Need Help Feeding My Yorkie That Has Calcium Oxalate Crystals-allergic To Corn!

[kalina82]

Like i said before, i'd try other prescriptions foods first. maybe she just didn't agree with that particular one. There are a couple others.


what about the flint river ranch food i left the link for? how did that look?

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by kalina82

Like i said before, i'd try other prescriptions foods first. maybe she just didn't agree with that particular one. There are a couple others.


what about the flint river ranch food i left the link for? how did that look?

I saw it but I don't know what one to try at all? I guess i need someone to say- ok- try this... I am so uncomfortable making my own decision... i cannot take samie to another vet. it's way to stressful on her. (and me)

we love our new vet. sadie just had her teeth cleaned.. they both had their annual exam... samie is seen quickly there, they know how she gets with her trachea. changing vets is out of the question. Not over finding a food. I have heard vets don't know much about nutrition. so I am cosidering that. especially since this vet told me that a dog doesn't start changing anything until they have been on a new food for at least 6-8 wks. oh yeah- well i witnessed different. poisoning my dog is what was happening. and for my husband to agree with me.. we are scared... we don't know what to do. until then... she is still eating canidae... i am not going to try that food unless that is the absolute last resort. but I also do not know what food to pick out on my own. I just paid this vet 1600.00 in the last 2 wks. she IS going to help with finding us an alternative food. my other dog had her teeth cleaned and 3 growths removed 2 wks ago. 611.00 later since she needed 6 teeth pulled... samie had had xrays, urinalysis, they both had their annual exam... and we also have an appt this sat and a 202.00 balance i still will pay on sat. my husband is taking over and talking with the vet tomorrow. we need more answers as to what to do. in the mean time... i am signing off this computer. i have spent hours and hours and hours.... i have to rest my brain and spend some time with my hubby. i have literally spent 200 hours in the last 3 wks researching info. I am cashed out. literally... will check this site again tomorrow.

[sassytooyou]

I know natural balance has a veg. kibble. the web site has the list of ingredents.
just one more place to check.
I hope your baby find somthing he will eat.

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by kalina82

Like i said before, i'd try other prescriptions foods first. maybe she just didn't agree with that particular one. There are a couple others.


what about the flint river ranch food i left the link for? how did that look?

what other pres foods? i don't know if she is bad enough to be put on renal food... or what? i have never felt so completely challenged in quite a while. I literally feel defeated. this cannot be good for my health :-) i am serious... these dogs are my kids... and this past 6 mos has been very trying for me.

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by sassytooyou

I know natural balance has a veg. kibble. the web site has the list of ingredents.
just one more place to check.
I hope your baby find somthing he will eat.

she will eat anything i give her. that's the problem- i don't know "what" to feed her?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by sadiesamie

what other pres foods? i don't know if she is bad enough to be put on renal food... or what? i have never felt so completely challenged in quite a while. I literally feel defeated. this cannot be good for my health :-) i am serious... these dogs are my kids... and this past 6 mos has been very trying for me.

here are some other foods to check out:[LIST][*]Hills K/D diet[*]Hills C/D or Hills C/D-s[*]Hills U/D diet[*]Select Care Modified diet[*]CNM NF from Purina[*]Waltham’s Low Protein Diet[/LIST]

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by TLC

Maybe you should bring her to a Pet Nutritionist.

Also, did you look into the Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. I think you should get it and add it to their daily water, it does help neutralize PH

I checked for Bragg's brand at the grocery store and i couldn't find. i bought "Heinz" brand. it looked like the best one they had.

Is their a difference b/w braggs and heinz do you think? the vet said she wants to see Samie's urine closer to "7". right now it is @6 and I will need to check but she said alkaline not acidic. so not sure if this would help or not. I need to talk to my husband b/c he talked to the vet last and confirmed this. he is traveling out of town right now- but as soon as i find out i will let you know. i want to be sure it is akaline- b/c that would not be good if we did the vinegar and she was acidic correct? she would them possibly form struvite ? :-)

[TLC]

Yes, there is a difference. Bragg's is organic and has the 'mother' in it.

Do you have a Vitamin Shoppe? They have it

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by TLC

Yes, there is a difference. Bragg's is organic and has the 'mother' in it.

Do you have a Vitamin Shoppe? They have it

i have a GNC near me- I will check there. I have to run out now for a few things. There is a book I want to get but I can't remember the name or author. I am going to get that and also the vinegar. braggs.. :-) xoxo...

