Update on Gibsons crystals

 At least he doesn't have to eat the yucky C/D like Jewel is eating. Sabine says she's had good results with dogs using a dehydrated base, and adding supplements and meat to it. Jewel is getting a consult, in April (her next available).

I'm glad that he doesn't have any more crystals! What does boiling the water do? They told me to switch to distilled, for both of my dogs that had issues (one with stones, and this one with crystals).

jennie_c_d

I'm glad that he doesn't have any more crystals! What does boiling the water do? They told me to switch to distilled, for both of my dogs that had issues (one with stones, and this one with crystals).

Boiling will take the chemicals out....its like switching to distilled. I will probably buy distilled....... but I hadn't yet because for one...Gibby was not drinking any water for week...only what I put in his food....so I just boiled that. Hated to spend money on water that was being just dumped down the drain to freshen his bowl.    But one thing......since he has been on Taste of the Wild..he is drinking more water........ several times a day he drinks at least a little, so might just buy distilled.  

I believe I read the Vit. c could help with the ph also.  However I believe I read that no food will change you ph.....not sure if that is true or not.  Right now he is getting a cranberry pill with 100 mgs of C.      I was giving him apple cidar vinegar twice a day......I was told that will help.   I did it for most of the time but was afraid of overloading him on that too.

 How could food NOT change the pH? If it doesn't, why am I buying Hills?

dyan

I believe I read the Vit. c could help with the ph also.  However I believe I read that no food will change you ph.....not sure if that is true or not.  Right now he is getting a cranberry pill with 100 mgs of C.      I was giving him apple cidar vinegar twice a day......I was told that will help.   I did it for most of the time but was afraid of overloading him on that too.

Yes food can help -- Bily can run struvite crystals too -- and his showed up again last week (ran all kinds of tests from bloodwork, to a heart workup plus a full urinalysis).  His urine is probably the best it's ever been, but the vets want me to adjust food FIRST before we try doing anything else.  So Dr. D said to cut back the leafy greens (absolutely no more than 10% but less than that for now) so I'll bump up sweet potato and green beans and drop back the greens.  Increasing tomato and adding applesauce *this* week to acidify. 

Vit C -- if yo use ascorbic acid, not a 'natural' C (like most Vit C's are things like rose hips .. but the chemical ascorbic acid will actually acidify the urine way more than the naturals).  If you start ascorbic acid start at 250 mg and then try to double it ... go up by increments (too much C will make diarreha -- and dogs AND people are pretty individual about what they can use).  Usually if it's cranberry then the C is going to be something natural.

Even upping your amount of meat in home cooked will probably acidify the urine.

Apple cider vinegar is FINE to use - should be an organic one tho.

++++++++++++++++

But yeah -- him getting a bit unnerved like you yelling "help help" - that could most definitely cause him to increase tummy acid and it may give him heartburn of a sort.

This is a total guess but it would seem if he hypver ventilates a bit he may swallow air or something that could result in the gulping.

That's great they didn't see any crystals!  Hopefully you can get the PH under control now.  Too bad you couldn't find a way to get him drinking more water though.  I wonder if there's anything you can add to the water to make him drink more.

jennie_c_d

How could food NOT change the pH? If it doesn't, why am I buying Hills?

Jennie, I think what she meant was (and she was telling me this the other day so I think I've got it right) that the "regular" food companies she called and asked about the target Ph of the food a lot of the companies wouldn't tell. And, they said they don't shoot for any sort of therapeutic results with the food. 

But, the Hill's is of course made for that.  (which I know you know, just posting for anyone who might not)

Ohhhh, ok. I was so confused. For whatever reason, this has boggled my mind.

calliecritturs

Vit C -- if yo use ascorbic acid, not a 'natural' C (like most Vit C's are things like rose hips .. but the chemical ascorbic acid will actually acidify the urine way more than the naturals).  If you start ascorbic acid start at 250 mg and then try to double it ... go up by increments (too much C will make diarreha -- and dogs AND people are pretty individual about what they can use).  Usually if it's cranberry then the C is going to be something natural.

Actually the cranberry pills say cranberry PLUS Vit. c....ascorbic acid. However...only 100 mgs.   I will probably start adding V in ascorbic acid form tomorrow.  I used to give them to him all the time.....and stopped.   I was just on the Great Dane Lady site...she calles for ( I have to go back and recheck...but I think...) 1200 mgs.  So that little 100 mgs does nothing.   

