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Food recommendation following bladder stone removal

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Member Since 11/26/2012     Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 8:02pm PST  I posted this initially in the health section but someone suggested I check this forum to see if anyone has a good food recommendation. Here's the original post: Hello! This is my first time posting a question about my pup. I have some questions before I talk to my vet again as I want to come prepared, so I was hoping you all could help me. Lucy is a 1 1/2 year old pup that is a Terrier mixed breed and weighs about 25 pounds. She has had 2 urinary tract infections with this second one causing 2 stones in her bladder. The Vet advised surgical removal so this was completed 2 1/2 weeks ago. The stones were sent off for analysis and found to be 100% struvite formation. The vet wants her to go on a special diet (Hill C/D) for life as well as pulse antibiotics 3 days every month using Clavamox. She has since had her urine checked and it was found to be "clear". I wished I would have asked at the time if there were any crystals in her urine. Here are my questions: 1. Why should she have to be on a special diet when her struvite formation is due to an infection? 2. Reading about Hill C/D makes me very leery of what appears to be less than ideal quality of food. Does anyone have suggestions for food that would be better? We aren't quite ready to go the direction of a home made/raw diet so looking more for canned or kibble suggestions. 3. Is it dangerous for her to be on a long standing antibiotic regimen in regards to antibiotic resistance. She's a pretty young pup! 4. We've increased her water intake and make sure she doesn't go longer than 4 hours during the day without a break. She also has water in her kennel. 5. Would anyone recommend a cranberry supplement for UTI prevention? Sorry for the lengthy post. Thanks in advance for taking time to read through it all! my posts [notify]

Mulder Spooky Mulder     Barked: Thu Nov 29, '12 7:38am PST  General recommendation for struvite stones is make the diet as high in moisture as possible. That will help her better than ANY dry diet, especially a less-than-ideal one like the RX foods (which in my humble opinion are not appropriate to feed ANY dog long-term). High-moisture diets make the urine less concentrated and helps flush the crystals. Generally I think low phosphorous/magnesium foods are recommended, I'd look for a good quality canned food that fits that bill. Or you could consider dehydrated brands where you add the water back, like Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy's, etc. Might be cheaper in the long run than all cans. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Mabel Go Get 'Em     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 3:52am PST  It is best to ask a vet what the best diet for your dog would be. He should also be on long-term antibiotic therapy. Make sure your dog gets plenty of fresh water. I recommend testing your water for high concentrations of minerals. It's a good idea to mix canned food in with your dog's dry food to provide more moisture. I also recommend walking your dog frequently to encourage frequent urination. Have his urine tested frequently. Vitamin supplements are another good idea for a dog with bladder stones. You can even give your pup cranberry juice! Salmon oil is another good option. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 11/26/2012     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 3:35pm PST  Thanks for the helpful responses. The vet is actually the one recommending going on hills food for life fir her. I'm not that comfortable with the quality of this food so that's why I am doing a little research of my own. We will be meeting with him Tomorrow to discuss our concerns. my posts [notify]

Mulder Spooky Mulder     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 3:59pm PST  Keep in mind when meeting with him that this is YOUR dog, and ultimately what you feed them is your decision. Also keep in mind that your vet is a vet, not a nutritionist, despite whatever they may say (unless they actually are a nutritionist, in which case I would ask to see some credentials if they are recommending a Hills diet for the life of your dog). Do not be BULLIED into feeding something you do not want to feed. If he isn't willing to help you out with other options, then I would ask for a referral to an actual animal nutritionist. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 11/26/2012     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 8:35pm PST  We are seriously considering your recommendations for can foods and dehydrated foods. Thank you for the helpful options. She's too young of a pup not to have good nutrition! We are even willing to do more frequent urinalysis to ensure no UTI's while we figure this out! my posts [notify]

Ellie CGC Born to be Wild     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 9:13pm PST  Hi. In 2010, I very nearly died from bladder stones that blocked up my urethra so bad that I had to have surgical intervention. The only one of the three available prescription diets formulated specifically for preventing struvite stones that I would eat was the Hills C/D. Cindy wasn't 100% happy with the ingredients either, and she had lots and lots of discussions with four different vets, she checked on dogster for other options...but in the end, we went with the C/D. I have been free of urinary tract problems since then. We have another Keeshond friend, Lewis, who also underwent emergency surgery for stones and he went on that diet too. To Cindy's surprise, the quality of my coat has held up fairly well. The food has worked better than we expected when we started using it. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Maxwell I'm triple- superior MAD- now!     Barked: Fri Nov 30, '12 10:05pm PST  I suggest reading through this article and sharing it with your vet. Maybe C/D is better for owners who aren't willing to do the work but you are not an average dog owner! http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjstruvites.html When Sassy had UTI I did the sensitivity culture on sterile samples, antibiotics and a retest after the antibiotics were done and each time she needed more antibiotics but the last culture was clean each time. Expensive to do all that testing for sure. She had crystals too, due to the high pH of her urine. Once the urine pH was normal the crystals were gone. Many people don't understand that the bacteria isn't in the urine itself, it is on the surface of the bladder or on/in stones present in the bladder so very very few bacteria may be found in a urine sample. Probably less chance of finding them than a needle in a haystack. If that sample isn't a sterile one and isn't cultured for a long time it is likely thought that the infection is gone. I would plan to feed a wet food and provide plenty of opportunities to void during the day. If you want to be even more proactive then get those pH test strips mentioned in the article and check your dog's urine regularly. Adding mannose D or cranberry is something else you could do to prevent bacteria from landing and colonizing the bladder wall. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Scruffy He's a- Scruffador!     Barked: Sat Dec 1, '12 10:47am PST  "Maybe C/D is better for owners who aren't willing to do the work" Wow, that statement is pretty harsh. Not everyone can use an alternative diet to avoid an RX diet and those who are using an RX diet shouldn't be put down because of their choice to feed one or the need for one. I had a pup prone to struvite crystals and the vet suggested daily doses of vitamin C. The vet said it would help with the Ph level which would help prevent crystals from forming and would help prevent bacteria sticking to the walls of her bladder. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Ellie CGC Born to be Wild     Barked: Sat Dec 1, '12 11:00am PST  Thanks Scruffy...and Maxwell, for your information there's nothing lazy or irresponsible about Cindy...she investigated home made diets, did a lot of research, and also tried the prescription diets to see first, if I liked anything, and then she observed the overall effects for a long time before we decided on the C/D. She consulted with four vets on Oahu and corresponded with another one in California. The fact that I liked that diet and that I've done well on it isn't a result of her being lazy. And it may not be optimal for everyone, every dog is different. I thought my own doganal experience was worth sharing. I generally have a very high opinion of your posts, they are consistently scholarly and informative. But your suggestion that Cindy wasn't responsible or lazy is so inappropriate. She spent thousands of dollars to save me and a lot of time and energy afterwards on my recovery. And again, every dog's circumstances and physiology, and individual owner's circumstances are unique and the optimal solution requires some thought, time, and money too. C/D may not be the best for everyone, but it did work well for me and actually better than we expected. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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