[TLC]

Here you can read about Braggs:
http://www.bragg.com/products/applecidervinegar.html

Here is the Vitamin Shoppe:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/...intsource=main

See if there is a location near you

[irbrenda]

Originally Posted by sadiesamie

I checked for Bragg's brand at the grocery store and i couldn't find. i bought "Heinz" brand. it looked like the best one they had.

Is their a difference b/w braggs and heinz do you think? the vet said she wants to see Samie's urine closer to "7". right now it is @6 and I will need to check but she said alkaline not acidic. so not sure if this would help or not. I need to talk to my husband b/c he talked to the vet last and confirmed this. he is traveling out of town right now- but as soon as i find out i will let you know. i want to be sure it is akaline- b/c that would not be good if we did the vinegar and she was acidic correct? she would them possibly form struvite ? :-)

Ralphie's urine was between 5.5 and 6 which is too acidic and therefore he formed the calcium oxalate stones. Since he's on the U/D prescrip. food, his urine falls between 6.75 and 7.25, which is much better...7 is neutral. Over that it starts becoming alkaline and that's where the struvite stones can form. I have PH test strips that I use on a weekly basis, sometimes more, and I watch that his PH doesn't fall too low or start going too high. I don't know anything about adding vinegar.

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by TLC

Here you can read about Braggs:
http://www.bragg.com/products/applecidervinegar.html

Here is the Vitamin Shoppe:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/...intsource=main

See if there is a location near you

thanks! I did find a location near me within 20 miles.. :-) Samie goes to the vet again tomorrow for some blood work and recheck of her ear and yeast infection. I am not sure about the ph levels but,.. i am learning :-) so if samies urine ph is @ 6. then it is too acidic if i am understanding this correctly. and we are trying to make it more alkaline. you think the braggs apple cider vinegar will help us acheive 7. how much vinegar again? i can't remember how much to add. (1 teas is what i remember...) but how much water to that 1 teas. 1 cup or 2 cup? i thought about mixing up a gallon of distilled water with the apple cider vinegar but not sure how much to mix? :-)

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by irbrenda

Ralphie's urine was between 5.5 and 6 which is too acidic and therefore he formed the calcium oxalate stones. Since he's on the U/D prescrip. food, his urine falls between 6.75 and 7.25, which is much better...7 is neutral. Over that it starts becoming alkaline and that's where the struvite stones can form. I have PH test strips that I use on a weekly basis, sometimes more, and I watch that his PH doesn't fall too low or start going too high. I don't know anything about adding vinegar.

i tried to find ph strips at the drug store tonight but no luck. it was a cvs drug store. where do you purchase your ph test strips?

[TLC]

I put 1/4 teaspoon into their medium size water bowl. But Yes, you can just make a big jug of it with the distilled water.

To be honest, I don't know what the proper amount is to add. Maybe the Braggs website can help. Also, there are alot of people on YT that give it to there dogs, so maybe do a search here on YT for Apple Cider Vinegar, I know there are lots of threads about it.

Did you decide on what food you are going to feed?

The ph strips you can probably buy at the Vitamin Shoppe too!

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by TLC

I put 1/4 teaspoon into their medium size water bowl. But Yes, you can just make a big jug of it with the distilled water.

To be honest, I don't know what the proper amount is to add. Maybe the Braggs website can help. Also, there are alot of people on YT that give it to there dogs, so maybe do a search here on YT for Apple Cider Vinegar, I know there are lots of threads about it.

Did you decide on what food you are going to feed?

The ph strips you can probably buy at the Vitamin Shoppe too!

ok- I will check out the threads on ac vinegar. I am so nervous. I am almost afraid to ask the vet if I can do this b/c a few weeks ago I asked her about adding a little cranberry juice and she said to wait and see what the urinalys shows. Well- we did the urinalysis 2 wks ago... and she never said anything to me.

She told my husband that she doesn't seen a problem with Samie staying on the Canidae and then rechecking her after it has been 4 wks. Now this really makes me nervous. B/c she prescribed the food (hills pres diet w/d with adding 1 teas potassium citrate granules) a "prescription" dog food--- none the less.... and then now she agrees to the canidae?

