Milly Gaines
Bladder stones are a common occurrence in dogs and can be caused by metabolic abnormalities, dietary nutrient imbalances, or genetic conditions. The type of bladder stone will determine the treatment, with some able to be dissolved through diet or medicine and others requiring surgery or other physical removal methods. Diet can play a significant role in the treatment and prevention of bladder stones, with a focus on increasing water intake and creating a slightly acidic urine environment in the bladder. A veterinarian can advise on the best course of action for your dog's specific needs.
Diet for Dogs with Bladder Stones
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Bladder Stones | Struvite, Cystine, Calcium Oxalate, Urate, Silica, Calcium Phosphate, Purine |
| Dietary Treatment | Reduced levels of protein, magnesium, phosphorus, and purine |
| Dietary Prevention | Increased water intake, fresh food, raw food, alkaline urine pH, low-sodium, low-purine, low-protein, high-moisture |
| Commercial Foods | Hill’s Prescription Diet® c/d® or s/d®, Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary UR Urinary™, Rayne Clinical Nutrition Adult Health-RSS™, Royal Canin Urinary SO™, Royal Canin® UC Low Purine |
| Natural Remedies | Raw, organic unfiltered ACV, marshmallow root glycerite, nettle leaf tincture, cranberries |
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What You'll Learn
- Struvite stones: Treat with a veterinary therapeutic diet, acidifying foods, and increased water intake
- Cystine stones: Use a protein-restricted therapeutic food with a controlled sodium level
- Urate stones: Feed a low-purine diet with increased water intake
- Calcium oxalate stones: Focus on preventing recurrence with water as the nutrient of greatest interest
- Silica stones: Surgery is the only practical option for removal
Struvite stones: Treat with a veterinary therapeutic diet, acidifying foods, and increased water intake
Struvite stones are one of the most common types of bladder stones in dogs, especially in females. They are formed when a urinary tract infection (UTI) and alterations in urine pH cause certain substances to become supersaturated and promote struvite crystal growth. These crystals, combined with urease, an enzyme produced by bacteria, lead to the formation of struvite stones.
To treat struvite stones, a veterinary therapeutic diet, acidifying foods, and increased water intake are recommended. Veterinary therapeutic diets marketed to dissolve struvite stones include reduced levels of protein, magnesium, and phosphorus. These diets are designed to lower the urine pH to below 6.5, creating a more acidic environment that inhibits struvite crystal growth. Examples of such diets include Hill's Prescription Diet c/d or s/d, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary UR Urinary, and Royal Canin Urinary SO.
Acidifying foods with mildly to moderately reduced levels of protein, magnesium, and phosphorus are also recommended. Fresh, raw, or gently cooked meals with high moisture content and meat-based diets can help create a more acidic environment in the bladder. Specific ingredients, such as pumpkin, low-fat fish, and low-fat venison, can be incorporated into recipes balanced to FEDIAF guidelines for dogs with struvite stones.
Additionally, increasing water intake is crucial. This can be achieved by offering wet food, adding water to dry food, or providing canned food. Encouraging water consumption helps dilute the urine and increase urine flow, preventing the formation of struvite stones.
It is important to note that struvite stones are often associated with bacterial infections in the bladder. Therefore, antibiotic therapy is typically required during the dissolution process to prevent the release of trapped bacteria and the development of further infections. The dissolution of struvite stones can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on their size and other factors.
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Cystine stones: Use a protein-restricted therapeutic food with a controlled sodium level
Cystine stones are rare, with only around 1% of diagnoses being cystine. They are most common in male dogs and are usually formed within the first two years of their life. These stones are caused by the amino acid, cystine, which is produced by the body after the synthesis of methionine. When the kidneys are unable to absorb cystine, a condition called cystinuria occurs. This results in high concentrations of cystine in the urine, leading to the formation of cystine bladder or kidney stones.
To dissolve cystine stones, a protein-restricted therapeutic diet with controlled sodium levels is recommended. This type of diet helps reduce cystine precursors in the urine. Examples of therapeutic foods that can be fed to dogs include Hill's Prescription Diet u/d and Royal Canin Urinary UC. These diets are designed to reduce urine cystine levels and promote an alkaline urine pH, which is important for dissolving cystine stones.
It is also important to ensure that your dog stays well-hydrated. Increasing water intake can help dilute the urine, making it less likely for crystals to form and combine into stones. This can be achieved by feeding your dog wet or fresh food, or by adding water to dry food.
In addition to dietary changes, there are medical procedures that can be performed to remove cystine stones. For small stones, a non-surgical option called urohydropropulsion may be successful. This procedure involves inserting catheters into the dog's urethra and urethral lumen, and using saline water to flush out the stones. For larger stones, surgery or techniques like lithotripsy may be necessary.
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Urate stones: Feed a low-purine diet with increased water intake
Urate stones are a type of bladder stone that can form in dogs. These stones can be dissolved with food or medicine. To prevent urate stones from forming, it is recommended that dogs are fed a low-purine diet with increased water intake.
Purine is an important part of a healthy diet for dogs, but high-purine foods can cause the formation of bladder stones. A low-purine diet is especially important for dogs with leish, especially those being treated with Allopurinol, Zylapour, or Soluric. High-purine foods include organ meats, fish, yeast, and some grains. Toxic foods, such as macadamia nuts, should be avoided altogether.
Low-purine foods include wholegrain pasta, wholegrain yeast-free bread, and nuts (except macadamia nuts). Medium-purine foods, which can be fed to dogs with leish, include eggs, cheese, chicken, and oats.
Increasing water intake is an essential factor in minimizing the occurrence of all types of bladder stones in dogs. Water helps to dilute the urine and increase urine flow, which prevents stone formation. Dogs can be encouraged to drink more water by feeding them wet or fresh food or adding water to dry food. It is also important to ensure that dogs always have access to fresh, clean water.
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Calcium oxalate stones: Focus on preventing recurrence with water as the nutrient of greatest interest
Calcium oxalate bladder stones are the second most common type of bladder stone in dogs, after struvite stones. Bladder stones are rock-like formations of minerals that develop in the urinary bladder when substances normally dissolved in urine form crystals that link and, over time, combine to form one or more stones. These stones can become so big that they cannot pass through the dog's urethra, trapping them in the bladder.
Calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved through diet or medicine and must be removed via surgery, lithotripsy, or urohydropropulsion. However, diet can play a role in preventing the recurrence of these stones. The nutrient of greatest interest is water, as increased water consumption dilutes the urine, in turn diluting the levels of chemicals that promote stone formation. The aim is to achieve a urine specific gravity (USG) of below 1.020. Strategies to increase water intake include feeding wet or fresh food, adding water to dry food, and placing several bowls of fresh water around the house.
In addition to increasing water intake, dietary prevention methods for calcium oxalate stones include avoiding foods with high levels of oxalate, such as spinach, sweet potatoes, organ meat, and brown rice. Foods to include in the diet are those low in oxalate, such as peeled apples, white rice, meats, and fish (except sardines). Boiling vegetables and discharging the water before feeding them to dogs can also help reduce oxalate levels.
While it may seem counterintuitive, adequate calcium intake is vital, as it binds to oxalate in the digestive tract, limiting its absorption. Calcium is an essential mineral, and a lack of calcium can lead to severe health problems, including osteoporosis. Balance, not elimination, is the key. Excessive vitamin C intake should be avoided, as it produces oxalate when broken down.
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Silica stones: Surgery is the only practical option for removal
Silica Stones: Surgery as the Only Practical Option for Removal
Silica stones are rare in dogs, accounting for less than 1% of all urinary stones. They are also known as silica uroliths. There is no known method to dissolve them, and surgery is the only practical option for their removal.
Surgical Options
The two surgical procedures used to remove bladder stones are open cystotomy and laparoscopic cystotomy. Cystotomy is a surgical procedure to access and open the bladder so that the stones can be removed. It is a routine surgery, and dogs usually make a rapid postoperative recovery. However, it may not be suitable for dogs with other health issues or those at risk from general anaesthesia.
Another surgical option is laser lithotripsy, which uses a cystoscope to guide a laser to break the stones into tiny particles. These particles can then be flushed out or retrieved with a small basket passed through the cystoscope. This method does have some limitations, such as the time required to target multiple stones and the need for a large urethra to pass the cystoscope.
Non-Surgical Options
Although surgery is the most common method for removing silica stones, there are some non-surgical alternatives. One such method is urohydropropulsion, a minimally invasive technique where a catheter is inserted into the bladder to flush out the stones with saline. This procedure requires anaesthesia or heavy sedation and has a risk of bladder rupture and UTI. It is also only suitable for small stones.
Dietary Considerations
There is limited data on the dietary prevention of silica stones. However, some sources suggest that diets high in plant proteins, such as soybean, may contribute to the recurrence of silica stones and should be avoided. A diet with reduced vegetable protein, higher animal protein, moist food, and support for an alkaline urine pH is recommended post-surgery.
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Frequently asked questions
Bladder stones are rock-like collections of minerals that form in the bladder in varying sizes and numbers. They can become so big that they can't pass through the dog's urethra, which traps them in the bladder.
The nutritional focus for a particular dog will depend on their specific diagnosis. However, some general statements can be made about the nutritional management of bladder stones. Increasing water intake is recommended to prevent the formation of bladder stones. A high-moisture diet is a good start, as this helps to dilute the urine and increase urine flow. A fresh, whole food diet is recommended, as dry foods have a low meat content and low moisture. A predominantly meat-based diet is essential for dogs suffering from struvite stones as meat naturally encourages a more acidic environment in the bladder.
Struvite stones are the most common type of bladder stone in dogs and are generally caused by a urinary tract infection. They can usually be dissolved with food or medicine. Antibiotics are also necessary, as struvite stones in dogs are almost always associated with bacterial infections in the bladder. Veterinary therapeutic diets marketed to dissolve struvite stones contain reduced magnesium and phosphorus and are designed to lower the urine pH (below 6.5).
