I have a 9 year old female cocker/poodle/terrier mix. She has been diagnosed with crystals in her urine. My vet wants to put her on Science Diet special diet for this. I would much rather use a holistic source for her. I have tried getting her to drink more, adding broth and things like that to her water. It works a little, but she just doesn’t drink much. She is eating Solid Gold Holistic and canned merrick. She is a little overweight, but we are working on that.
Can you suggest a supplement I can give her for this? She has had these for a few years now and they just seem to never go away. Thank you. Ginger
Hello Ginger,
Crystals in the urine can be caused by a urinary tract infection or diet. Has your dog’s urine been tested for bacteria and white blood cells? Bacteria in the urine changes the pH and may secondarily cause crystals to form. Therefore crystals should resolve with antibiotics for treatment of a urinary tract infection. There are two primary types of crystals, calcium oxylate and struvite. Struvite can dissolve with therapeutic diets, but Calcium oxylate must be diluted out of the urine.
If your dog has had these crystals for a few years then the diet she has been eating is inappropriate for her system. It is difficult to suggest a supplement since I don’t know if the crystals are due to diet or an infection. If her pH is too basic or alkaline a urinary acidifier such as Cranberry Relief or Urinary Support Gel by NaturVet may help. But if it’s acidic then the crystals would be calcium oxylate and will not dissolve by changing the pH.
I suspect the crystals are dietary, while Merrick and Solid Gold are excellent diets; it appears she should not be eating them anymore. You may chose to try the therapeutic diets your veterinarian offers or another high quality diet formula. If you are having difficulty getting her to drink more, then offer her primarily a canned diet. A low/no grain diet may be a good place to begin while also changing the protein type. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA