Food for bladder health?

[sherrylynne]

A young friend of mine has a Bichon Frise. 7 years old. She's prone to crystals/bladder stones. And she's wondering what food would be best for her dog. This also has to meet with the approval of her mother(she's only 14), and the mother wants dry food, and the vet is STRONGLY recommending Hills c/d. Any suggestions?

[Bonkers]

  I suppose my first question would be what type of stones is the dog consistantly getting. 

  Although my knowledge is mainly concerning felines, from what I have read, the treatments are similar. Dry kibble can be the worst thing to feed an animal that gets repeated UTI's/stones. If dry kibble must be used then I would suggest using one that is grain free and supplementing daily with a quality canned food.

  There are supplements that may be used to help acidify the urine, but that would depend on what type of crystals the dog has.

  GreyGhost is very knowledgeable when it comes to dog issues. Hopefully she can offer some advice for your friend.

[sherrylynne]

Thanks, Bonkers! She develops both types of crystals off and on. Also has a chronic case of dermatitis. Vet also said for them to try Methigel(?) with her.

[GreyGhost]

The best would be raw or canned food but unfortunately the mother wants a dry. The more fluids the better.  If the mohter has to have dry than the veterinary diet is the only other option since these diets affect the urine pH and increase urination to help flush the urinary tract. She could try supplements but honestly raw or canned is the best option. She would actually save money in the long run on vet visits and medications and rx diets. Maybe that could be pointed out to her.

[Bonkers]

Thanks, Bonkers! She develops both types of crystals off and on. Also has a chronic case of dermatitis. Vet also said for them to try Methigel(?) with her.

Methigel is a form of Methionine which is commonly used to acidify the urine. Methionine is also commonly added in small amounts to some pet foods to help keep the urine PH at a correct level. There can be potential side effects to using the Methigel.

http://www.cpvh.com/Pharmacy/ph39.html  

It may also be that this dog has been fed a very low grade brand of dog food that is full of grains and fillers which could be a contributing factor to both the crystals and dermatitis.

Would you be able to find out what kind of food it has been eating?

[sherrylynne]

Ok, puppy was originally on various Walmart brands, then when the stones started up(this year I think? maybe last), she went on Canidae Platinum. She got crystals, and was switched to Hills c/d.

[Bonkers]

  First few ingredients in Canidae Platinum:

Chicken meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, peas, potatoes, oatmeal, cracked pearled barley, millet, turkey meal, lamb meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, natural flavor, flaxseed meal  

Although possibly some dogs can tolerate this much grain in their diet, from what I have read, those that suffer from crystals should NOT be fed grains.

Breeds that have a tendency towards getting these types of crystals are Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Scottish Terriers, Miniature Poodles, Bichon Frise, Miniature Schnauzers, Pekingese, Basset Hounds, Springer Spaniels and German Shepherds. Struvites are almost always accompanied by bacteria that create a high alkaline pH.  

I also came upon some important info regarding the use of the methigel. It is NOT recommended to be used with either Hills s/d or Hills c/d.

"Prior to the development of specialized diets, urinary acidifiers such as Vitamin C or dl-methionine were sometimes used to lower the pH of the urine in cases of struvite stones, for example. Specialty diets are now preferred since they alter not only the pH, but the concentration on stone-forming constituents. Remember: Do NOT give urinary acidifiers when you are using one of the specialty diets that also acidify urine."


http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1634&aid=400


If one does a little research you will find that most experts recommend a grain free diet along with increased water consumption to flush the system. That is why grain free canned, raw or homecooked is suggested.

[Bonkers]

 More information on this subject can be found here.

http://www.thewholedog.org/artbladderstones.html

[sherrylynne]

Thanks, everyone! I gave her the link to this page, so she can read it at her leisure, and hopefully convince her mother to let her change the dog's food! She also asked me to pass along a message . Puppy did NOT get the methigel with the c/d diet. It was either the c/d, or a different diet with the methigel!