Bladder Stones and Urinary Health

Question:

My Dachshund just had surgery to remove a very large bladder stone. I would like info on how to change her diet or give a supplement, that is natural and will help prevent any further stones.

Thank You.........Lani Loyd

Response:

Hello Lani,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Bladder stone and crystal management is truly a complicated matter. Some important issues here are: what was the stone made of, what was her previous diet and did she have a preceding urinary tract infection? If she had a UTI, has she been treated with antibiotics? Was the stone calcium oxylate or stuvite, this is very important because the pH of the bladder can be affected by bacteria and therefore influence the type of crystals/stones that form. Also, the type of stone is very important to identify to choose the proper diet.

If your dog had a prior UTI you may offer Uti-free by Pet Alive to maintain urinary tract health. It is crucial to watch your dog closely in the future to watch for UTI because it is much easier to treat a dog for an infection or crystals before it escalates and become serious with stones.

If you would like to offer a home cooked diet for crystal/stone issues I would recommend “Home prepared Dog and Cat Diets” by Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD. There are several excellent recipes for dogs with urinary tract stone disease. If you prefer a prepared dog food speak with your veterinarian about available quality commercial diets. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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