Momo has Struvite Crystals

[mimimomo]

I'm the type of person that thinks out loud (yes, I talk to myself a lot too loll!), so please bear w/me & forgive me if I'm all over the place.

He had a urinalysis done when he had his dental cleaning recently, there's no infection & didn't mention any stones. His urine is concentrated & there's no blood or straining to pee. Vet suggested to give wet food, Hill's c/d. Yuk loll, as some of you know, I'm very attentive & particular of the ingredients in dog food.
I've been reading/researching online about struvite crystals for the past 3 hrs & my head is about to explode! It looks like it can be managed w/diet. Foods w/an overall high meat content is good for them, as it produces acidic urine. Also, water intake is very important. He drinks water, but not that much...he will eat anything tho!

Momo has been getting The Honest Kitchen for breakfast & I think it's contributing to the dehydration in his body...because of the high fiber, it's absorbing too much water. I think I need to wean him off this food & either try moistened kibble w/wet food &/or premade raw. I emailed the company & asked them what the PH in urine is produced w/the food.

Now I need to go search YT & see if there's any suggestions. Would LOVE your experience/ suggestions if your little one went through this, much appreciated!

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Jenny I have no experience with this at all but know that I'll be prying for Momo.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I just started home cooking for Taycie and I love it! I had a diet made by Dr. Remillard. It was well worth the money.

[Ellie May]

Struvite crystals in dogs are almost always caused by infection (even without symptoms). If no bacteria was seen on the urinalysis was a urine culture recommended? If antibiotics were started because of infection did the get say the food switch did not need to be long term?

Only antibiotics can treat the infections that cause struvites.
The urine should be dilute to help dissolve them. I think the standard of care is opposite of a mostly meat diet.
The pH needs to be lowered.

HK is sort of highish fiber, but nothing crazy. That should not be a huge problem and would not cause an infection in and of itself.

Find and treat the infection.
Get rid of the crystals even if that means a vet diet.
Go back to food you prefer when vet says it's ok.
Or talk to a vet nutritionist about formulating a diet...
jMO

[mimimomo]

The vet didn't mention any urine infection...but we're also trying to figure out his impacted saliva glands, so he's on clindacure. He had a fine needle aspiration & it came back normal. She said it should go down but I feel like they got bigger & firmer since the dental cleaning, then she said it might be getting worse b4 it gets better & to bring him in after New Year's after he's done w/the antibiotics. I was lead to believe that the antibiotic was for his mouth, he had 3 molars pulled.

I will have to ask her again if there is indeed an infection or not (UTI). His dental was on the 19th, then there was the Holidays & I had to call twice to get to finally get to talk to her today bc I got sick of waiting. She's not our reg vet, another vet in the same hospital. It just happened that the only time I can get him in was when she's on duty (& on his barkday, of all days!). Now I'm wondering how long & how many calls it will take to talk to her.

I am willing to try home cooking or vet prescribed diet if it will help him, so I'm open to all suggestions, Thank you!

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by LuvTaycieGirl

I just started home cooking for Taycie and I love it! I had a diet made by Dr. Remillard. It was well worth the money.

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

The vet didn't mention any urine infection...but we're also trying to figure out his impacted saliva glands, so he's on clindacure. He had a fine needle aspiration & it came back normal. She said it should go down but I feel like they got bigger & firmer since the dental cleaning, then she said it might be getting worse b4 it gets better & to bring him in after New Year's after he's done w/the antibiotics. I was lead to believe that the antibiotic was for his mouth, he had 3 molars pulled.

I will have to ask her again if there is indeed an infection or not (UTI). His dental was on the 19th, then there was the Holidays & I had to call twice to get to finally get to talk to her today bc I got sick of waiting. She's not our reg vet, another vet in the same hospital. It just happened that the only time I can get him in was when she's on duty (& on his barkday, of all days!). Now I'm wondering how long & how many calls it will take to talk to her.

I am willing to try home cooking or vet prescribed diet if it will help him, so I'm open to all suggestions, Thank you!

Jenny, home cooking was one of the best decisions I ever made for Rosie. I talked to Cathy (107barney) a lot before doing it. I actually enjoy cooking for my girls as I know exactly what they are getting. I too used Dr Rebecca Remillard. I think she is great.

[salazark]

Sadie has been dealing with this since last April. She had a UTI, her PH was off and she had struvite crystals. The UTI was cleared with antibiotics but the PH was still off and she still had crystals. Her urine was cultured to confirm this. She was on medicine for the crystals but it didn't help. Eventually she went on Science Diet SD which is not a permanent food and it cleared. After we got them cleared, the vet gave me the choice of keeping her on a different prescription food for life or very slowly weaning her back to her regular food. I chose to wean her back to her regular food. We did it over a long period of time with regular urine checks. So far, she's back on her regular food with no problems but we're due to go have another check. It's been a long recovery but it can be managed.