She even told him that she was not as concerned with the values of magnesium/phosphorus/calcium as she was with the crystals. She told my husband that she wants to see her ph increase to 7.

That's what I can't figure out? Then why did she prescribe a Hills prescription food and tell me that those things needed to be low?
Why isn't she telling me it's that simple to add something to her water... or anything?

The canidae says right on the info site that its capable of maintaining a ph of 6. how is it going to ever reach 7? when it is supposed to "maintain a ph of 6"???

She also told him that dogs digest food differently and that we may need to make changes after her next urinalysis...but, to see what happens within the next 3-4 more weeks.

Does she expect Samie to do ok on the canidae? b/c that would be too good to be true? Geez- I have no idea?

I went to the book store tonight and was reading all kind of info.
I "think" I am starting to understand all of this "a little" better- but I am still not clear on a few things. Do you happen to know if I have it right? :-)

If Samie's ph is at a 6... her urine is considered acidic? (able to produce crystals/oxalate stones) and if her urine is neutral b/w 6-7. (target goal) and if over 7 its considered alkaline? (able to produce struvite crystals/stones?) right? or am I wrong?

One of the vets I talked to about her diet this week mentioned "allo purinol" to me when i told him about the calcium oxalate crystals. I had never heard of it before- and I have not researched it yet?

You would think that you could give some kind of pill or the vet would telll me to add something like that to her food. Do you think if i talk to her about it tomorrow she would tell me yes to go ahead and the apple c vinegar? B/c I have not known her long enough since we just switched vets and I wonder how much she really knows about the yorkies diet??? I mean- It was this website that clued me in to knowing that something was really wrong with Samie.

And OMG! You should see my little Samie!!! "3 wks" off of the food that she had been on since Feb making her so sick!!! OMG! she was sooooo bad! then to make things worse she had been suffering with a yeast infection she had probably since last August 2006-that was when i first noticed the sticky black stuff that formed on her vagina that our old vet NEVER EVER tested for anything?? Everyone there (I took her every 6 wks for an anal gland cleaning) and asked them about it every time. THey just wiped it away and told me to keep the area clean. I was the one that said HEY- I want you to do a urinalysis on her- I took them some urine and they found crystals. I was shocked? I had no idea any crystals were forming??????? Makes me want to have my other dog tested now too!

so Samie had an ear infection in both ears...yeast infection and she was getting really sick on this food... she is a totally different dog this past 3 wks.

I have finally for the first time in ......ummmmm......a "year" not worry about this little dog- It has been really crazy with all of this. I didn't know... hey I was pretty much trying to prepare for the worst. If this was normal for a dog that is 9 yrs old with trachea problems to pretty much get ready to have to put her to sleep... or what? our OLD vet told us with her trachea issues we are blessed to have her 9 yrs. this new vet xrayed her trachea and she said it didn't look horrible but it definitely collapses a little. So- I don't know what to think. I know one thing for sure- all of samies problems with ear infect, and yeast infect... food messing with her...licking her paws for 30 min at a time.... sure does bring on A LOT of panting... all of that panting was from her being so uncomfortable I just know it. B/c I have not had to give her any hyromet (for her trachea) for almost 2 wks.

My husband came home from work yesterday and got down and was kissing her and I heard him talking to her! he was saying: "there's my samie!!! where have you been all this time"?

it's crazy! now that we think of it- she never barked much anymore either. AND these past few days she has been quite vocal. She was very active yesterday and today. tonight she ran around so much playing with my other dog it scared me b/c she was getting so out of breath :-) heavy panting :-) and she was making these little puffing noices with her nose while I was brushing my teeth, I could hear her. I didn't know what she was doing?? trying to get my attention or what? She does try to tell me when it's time for her treat (canned dog food in the fridge) and i have to add that she also
hasn't done that for a long... time- maybe 4 months...

So after I am looking at her to see what she is doing? she was taking little breaths. I think she had "hiccips" OMG.... I froze for a few seconds... she scared the heck out of me! I gave her a couple ice cubes and kept an eye on her... but man!! she made me so nervous. I have never seen this dog have hiccups before?? i didn't know what was going on? My husband is out of town too so I was freaking out... It was freaky! especially since she was just running and playing with my other dog. she has been very mopey these past several months so it's good to see her feeling good!

anyway- will give next update this w/end on samies bloodwork and ear/yeast
re-check. :-)

always so much writing for me... sorry :-)