Urine Crystals

• 08-10-2007 1:06 AM

  sweetbon Joined on 09-10-2007 Manitoba Canada Posts 162 Points 0

  Urine Crystals Reply Contact Just found out that Zoe has another UTI, and for sure now has struvite crystals!  So, its medication and Hills perscription food for 8 wks and recheck her urine.[>:]   Also, her urines ph level is way off[don't know in what direction]  I started giving her cranberry extract capsules today.   I just hope and pray that she doesn't have a bladder stone, cause we don't have $115 for the xrays and $350 for the surgery!  Does anyone know of a way to get rid of stones without surgery?   The vet also gave us the Hills food in dry.... I  thought wet was better for that kind of thing?   Sweetbon

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• 08-10-2007 1:12 AM

  In reply to sweetbon

  willowchow Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 8,144 Points 445

  RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact Hi, Willow has struvite crystals and stones also.  So, I just thought I'd mention to be careful about giving cranberry while using a prescription food.  The food is acidifying the urine and also cranberry does the same thing.  If you go too low with the Ph of the urine you could end up with another type of stone.  And, it is much harder to get rid of.  I'd personally wait and use the cranberry once your done with the food.  And, you could defnately ask if they have the cans.  And, keep several bowls of water all over the place that's what I do.  Use a pet wipe or something to wipe off her private area several times per day. You could check with the company of food you plan to use after the course of prescription food and see if it is formulated to produce the urine Ph that you are looking for--I've never personally done this. And to answer your question from my conversations with our vet this type of stone normally doesn't require surgery unless they are so big they are causing a blockage.  They  usually pass and unfortunately our experience is they keep coming back.  I'm actually looking into test strips that I can use to monitor her myself at this point.    Good luck with Zoe, I hope she will do well on the food and not need anything further.

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• 08-10-2007 3:13 PM

  In reply to sweetbon

  sweetbon Joined on 09-10-2007 Manitoba Canada Posts 162 Points 0	RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact thanks for responding, Willowchow.   I will hold off on the cranberry capsules.  Thanks.  We have been feeding Zoe NB Sweet Potatoe and Fish, and occasionally Duck and Potatoe when they didn't have the other.  For the last year Zoe has been drinking  reverse osmosis water for a dispenser like the rest of the family.
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• 08-10-2007 8:29 PM

  In reply to sweetbon

  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,941 Points 330

  RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact willowchow: If you go too low with the Ph of the urine you could end up with another type of stone.  Personally, I would go ahead and give the cranberry.  It will only decrease the urine pH by a very small amount.  The point to giving cranberry is to keep bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall not to significantly modify the urine pH.   Defective nephrocalcin (probably a genetic defect) allows oxalate crystals/stones to form, but they can form only when the urine pH is acidic enough (low enough).  Without defective nephrocalcin, oxalate crystals will not form no matter what the pH is. 85% of the dogs with struvite crystals are female.  73% of the dogs that form oxalate crystals/stones are male.   Note:  Temperature and pH both describe the environment.  Saying that "pH causes crystals in urine" is like saying "temperature causes a cake in the oven".  (Wouldn't that be nice?  )  Cake dough materials become cake at the proper temperature.  The formation of crystals from materials in the urine can be prevented or controlled with the proper pH.

  Filed under: cranberry capsules, struvite crystals, nephrocalcin, oxalate crystals Post Points: 0

• 08-10-2007 11:16 PM

  In reply to sweetbon

  willowchow Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 8,144 Points 445	RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact Zoe's mom I PM'd you![]
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• 08-12-2007 7:09 PM

  In reply to sweetbon

  mish1000 Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 48 Points 20

  RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact I'm confused.  I was under the impression that usually when a dog has a UTI they will most likely also have struvite crystals present.  They sort of go hand in hand.  Correct?  I know when I took Lexie to the vet on Monday, he said she had some crystals present but attributed that to the fact that she has a UTI.    What is with these UTI's anyway?  Three other dogs also have them at our marina.  (It can't be the water as Lexie gets bottled water when were away, and reverse osmosis when we're at home).  Do you think this extreme heat may have something to do with it?  They are anting more and not drinking more, thus the UTI???  It just seems as though there are more occurances this summer than ever before.

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• 08-12-2007 8:32 PM

  In reply to sweetbon

  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,941 Points 330

  RE: Urine Crystals Reply Contact mish1000: I was under the impression that usually when a dog has a UTI they will most likely also have struvite crystals present. ...  It just seems as though there are more occurances this summer than ever before.      Materials in the urine (could be produced by an infection) don't become struvite crystals unless the infection (or something else) pushes the pH in the urine high enough.  (That is sort of like saying cake dough in the oven doesn't become a cake unless the temperature is high enough.)   To help to prevent UTIs during hot weather you can (1)  encourage the dog to drink more (ice cubes, low sodium chicken broth in the water, ...) and (2)  give the dog 1-2 cranberry capsules every day to make the bacteria too slippery to stick to the bladder wall.   The cranberry may lower the urine pH a little bit but that is usually not a problem.  Anyone who is concerned about that can get pH strips and test the urine pH before/after adding cranberry to the diet.    www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1302&articleid=3136 PetEducation.com: Most normal dogs and cats have a urine pH of 5.5 to 7.0; however, some normal pets may have higher or lower values.

  Filed under: cranberry capsules, struvite crystals, UTI Post Points: 0