Madeleine Hull
Struvite crystals can be dissolved by a special therapeutic diet that is low in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium. These diets are formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine with a pH less than 6.5. They are often recommended in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Protein | Restricted |
| Phosphate | Low |
| Magnesium | Restricted |
| pH | Less than 6.5 |
| Urine | Acidic |
| Urine specific gravity | Low |
| Food | Canned and dry varieties |
What You'll Learn
Low protein diet
Struvite crystals are dissolved by a low protein diet that is restricted in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium. This diet is formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine with a pH less than 6.5.
The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal. This may include frequent and repeated radiographs (x-rays) to ensure that the diet is actually causing the stone to dissolve as well as blood tests.
Since the majority of ammonium and phosphate in the urine comes from the protein in the diet, the diets designed to prevent or even dissolve struvite stones are low in protein.
Unfortunately, low protein diets cause the urine to be alkaline which increases the likelihood of struvite formation.
Small, sterile struvite uroliths may dissolve in as little as one to two weeks. Struvite dissolution diets do not dissolve nonstruvite uroliths and are less effective if a persistent UTI is present or the cat is fed anything in addition to the dissolution diet.
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Urine acidifiers added
Struvite dissolution diets are designed to prevent or dissolve struvite uroliths by promoting the formation of acidic urine with a pH less than 6.5. These diets are low in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium, and high in urine acidifiers such as the amino acid methionine.
The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal. This may include frequent and repeated radiographs (x-rays) to ensure that the diet is actually causing the stone to dissolve as well as blood tests.
Since the majority of ammonium and phosphate in the urine comes from the protein in the diet, the diets designed to prevent or even dissolve struvite stones are low in protein. The use of special therapeutic diets to dissolve struvite bladder stones is often recommended in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low.
Struvite dissolution diets do not dissolve nonstruvite uroliths and are less effective if a persistent UTI is present or the cat is fed anything in addition to the dissolution diet. Small, sterile struvite uroliths may dissolve in as little as one to two weeks.
Feeding canned food improves water intake, making urine less concentrated and ensuring saturation by calculogenic compounds is lower. Choice is based on owner preference, pet preference, normal pet water intake, and desired goal.
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Low magnesium and phosphorus
Struvite crystals are dissolved by diets that are low in magnesium and phosphorus. The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal. Since the majority of ammonium and phosphate in the urine comes from the protein in the diet, the diets designed to prevent or even dissolve struvite stones are low in protein.
Struvite dissolution diets do not dissolve nonstruvite uroliths and are less effective if a persistent UTI is present or the cat is fed anything in addition to the dissolution diet. The rate at which uroliths dissolve is proportional to the surface area of the urolith exposed to the undersaturated urine. Small, sterile struvite uroliths may dissolve in as little as one to two weeks.
The use of special therapeutic diets to dissolve struvite bladder stones is often recommended in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low. These diets typically are restricted in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium, and are formulated to promote formation of acidic urine (with a pH less than 6.5).
To counter this effect, diets designed to prevent or dissolve struvite uroliths have urine acidifiers added to them such as the amino acid methionine. Close monitoring for a low urine specific gravity, low urine pH and lack of struvite crystals with frequent urinalysis is crucial to effectively preventing recurrence of struvite uroliths.
Feeding canned food improves water intake, making urine less concentrated and ensuring saturation by calculogenic compounds is lower. Choice is based on owner preference, pet preference, normal pet water intake, and desired goal.
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Promote acidic urine (pH less than 6.5)
Struvite crystals can be dissolved by dietary management in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low. These diets typically are restricted in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium, and are formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine (with a pH less than 6.5).
The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal. This may include frequent and repeated radiographs (x-rays) to ensure that the diet is actually causing the stone to dissolve as well as blood tests.
The majority of ammonium and phosphate in the urine comes from the protein in the diet, so diets designed to prevent or even dissolve struvite stones are low in protein.
Unfortunately, low protein diets cause the urine to be alkaline which increases the likelihood of struvite formation.
To counter this effect, diets designed to prevent or dissolve struvite uroliths have urine acidifiers added to them such as the amino acid methionine.
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Small, sterile struvite uroliths may dissolve in one to two weeks
Struvite uroliths are small, sterile struvite bladder stones that can be dissolved in one to two weeks with the right diet.
Struvite dissolution diets are low in protein and phosphorus, and are formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine with a pH less than 6.5. The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal. This may include frequent and repeated radiographs (x-rays) to ensure that the diet is actually causing the stone to dissolve as well as blood tests.
The use of special therapeutic diets to dissolve struvite bladder stones is often recommended in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low. These diets typically are restricted in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium, and are formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine (with a pH less than 6.5).
To counter the effect of struvite uroliths, diets designed to prevent or dissolve struvite uroliths have urine acidifiers added to them such as the amino acid methionine. Close monitoring for a low urine specific gravity, low urine pH and lack of struvite crystals with frequent urinalysis is crucial to effectively preventing the recurrence of struvite uroliths.
The rate at which uroliths dissolve is proportional to the surface area of the urolith exposed to the undersaturated urine. Small, sterile struvite uroliths may dissolve in as little as one to two weeks. Struvite dissolution diets do not dissolve nonstruvite uroliths and are less effective if a persistent UTI is present or the cat is fed anything in addition to the dissolution diet.
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Frequently asked questions
Special therapeutic diets are often recommended to dissolve struvite bladder stones in cases where the risk of a urinary tract obstruction is relatively low. These diets are restricted in protein, phosphorus, and magnesium, and are formulated to promote the formation of acidic urine (with a pH less than 6.5).
Since the majority of ammonium and phosphate in the urine comes from the protein in the diet, the diets designed to prevent or even dissolve struvite stones are low in protein. The amount of protein in foods designed to dissolve struvite uroliths is so low that careful monitoring of the patient is necessary when dietary dissolution of struvite uroliths is employed instead of surgical removal.
Diets designed to prevent or dissolve struvite stones have urine acidifiers added to them such as the amino acid methionine. This helps to promote the formation of acidic urine (with a pH less than 6.5), which makes the urine a less welcoming environment for stone formation and dissolves stones that are present.
Feeding canned food improves water intake, making urine less concentrated and ensuring saturation by calculogenic compounds is lower.
Struvite dissolution diets do not dissolve non-struvite uroliths and are less effective if a persistent UTI is present or the cat is fed anything in addition to the dissolution diet.
