Struvite Stones....info needed
 

Hello Everyone! I have a 15 week old Yorkie who was just diagnosed with Struvite Stones. She had a previous UTI and two after she developed stones. She also had a bile acid test which came out negative. My question is, is there anyone with a similar situation? My vet is not recommending any changes in her diet because he said she is fine right now, which she is. But I hear that once they develop stones they are more prone to develop again. Is there any special diet/supplement that anyone can recommend?:confused:

I dont have a clue but but i will bump it up for ya. good luck with your lil one;)

I'm so sorry to read that your baby already has struvite stones..The good news is that struvite stones are dissolvable! Since struvite stones typically form in alkaline urine, you may need to make the diet more acidic, but honestly, the majority of struvite stones are formed due to UTIs. So, the important thing is to prevent UTIs.

What does your dog eat? With struvite stones, your dog's food should contain high quality meat protein (as long as there are no kidney/liver issues).
Also, if at all possible canned food should be given instead of dry food...You need to keep the urine dilute so that the stones do not have a chance to form.

Dry food does not contain nearly enough moisture for a dog that is prone to forming stones. Even if your dog drinks a lot of water it's not enough. Canned or homemade diets are most definitely preferred because of the amount of moisture they contain and minimal processing. High moisture treats are important too like apple pieces (no skin, no seeds) and watermelon (seedless).

If you are only willing to do dry food then at least equal parts water should be added to equal parts food at each feeding. So, if your dog gets 1/4 cup at each feeding, then add at least 1/4 cup of water at each feeding as well.

Another important note...Your puppy should have access to a place to urinate at all times. The longer they have to hold their pee, the worse off they are.

Solid Gold sells a product called Berry Balance which helps those with alkaline urine, UTI problems, struvite stones/crystals, etc. It helps maintain urinary health.

Does your dog drink lots of fresh water? Is she taken out to urinate often or crated so she has to hold it for long periods?

I typed in "struvite stones" into "advanced search" and came up with lots of threads. Thought you might find them informative. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! This is why I love this site. I just switched her food to Wellness and only give her wellness treats. I will make sure I give her half wet and half kibble for more water. I only crate her at night but always let her out if she needs to go potty. She always has a place to go potty if she needs it. :)

Prevention is key...I would look into something like cranberry juice or that Solid Gold product that I mentioned to keep a healthy urainary tract. It would probably be beneficial to add water to the mixture of canned and kibble too. I have found that canned with kibble is typically not enough moisture.

Good luck!! Hopefully this was a one time thing and no more stones!

Thank you so much for your help! you are absolutely correct... prevention! I will definitely be acting on all your recommendations...Thank you..:p