[diannenet]

Speedy has had two UTI's in the past 18 months and both times had struvite crystals (no stones.) The antibiotic prescribed cleared it up both times. I now put Cranimals powder on their food once a day as it makes them thirsty and they drink more. Here's the link to their website. Organic pet supplement, pet cancer supplement, puppy supplement - Cranimals

It has definitely made her drink more and she LOVES the powder on her food. I was really surprised because she is a very finicky eater. The vet suggested I put her on the prescription food and said she could have absolutely nothing else. This dog loves her raw veggies as treats and I would have had to take that away from her as well. We are going the Cranimals route for now. I only put 1/8 tsp. on their food every morning. Like I said, it makes them thirsty which makes them drink more, which makes them potty more and keep themselves cleaned out. I'm not an "authority" on this stuff but for us it's working. Below is some information on Cranimals.

Cranimals™ whole food supplements and award-winning functional biscuits offer proprietary ingredients that you won’t find in any other pet product. Our cat and dog supplements deliver a powerful blend of cranberry, red raspberry and blueberry extracts which contain thousands of potent antioxidants - nature’s best defense against disease and aging. Our functional dog biscuits are cutting edge, delivering the most innovative health food ingredients, in a form especially designed for your pet. We never use any fillers, artificial colors, flavours or artificial preservatives in any of our products –that’s a guarantee. Cranimals™ will make tails wag! All CRANIMALS™ products are also Animal Wellness Magazine Approved – something that makes us very proud.

OUR BERRIES, OUR STANDARDS
All CRANIMALS™ products begin with high quality food-grade raw ingredients sourced directly from the farm. Our cranberry, red raspberry and blueberry extracts are certified organic in the United States, Canada, and European Union. Our ingredients are also BC Kosher certified (in case your pet may be wondering). If you choose certified organic whole food products for your pet's health, you also care about our planet's well-being. Organic farming is better for the environment, you and your family.

THE ANIMALS BEHIND CRANIMALS™
Every time you use CRANIMALS™ pet products you increase the health and vitality of your pet. For our part, we donate CRANIMALS™ and a percentage of profits to pet rescue and pet cancer research. If you would like CRANIMALS™ to consider supporting your favorite animal charity, email us at charity@cranimal.com.

[Verbena]

I am sorry to here about Momo. I can't help with this. Just sending good thoughts for Momo and hope that the vet gives you the answers you need. I would keep calling until you get those answers.

[yorkietalkjilly]

So sorry to hear this about Momo but glad you are on the trail toward getting him the help he needs. Will be praying you find the best treatment for his saliva glands and his bladder issue.

[mimimomo]

Thank you so much for all your suggestions & well wishes, we appreciate it so much!

I've been reading more & found this, I feel absolutely sick that I made him sick. THK is mainly plant proteins. I wouldn't be surprised if it's his diet, hoping it's not an infection & a change in diet will help him.:

An increased amount of ammonia in the urine causes the formation of struvite crystals. This increase can be caused by bacteria from a urinary tract infection or from a diet consisting of mainly plant proteins.

Read more: Struvite Crystals in Dogs | eHow.com Struvite Crystals in Dogs | eHow.com

[GuinnessStout]

Just went thought testing with Guinness after they found crystals but during that same period I was switching flavors of his food because I switch up each time I get a bag to mix things up well by the time we went back for more test he was back to normal so my vet said odds are it was the last flavor had too much of something that caused it and just to avoid that flavor... We have even had him retested again just to be safe and still normal.

[mimimomo]

I'm just hoping it's not an infection, 1st of all bc the vet didn't mention it & if it was, I'll be so mad...I should take him in asap! I am very annoyed, bc I had to wait 10 days to hear bad news. 2ndly, an infection means there could be stones...I better stop googling, it's not helping.
I think tomorrow, I'm going to soak his Canine Caviar (Duck) kibble in hot water & give it to him when it gets soft. It doesn't have too much fiber & has moderate protein level. He's been getting THK 3 x's a day since he had his molars pulled. The x-tra fiber is soaking up all the water from his intestines & probably not helping.
Silly question, where do I buy Hill's C/D canned food? Petco &/or Petsmart?

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

Just went thought testing with Guinness after they found crystals but during that same period I was switching flavors of his food because I switch up each time I get a bag to mix things up well by the time we went back for more test he was back to normal so my vet said odds are it was the last flavor had too much of something that caused it and just to avoid that flavor... We have even had him retested again just to be safe and still normal.

What kind of food (protein) was Guinness eating b4 & what is he eating now? Glad to hear he's free of crystals & hope he continues to do well!

[MY OSCAR]

well i have no experience or advice in this area but just wanted to say i hope little momo feels better soon...