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09-18-2009, 07:44 PM | #1 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TN
Posts: 192
| UTI and Urine Crystals -- Questions After a emergency trip to the vet today we were told Gracie had a UTI and LOTS of crystals in her urine. I don't recall the name of the crystals, but I do remember her saying they were coffin shaped (she took me back to look at the slide). After doing a little research, I found they were struvite crystals or triple phosphate. She also mentioned the number 70 and said the normal was 5 or less? Gracie also had xrays and no stones were found. After reading some other posts, I realized Gracie had been licking herself some but other than that nothing until the little bit of blood when she peed this morning. She sent me home with an anitbiotic (orbax) and uroese to help dissolve the crystals. The orbax is for 2 weeks and the uroese is for 30 days. She also recommended I change her food to one specifically for urinary health permanently. She does sell the Hills but didn't recommend it. Currently I have been feeding Wellness Core Lamb & Rice, Wellness Simple Solutions Salmon & Rice and Solid Gold Wee Bits. We mix them. I also use distilled water. Gracie also has allergies, environmental (no food). She has an injection every second week for her allergies. I suppose I am looking for some recommendations for food, supplements, etc. I really do not want to change her food permanently to one with all the fillers. I have been reading lots but it all gets confusing. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
__________________ Chena |
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09-19-2009, 06:15 AM | #2 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Texas
Posts: 553
| After the UTI is cleared up, I would get another urinalysis to check for crystals. If crystals are still present, you might want to ask your vet about putting Gracie on potassium citrate granules. I put pot. cit. on Andy's food twice a day. He has been on it for 4 years and so far, knock on wood, we have kept the crystals away. He had bladder stones that were calcium oxilate, the kind of stones that reform. Potssium citrate is not a prescription item, I get it at 800 pet meds. The cost at pet meds is about half what it was at the vets. He is on KD canned food.
__________________ Andy Jillie |
09-19-2009, 06:27 AM | #3 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| You may need to put Gracie on prescription food short term to dissolve the crystals. IMO, Waltham is preferable to Hills. I would monitor her at home with test strips. You can check for infection and make sure her urine is neutral. Struvite stones form when the urine is too alkaline and infection is present. Bayer makes the strips, but you can also find generics for about $10 less: Amazon.com: Multistix Bayer Urine Test Strips 10... Here's a good article on struvite stones: Canine Struvite Bladder Stones |
09-19-2009, 02:14 PM | #4 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TN
Posts: 192
| Thanks for your replies ladies! I will check out the strips and have her retested. Off to check on the Waltham food and the links posted.
__________________ Chena |
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