A moderate level of dietary sodium is an effective strategy for encouraging urinary dilution and reducing the risk
of calcium oxalate urolith formation in all dogs.
It is important to understand the risk factors and to assess the impact of dietary components such as minerals and moisture content on
calcium oxalate urolith formation to help develop diets that reduce the risk of, or aid in the management of, this disease.
This study demonstrated that feeding a high - moisture, moderately - acidifying diet with controlled levels of calcium and oxalate to dogs that have
formed calcium oxalate uroliths had beneficial effects on urine parameters and helped prevent recurrence for the 12 months they were under observation.
• Clinically proven to produce a Calcium Oxalate Relative Supersaturation of < 5 in dogs and cats, which has been shown to limit the formation
of calcium oxalate uroliths.
Unfortunately, a change in food to treat struvite uroliths predisposes a pet to
calcium oxalate uroliths, and vice versa.
Currently, by most accounts, struvite and oxalate uroliths occur in similar percentages, although Merck Veterinary Manual cites that «
calcium oxalate uroliths are the most common feline uroliths.»
Acidification of pet foods also resulted in an increased incidence of
calcium oxalate uroliths / stones.
Current thinking suggests that
calcium oxalate uroliths can form across the physiological urine pH range indicating that control of urine pH is not a critical factor in managing and reducing the risk of calcium oxalate formation in dogs (Stevenson and Rutgers 2006).
Calcium oxalate uroliths are particularly prevalent in small breed male dogs (Houston and Moore 2009) of middle to old age (Stevenson and Rutgers 2006).
Indeed, veterinary concerns related to struvite and
calcium oxalate uroliths, and the difficulties in managing each, have been recognized by many veterinary diet manufacturers.
Feline urinary support includes helping your cat avoid bladder infections (feline UTI), the formation of stones (struvite uroliths or
calcium oxalate uroliths) that might block urine from exiting the body and inflammation of the bladder (feline cystits).