Veterinary nutritionist's advice for
treatment of urinary crystals or stones is feeding your dog a food with restricted amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, protein and calcium.
Urinary crystals form in the urine due to factors such as genetic predisposition, diet, and variations in urine pH. By far the most common
type of urinary crystals in both dogs and cats are struvite.
if your cat has had a
history of urinary crystal formation, talk to us before starting your cat on a canned food only diet, there are some canned diets that can predispose to struvite crystal formation in some cats.
A vet in Colorado, commenting on an article full of
pictures of urinary crystals: «I removed it and put it up in the lab, next to the microscope.»
Sure enough, the urinalysis report came back today and the urine showed that the dog had a very high urinary pH and the dog was passing a severe
number of urinary crystals, the precursor to stone formation.
Special formulated foods for urinary tract disease are classically targeted at keeping the urine pH at optimal levels because deviations in urine pH is one of the most common
causes of urinary crystal / stone development.
I am finding it increasingly frustrating to watch the veterinary community continue to be fixated on the pH of cat urine and the presence
of urinary crystals instead of focusing on the much more important issue of dietary water content.
Maintaining low pH levels is critical because it reduces the
production of urinary crystal stones in the bladder, which is a common problem for many cat owners.»
Urinalysis provides information about kidney function, inflammation in the kidneys or bladder, some metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes), and the
presence of urinary crystals.
Treatment of urinary crystals is accomplished through prescription diets that stablize the urine pH and eliminate dietary factors that lead to crystal formation.
Legume hays are very high in calcium and protein, which lead to formation
of urinary crystals and stones.
Because legume hay is very high in calcium and protein, which may lead to the formation
of urinary crystals and stones, it should not be fed exclusively for any extended period of time.
If the cystitis continues to recur the cause will need to be investigated and could be caused by the presence
of Urinary crystals.
The condition starts with the formation
of urinary crystals that may in the right conditions, progress to form uroliths (stones) within the urinary tract.
Reason being is, the cat formula also reduces the risk of formation
of urinary crystals / stones, the small dog formula has a kibble size suitable and a blend of vitamins / fatty acids that promote healthy skin / coat, and the medium / large dog formula adds glucosamine and chondroitin to reduce inflammation of the joints and support joint health.
The presence
of urinary crystals and stones can lead to blockage in both male and female cats, along with the earlier signs of straining and possibly bloody urine.