I guess I am just a bit worried about going the other way....making his ph too low and causing worse problems........

I am also trying to read and decide if there is any thing good in buying ph strips to test it once in a while. 

calliecritturs

but the vets want me to adjust food FIRST before we try doing anything else. 

ha...mine too.............to Royal Canin!   Yep...I'm gonna do that!!!!!

Johnny.....Gibby has been drinking a little more water...and I think I know why he stopped.  Because he has a bad mama!  No kidding!

I not only was keeping fat out of his home cooking ( and he lost weight over that ) I was also not putting any sodium in it , between the fact that he was eating food with lots of moisture in home cooked......it didn't make him want to drink water.  He got on TOTW and started to drink some water the first day...just a little but since then I hear him in there drinking a little several times a day.

Well I'm sticking with the TOTW for a while, as long as it continues to work out........but will then start putting some homecooked back in......but I have a chart of foods, as to what would be best for the high ph.    Right now I am so happy that he is doing so much better....and looking so much better besides.  I just want a healthy doggy....and he was except for a bout of whatever it is here or there. 

And did I tell you guys that all my house plants are picked up and put where he can't get them except for one big one......that I just haven't moved yet.............but I replaced the others with a few pots of grass.  HHHmmm...yep..you heard me right...grass.   Planted regular rye grass in a big pot and one little one.....then went back and bought more seed.....oat grass. Its a riot...the oat grass is at least 4 or 5 inches tall and I just planted it......the other grass Gibby got into early last week when he was still having his gulping problems.....I was washing my hair and when I walked into the kitchen...there was dirt all over the floor..........its growing in dirt that is so soft that he pulled it right out of the dirt.  I guess the oat grass will do that too if he notices it.   I don't want him to eat the grass...but if he feels that he has to eat SOMETHING, rather it be the grass I am growing instead of a poison plant.....or worse........like carpet!!!!

You know you might want to give him some Barley Green a couple of times a week -- he may NEED chlorphyll.

Vit C is **very** individual.  Man, give Me 100 mg of C and I'd have ... er ... potty problems.  But I've seen some folks give their dogs 1000 to 2000 a day with no problems but that would kill me.

You want to do at least 2-3 cranberry caps for Gibby's size so you may want to get some without the added C.  Work up to that tho -- just in case he doesn't tolerate it well.

 He may do fine on 1000 mg of C -- but I wouldn't give that from the start.  It can cause some powerful diarrehea and cramping if it's not tolerated well.  Usually they say move up 100 mg or at least 250 mg at a time and if you see diarrehea then back off to the last well tolerated dose.

calliecritturs

You know you might want to give him some Barley Green a couple of times a week -- he may NEED chlorphyll.

You know Callie....I don't think its that he needs the green..because he only eats the grass when he has these epidodes or is sick....other than that...he is not even the grass eater that Bubby or Ollie was, Bubby did occasionally...and Ollie LOVED LOVED LOVED to eat grass.   I have oat grass that is growing in my kitchen too....he keeps sniffing that one......its wide and high...but he don't touch it.....but luckily hasnt' had any episodes.

I only gave him a half of 500 mgs of C today...will do that again tomorrow...then maybe do the whole thing.

Today I went to several drug stores looking for urine strips to test his pH...can't find any.  Figured it would be easy.

 I'm glad the crystals are gone; that's great!!!

dyan

but what I did'nt say was...he said " a high quality kibble like Royal Canin."  Yeah...THAT I am going to do

  Dyan, we have a cat that chewed the hair off his belly for years, and we tried everything to figure out what was causing it. He didn't have a skin infection or mites, and we used a very good flea preventative. We tried some holistic foods and even Natural Balance Duck and Pea in case it was a food allergy. Finally we tried a food made by Royal Canin called Hair and Skin 33 and his fur grew back. That was a few years ago, he's still on the food and doing great. Jessie did fabulous on their Rx diet called Skin Support SS21; she even had less gray hair on her muzzle. We had to stop feeding it because of her pancreatitis (it's 13% fat), but I'd go back to it in a heartbeat if I could.

Today I got a h old of some pH strips...blue litmus strips......ha...didn't do a thing.  Then I tried it for myself just to see what would happen.  

NOTHING!