Home Cooking Recipes to Prevent Struvite Stones?

[demitasse]

Hi, all,

Demi started peeing reddish-brown, so off to the vet. She has bladder stones -- HUGE bladder stones. The vet is giving me a CD of the X-ray on Friday and I'll try to post it here. I was *shocked* at the size of these stones -- they look like big marbles, the aggies. There are three of them. The vet thinks they are struvite stones, but the stones will be analyzed to be sure.

I've been feeding Evo and Canidae, and Demi's treats are dehydrated meat. The vet said that the food is good, but it's not good for Demi's metabolism. The vet explained about how infections can cause the stones, but the diet is important for prevention.

Demi is being operated on this Friday. I feel awful for her -- she's staying overnight. This is going to so hard on her -- and on me. On the other hand, I'm relieved that the problem is operable; I was terrified that the problem was something terminal.

She (the vet) gave me Science Diet C/D. I don't feel right feeding Demi food that has corn as the first ingredient and by-products high on the ingredients list. The vet agreed and suggested that I move to home-cooking. She recommended a book called 'Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative' by Donald R. Strombeck.

In the meantime, does anyone have any recipes for home-cooked food that is low in magnesium and generally good for dogs tending toward struvite formation? What about treats? Demi needs her treats! She insists on them, as a matter of fact!

I have a water distiller and am moving her to distilled water, and I understand that she needs to get a lot of high-moisture food.

But I admit that I'm confused, because my research says that a high-protein diet is acidic, which is appropriate for prevention, but Demi was already eating a high-protein diet while the current stones were forming. So what should I be feeding her? My vet will have more info for me after the stones are analyzed, but I'd like to hear what you all have to say. That will help me when it's time to talk to the vet.

And if I can get away with finding recipes here instead of buying the $45 book, I'll be thrilled; by the time the vet visits, x-rays, and operation are completed, I'll be $2200 in the hole for this medical event. How's that for timing? Merry Christmas! Merry Recession! Merry Job Insecurity!

Thanks, and if any of you think about Demi on Friday afternoon, send prayers. Just in case she needs them.

Jay

[PennysMum]

I honestly don't know much about home cooking, so I can't help you there... but could you at least ask the vet if she could get you some Royal Canin brand food rather than the Hill's brand? Science diet is just junk-- Royal Canin is head and shoulders above them, even if they might not stand up well against some of the non-prescription foods out there.

I have a cat who is on Ammonil tablets twice daily in order to control struvite crystal formation. Because he has so many severe food allergies, none of the veterinary diets out there are options for us, so I have been feeding him a low-magnesium canned food and giving Ammonil as a urine acidifier twice daily. We just had a recheck on Monday and his urine ph is down to 6 with no crystals seen, so it seems like we're on the right track. I don't know if managing the problem like that might be an option your vet would consider, but you may want to bring it up with her.

[Ellie May]

Has a culture been done?
Did the vet say anything about crystals?

If struvite are probable, is there is reason that the vet won't try to dissolve them with a special diet before considering surgery?

[demitasse]

No to both questions, and I didn't know to ask until I came home and searched Yorkietalk!

Regarding dissolving them, they are *huge* and Demi is peeing blood, so I assume that the vet wants to get them out of her right away.

I'll ask the vet about Royal Canin.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Has a culture been done?
Did the vet say anything about crystals?

If struvite are probable, is there is reason that the vet won't try to dissolve them with a special diet before considering surgery?

[jainscott]

Hi demitasse !!!
Thanks for sharing great info ...But Sorry i don't know that much about home cooking and Do you know any diet plans ???

bread bin

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by jainscott

Hi demitasse !!!
Thanks for sharing great info ...But Sorry i don't know that much about home cooking and Do you know any diet plans ???

bread bin

you can join yahoogroups.com and go to k9kitchen or there are a couple others and just type in dog nutrition.

also askariel.com is a nutritionist many on here use

for stones if you do not want to home cook natural balance vegetarian is a good food

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by demitasse

No to both questions, and I didn't know to ask until I came home and searched Yorkietalk!

Regarding dissolving them, they are *huge* and Demi is peeing blood, so I assume that the vet wants to get them out of her right away.

I'll ask the vet about Royal Canin.

Thanks!

hey we have a demi too

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by demitasse

Hi, all,

Demi started peeing reddish-brown, so off to the vet. She has bladder stones -- HUGE bladder stones. The vet is giving me a CD of the X-ray on Friday and I'll try to post it here. I was *shocked* at the size of these stones -- they look like big marbles, the aggies. There are three of them. The vet thinks they are struvite stones, but the stones will be analyzed to be sure.

I've been feeding Evo and Canidae, and Demi's treats are dehydrated meat. The vet said that the food is good, but it's not good for Demi's metabolism. The vet explained about how infections can cause the stones, but the diet is important for prevention.

Demi is being operated on this Friday. I feel awful for her -- she's staying overnight. This is going to so hard on her -- and on me. On the other hand, I'm relieved that the problem is operable; I was terrified that the problem was something terminal.

She (the vet) gave me Science Diet C/D. I don't feel right feeding Demi food that has corn as the first ingredient and by-products high on the ingredients list. The vet agreed and suggested that I move to home-cooking. She recommended a book called 'Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative' by Donald R. Strombeck.

In the meantime, does anyone have any recipes for home-cooked food that is low in magnesium and generally good for dogs tending toward struvite formation? What about treats? Demi needs her treats! She insists on them, as a matter of fact!

I have a water distiller and am moving her to distilled water, and I understand that she needs to get a lot of high-moisture food.

But I admit that I'm confused, because my research says that a high-protein diet is acidic, which is appropriate for prevention, but Demi was already eating a high-protein diet while the current stones were forming. So what should I be feeding her? My vet will have more info for me after the stones are analyzed, but I'd like to hear what you all have to say. That will help me when it's time to talk to the vet.

And if I can get away with finding recipes here instead of buying the $45 book, I'll be thrilled; by the time the vet visits, x-rays, and operation are completed, I'll be $2200 in the hole for this medical event. How's that for timing? Merry Christmas! Merry Recession! Merry Job Insecurity!

Thanks, and if any of you think about Demi on Friday afternoon, send prayers. Just in case she needs them.

Jay

sounds like too much protein caused the stones

here is some info on stones

Article Search Results - PetPlace.com

[dwerten]

i would go to spring water not distilled as my demi would not drink the distilled as it tastes bad so bottled spring water is what mine drink because distilled many dogs will not drink enough water - you can try but make sure to watch intake if doing distilled and you can get ph strips to test ph as well

if not struvite and the stones are urate you need to see if this is tied to liver issue as urate is usually a liver issue and too high of protein can be a problem with that as well

[dwerten]

also juice organic zucchini and celery together and put pulp and juice on food. Zucchini cleanses liver and celery cleanses the urinary tract

[jencar98]

IDK about home prepared meals for a dog with stones but a friend's dog with stones could eat one of the Wysong foods and didn't form any new stones. You might want to check with one their nutritionists about which food would be best.

Holistic Dog Food, Natural Dog Food and Supplements ? Wysong Works!

[dwerten]

i would say also it depends on the stones so once your vet knows the type of stone then you can construct a diet that suits that stone as that is very important to know and they will test the stone to see what type struvite or urate

[dwerten]

alkaline vs acidic foods affect ph in body - check this out this is human related but can apply to dogs as well but obviously only foods safe for dogs

another thing you can think about is digestive enzymes

Alkaline Foods vs Acidic Foods

[Ellie May]

With bladder stones, if the rx diet isn't going to be used, it really is important to have a veterinary nutritionist formulate the diet...