Crystals in urine

[Amelia]

After having a UTI a couple of month ago, we have continued to monitor Amber's urine at the vets. Her alkaline levels have been around 8 so we put her on a cranberry supplement. She is on DL Methionine and after yesterdays urine sample results showing some crystals the vet is increasing her Methionine. She does lick her privates after going outside and various other times but not excessively. He said in a month we need to look at putting her on a prescription dog food like Royal Canin. UG!! The ingredients look awful! I don't understand how something like that helps but I thought I'd see how the rest of you feel that may have had to go this route feel. The place where I get her kibble says that feeding kibble is not the best for her and she sells frozen raw food that she feels would be so much better for her. I am so torn as what to do. Maybe freeze dried would be a step up from kibble?
I am increasing her water intake by stirring a little canned food in some water. PLEASE HELP! Amber is just 4 so the thought of feeding her rice, corn and chicken by products the rest of her life is not something I want to do unless absolutely necessary!

[smartrock]

I have not had to put any of my dogs on a therapeutic diet for any condition, I'll admit that up front. However, I do not feel that the folks in pet food stores are the experts you should be depending upon for nutritional or health advice. They can talk a good game but they have a financial incentive to sell their pet foods that the veterinarian does not. They generally do not have medical or nutritional training beyond what information the dog food companies might provide or they learn from Dr Google.

You could seek a second opinion from a vet at a different practice or see if there's a close enough veterinary internist or specialist who may be more tuned into the treatment of urine crystals than a general vet. I agree that prescription diets do not look great as we generally think of lovely balanced diets but treating a medical condition may require that sort of dietary change.

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/...ladder-stones/

[Amelia]

I agree you should be able to rely on the advice of your vet. I was hoping someone had had luck with a diet change that didn't start with brewers rice and corn.

[Snowshoe]

Crystals are not uncommon in cats. I've only had one with that problem but it cleared up with meds and never came back. It seems quite painful (blood in urine) so let's hope cats and dogs are similar in this regard. My wee boy was male and Vet said more common in males, but again, that was cats.

Oban had serious health issues, Lymphangiectasia and I had to take him off raw and use, not a Rx diet, but one I could only get at the Vet. I would not hesitate to use a Rx diet if it meant health for my dog but can you ask your Vet what ingredients in the RC make it better than other kibbles for Amber? Does your Vet support raw? It's nice if they do, maybe that would help? What about a consult with a Holistic Vet?

[Berna]

The difference between prescription foods and normal foods is that prescription foods contain certain vitamins, minerals, and other stuff that may help a certain condition or contain lower quantities of other stuff. For example, prescription kidney diets are low in phosphorus, prescription cardiac diets are low in sodium etc. Don't look at the ingredients, they don't matter. Anything that had any nutritional value has long been lost and changed before it became kibble in extremely high temperatures. That is why every single kibble has artificial vitamins and minerals added to comply to certain standards.

With that said, I looked into Royal Canin urinary, and it contains calcium sulphate and methionine which you are already supplementing her food with. I don't know what change it would make?

I am all for the natural route (raw) with supplementing depending on the condition, but supplements can become pricey and raw feeding needs some knowledge and more work that dropping kibble in a bowl. But for me, it's worth it.

[Amelia]

The difference between prescription foods and normal foods is that prescription foods contain certain vitamins, minerals, and other stuff that may help a certain condition or contain lower quantities of other stuff. For example, prescription kidney diets are low in phosphorus, prescription cardiac diets are low in sodium etc. Don't look at the ingredients, they don't matter. Anything that had any nutritional value has long been lost and changed before it became kibble in extremely high temperatures. That is why every single kibble has artificial vitamins and minerals added to comply to certain standards.

With that said, I looked into Royal Canin urinary, and it contains calcium sulphate and methionine which you are already supplementing her food with. I don't know what change it would make?

I am all for the natural route (raw) with supplementing depending on the condition, but supplements can become pricey and raw feeding needs some knowledge and more work that dropping kibble in a bowl. But for me, it's worth it.

I forgot to mention she has a hooded vulva that the more I read about the more I think this might be causing her problems. I plan to discuss this with the vet next week. If that is the problem no diet or supplement will help with that. Surgery may be our only option.

[smartrock]

I forgot to mention she has a hooded vulva that the more I read about the more I think this might be causing her problems. I plan to discuss this with the vet next week. If that is the problem no diet or supplement will help with that. Surgery may be our only option.

I've heard that can be a source of recurrent urinary tract infections. It has been a long time since anyone on here discussed that issue. Aside from what you've already tried, the crancaps and other urine acidifier, I think people recommended wiping the vulva area with an unscented baby wipe after every trip outside to pee to remove any residual urine from the area.

ETA: Oh, looking back I see you've discussed this in the past and all the tricks short of surgery were mentioned then. Sorry to see it's still a problem. Did you guys decide to let her go through a heat cycle and it's still been problematic?

[Amelia]

We didn't let her go through a heat. Today I bought some frozen raw food to use in addition to her kibble. Everything I have been reading lately really makes me feel like kibble is really not the best choice for dogs other than being convenient and of course the cheaper way to feed. I don't think I can afford all raw but may also try freeze dried and add water to get more water into her diet. Freeze dried apparently doesn't loose as much of it's nutritional value since it's not processed at a high heat like kibble.

I've heard that can be a source of recurrent urinary tract infections. It has been a long time since anyone on here discussed that issue. Aside from what you've already tried, the crancaps and other urine acidifier, I think people recommended wiping the vulva area with an unscented baby wipe after every trip outside to pee to remove any residual urine from the area.

ETA: Oh, looking back I see you've discussed this in the past and all the tricks short of surgery were mentioned then. Sorry to see it's still a problem. Did you guys decide to let her go through a heat cycle and it's still been problematic?

[Jollymolly]

I use a combination of home cooked and dehydrated or freeze dried food options for my girls. I add nutrients and supplements into there food. I hope the food change helps

[Amelia]

I use a combination of home cooked and dehydrated or freeze dried food options for my girls. I add nutrients and supplements into there food. I hope the food change helps

I hope so too! I know nothing about home cooked food but am willing to learn. One of our neighbors feeds his dog kibble and cooks chicken livers, hearts etc. and feeds that as well. What homecooked foods do you make?