A: Urolithiasis, the formation of
struvite stones and crystals in the urinary system, and urinary tract infections, generally occur when an animal's urine becomes concentrated and alkaline (pH 7 or greater).
Cranberries also contributes to prevention of bacterial infection in the urinary tract and formation of
struvite crystals in the bladder and urethra.
The causes
of struvite stones include extremely alkaline urine (often from a biologically inappropriate diet), high steroid use, abnormal retention of urine, a urinary tract infection, or another disorder of the urinary tract.
Urinary SO from Royal Canin dissolves
struvite urolith crystals and has a moderate calorie count to help maintain weight in the ideal range for your pet.
Dietary dissolution of the stone is possible
with struvite bladder stones.
This acidifies the urine, prevents bladder infections and prevents
struvite bladder stones from forming.
Many over-the-counter cat foods are formulated to
prevent struvite crystal formation, but some severely affected cats need a more restricted prescription diet.
Cats with a history of
struvite urolithiasis should be fed diets that are low in magnesium and that create urine with an acid pH. No other foods or treats should be given.
Commercial prescription dog food formulas are commonly prescribed by veterinarians to treat urinary problems such
as struvite crystals and bladder stones.
Cats commonly
form struvite bladder stones in the absence of a urinary tract infection.
The average age when dogs
develop struvite bladder stones is about two to three years.
The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a therapeutic diet for
struvite dissolution in dogs.
These
include struvite stones that often develop alongside bladder infections as well as calcium oxalate stones which are especially common in small breed dogs.
English Cocker Spaniel, a breed with a unique genetic predisposition to
make struvite stones in the absence of infection.
Some pets are genetically predisposed to producing a protein called cauxin, which is excreted into the urine, causing sterile crystals or
sterile struvite crystalluria.
Because struvite crystals contain magnesium, one theory was that the problem occurred due to feeding cat foods high in mineral (ash).
Carbohydrates break down into starch which breaks down to sugar and can contribute to obesity, diabetes,
Feline Struvite Crystaluria and cancer.
They recommend frequent testing of the cat's urine pH to make sure it is remaining in the normal range (6.5 or less), and therefore less likely to
create struvite crystals and stones in the bladder.
The most common type of bladder stones that dogs get are
called struvite crystals.
Signs that a dog is suffering
from struvite stones include frequent and / or painful urination, excessive licking of the genitals, and occasionally blood in the urine.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary Dry Cats Food Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary dry cats food is health nutrition with or at risk of developing feline lower urinary tract disease, dissolution of
pure struvite uroliths.
Ash refers to the mineral components of the diet and «low ash» food has been used to
control struvite urinary tract stones.
In certain cases in
which struvite stones are present, a prescription diet may be used to dissolve the stones.
Unfortunately, a change in food to
treat struvite uroliths predisposes a pet to calcium oxalate uroliths, and vice versa.
«Veterinarians have had a lot of success
managing struvite according to dietary pH, but it isn't the driving factor with calcium oxalate.
Urinary crystals (
usually struvite) are very important in the male cat syndrome of urinary obstruction which is a complication of FIC and scientific studies have found benefit to using urinary diets to prevent future FIC episodes.
«There is sometimes a rush to surgery to
remove struvite uroliths, but if we can avoid the pain of abodominal surgery, that's a good thing.»
There are some prescription diets that will cause certain stones (
like Struvite stones) to dissolve without surgery but you would need a prescription for these foods from your veterinarian.
In the cases
where struvite is the problem, anything that causes the urine to be less acidic or more concentrated is thought to make the problem more likely to occur.
One must realize though that some individual animals are predisposed to recurring bladder infections and these individuals may form
new struvite stones repeatedly.
There are also some diets that are specially formulated to
reduce struvite crystals.
To reduce urine pH — which is the goal in
most struvite situations — you must feed your pet a low - carb, grain - free, potato - free, and preferably fresh or at least canned food diet for the increased moisture content.
Answer: If you use the prescription food, and only the prescription food (no treats, no people food), control any bladder infections and monitor her urine about once every 2 - 3 months (checking things like pH and for recurrent urinary tract infections), you usually don't need anything else to
keep struvite stones from recurring.
Answer: Yes, some of the prescription diets can help dissolve stones - you definitely need to know what type of stones before you choose a diet (
struvite vs calcium oxalate, etc) or you can make the stones worse.
Often patients are somehow predisposed to bladder infection which means they are also predisposed to form
more struvite bladder stones.
Interestingly, complete dissolution took only slightly longer when the maintenance diet was fed — about four weeks on average (utilizing in vivo, a prospective, double - blinded, controlled study using cats with naturally
occurring struvite uroliths).
He only eats dry food and I thought that the
only struvite food available would be soft.
The urinary crystals that have been associated with feline lower urinary tract disease are
generally struvite or oxalate crystals, not crystals made out of enrofloxacin.