least 2 years internship (comparable to an MD) and has examined countless animals and is obligated to take continued education courses to be eligible for licensure.
You would prefer to believe someone who you don’t know and that has never examined your dog? It’s up to you.

[Lea D]

I brought my 7 year old Corgi to the vet because she was having urinating issues. My vet tested her urine and said she has crystals and a UTI. We put her on antibiotics and on the Hills Science Diet C/D food. A month before my male dog had the same issue and we resolved it the same way. I normally feed my dogs NUTRO™ Limited Ingredient Diet Small Bites Adult Dog Food, they have been on it for 6 years and we love it. Our vet suggested keeping them on the C/D diet permanently, which i do not want to do since outside of the help to remove struvites, it has terrible ingredients that I do not want in their food, such as corn and gluten, and my corgi is food sensitive.

Outside of their food, my dogs get Nutro limited ingredient treats only and my corgi takes Nutramax Cosequin Maximum Strength (DS) Plus MSM tablets every day. My male boxer takes Fluoxetine 20mg daily for anxiety.

Could it be the water of my house that is causing it? My vet says it is strictly diet, so do you have any suggestions as to what to change their food to? I can’t imagine their limited diet food has much in it to cause the issue. Is there a supplement I can add to help reduce crystal risk? I am at a loss to what to change it to. I want their food to be limited diet, without gluten or corn, but to not give them crystals, if the food is indeed what is causing it. Help!

[anonymous]

Water, water, and more water, add it to the food, presoak the kibble, tap water is fine. Take them out for frequent bathroom breaks. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation. Keep the bladder flushed.
There is a genetic component.
There are no magic supplements, however, there are prescription meds for stubborn cases you could discuss the options with your vet.
And at the risk of repeating myself. There is nothing wrong with prescription foods. Have you read the prior posts and threads per the search engine, lots of info has been provided.
Good luck.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by anonymous.

[Melanie O]

Hello,

I also have a dog that was just diagnosed with struvite crystals and the vet told me I had to put her on Royal Canin SO food indefinitely to dissolve the crystals and lower the PH of her urine.
I cannot afford this. I buy her the best dog food I can, I read the ingredients of each bag to make sure I am getting a food that doesn’t have a lot of garbage in it – ultimately ending up in my spending about 36.00 a bag. This is at the high end of my budget and the royal canin, for a smaller bag is going to cost me double that.

I am looking for alternatives to reducing the ph in her urine as well as dissolving the crystals. Nothing in her bladder, there was a tiny bit of bacteria but no blood. I was thinking of getting cranberry relief chews for her to help with infection but how do i dissolve the crystals in her urine and/or reduce the ph? I was going through a lot of the posts but there are so many I thought I would just go about it this way. You all are such a wealth of information I can’t wait to hear from you!

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/bladder-stones-in-6-year-old-female-pug/#post-113166

[Author]

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