# Kidney Stones



## landstander (Feb 27, 2012)

Hello,

I am new to this forum but need some advice and resources. 

I have an 8 year old chihuahua. For the past few months I have been feeding him Blue Buffalo Wilderness and raw chicken and beef on occasion. Tonight I noticed that he was bleeding from his penis so immediately took him to the emergency vet. 

After the examination, I was informed he had kidney stones. They gave me medication and special dog food-Royal Canin. I told the vet that my dog was on a special diet that was grain free and she told me that I HAD to feed him this food or the stones would continue to grow and form. 

Does anyone else have any experience with this? I do not want to feed this food to my dog. It is full of grain and gluten. 

I am bringing him to my normal vet this upcoming week, but I am sure I will get the same advice. Any help, advice, or resources would be a great help.

Thank you


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I have never dealt with kidney stones, just with urinary struvite crystals. Which royal canin did they tell you to get? The urinary s/o? 

Personally, I do not like blue buffalo, when I used to work at a pet store, there were 3 seperate people whos dogs got urinary crystals from the food. 

I know with urinary crystals, the thing I do that works for my cats is high quality canned food, mixed with extra water, and a Organika cranberry capsule sprinkled on top. The only companies I feed them that are "safe" for them are Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, Holistic Select, and a bit of GO! Natural. I stay away from any fish, but when I feed the GO! Natural it does have salmon in it, which is why I only give it maybe 3 times a month just to switch up the rotation. 

I used to be a person who listened to their vet when it came to the vet food, but my cats would get better then get sick again, which is why I did my own research and started what Im doing now. They have both now been urinary crystal free for 2 years. Before, on vet food, they would have recurring issues 3-5 times a year. 

Not sure if this will help, I know nothing about kidney stones, would it be almost the same as bladder crystals, Im not sure? Good luck though! Im sure someone else will chime in.


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## landstander (Feb 27, 2012)

Yes, it is the urinary s/o type. 

May I ask why you stay away from fish. I feed my dog the salmon Blue Buffalo Wilderness because I was under the assumption the omega-3's were highly beneficial. 

Also, are these brands you mentioned available at a pet store like Petco or Petsmart or do I need to order them online.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Because its high in phosphorus and magnesium which can cause stones/crystals. Fresh deboned fish is a different story, but when its processed I dont feed it. If you want omega's, I would use a salmon oil capsule over their food, not fish kibble. Im from Canada, so I buy all my stuff at Pet Valu. But the companies I mentioned are American pet food companies, so you should be able to find them. 

Ya, I thought it would be the urinary s/o. Its so high in sodium, makes dogs pee like crazy because they drink so much water to compensate. 

Im not a vet, so its your choice to try what I do. I was scared at first of taking my cats off the vet food because my vet cautioned me it would make them worse. Not could, but would. While in reality, it made them SO much better. The Organika cranberry capsules help to keep bacteria controlled in the bladder too, and keeps everything running better. 

I feed my dog raw, I tried it for my cats but they would not transition. So Im doing the next best thing of high quality canned food. The results speak for themselves, neither cat has gotten sick in 2 years since I got off the vet food.

If you still want to feed kibble, you can, but personally I would switch off of the Blue Buffalo. And, if you could, mix the kibble with the canned food. But, right now, to dissolve the stones, I would feed only canned food with cranberry in it. The more water running through the kidneys and bladder, the quicker it will help to dissolve the stones. You want to keep things running to flush everything out.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

> Because its high in phosphorus and magnesium which can cause stones/crystals. Fresh deboned fish is a different story, but when its processed I dont feed it. If you want omega's, I would use a salmon oil capsule over their food, not fish kibble. Im from Canada, so I buy all my stuff at Pet Valu. But the companies I mentioned are American pet food companies, so you should be able to find them.
> 
> Ya, I thought it would be the urinary s/o. Its so high in sodium, makes dogs pee like crazy because they drink so much water to compensate.
> 
> ...


Sorry to bud in, but it seems you have some experience that could help me.

My cat has experienced a UTI and forming crystals too. This happened once when my parents put him in boarding for 2 weeks! He was so stressed that when they got him back he developed a UTI and there was blood in is urine. Unfortunately I can't remember if he was on Buffalo Blue then or not. After the incident we didn't bump into it again. The vet also recommended to stay away from fish due to the phosphorus and magnesium. Currently he's on Buffalo Blue Indoor cat formula chicken and rice flavor ( for his hair ball problem), however I'm trying to feed him more canned food instead. Currently the wet food he eats is Nutro max and ACTR1UM Holistic Pet Food. He gets 1/2 canned morning and night and kibble in between. I'm in the process of searching for better canned food formula for possible replacement; trouble is he is incredibly picky about his canned food 

He and I live with my parents but I plan to take him with me when I move out. Unfortunately, until then I don't have full control of is food and he seems to enjoy kibble more. Ideally I want to introduce him to raw. Unfortunately, it seems Buffalo Blue is the only holistic kibble brand he likes (and that I'll be able to afford when I move out). I admit I am considering Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul or Felidae as other alternatives for kibble or canned food replacements. Is it alright if I stay with his current kibble as it does not seem to be presenting any more problems, or should I switch?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

the fish they put in dog food isn't what you think. It's mostly fins and the other parts people don't eat. And then they cook it to death, getting rid of anything useful.

So they have to put a bunch of nutrients back in artificially. I doubt there are any good oils in there from the orginal trash parts of the fish that allowed them to say it has salmon in it.

I'm with you. I think you are smart to question the food recommended to you. Those prescription foods are the worst of the worst. Unfortunately, I don't have experience at all with stones but I think others can tell you what to do, or what to feed.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

Another thing abot the fish in foods is that allot of times it's preserved with equxthin (SP) from the supplier. When it's preserved fromthe supplier the pet food lable doesn't have to list it. 

Water is the key to urinary health as well as kidneys. (liver too I believe) Anything that flushes relies on water. SO feeding any kibble when there is urinary issues is not going to help. Kibble can cause dehydration even if the pet is drinking. When dehydration sets in the body pulls moisture fromt he organs and creates even less moisture. (that is the way it was explained to me) 

For the cats- no kibble.. my vet said a cheap brand of canned is healthier then any kibble. I had switched my cats from Orijen to friskies canned and they were immediatly healthier. (now all raw fed though) 
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health
Feline Urinary Tract Health: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: cat urinary tract health

I do not know much about canine kidney stones. I think the dalmations have to follow a certian diet as they are prone to them. All i know is that water is so vital. 

Good luck.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I did have a foster for a short time who had bladder stones and was on S/D canned food. She was a good drinker, so every time she ate I poured a boatload of water over it - she peed pretty much constantly. the stones did go away, but once she went back to a dry food they came back. And even the vet said the S/D she was on couldn't be fed for more than a few weeks because it had no nutrients in it - it looked like wallpaper paste.

So to me, the prescription food for her was at most a temporary fix, and at worst a food that wasn't giving her any kind of nutrition to allow her body to help itself.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Sorry to bud in, but it seems you have some experience that could help me.
> 
> My cat has experienced a UTI and forming crystals too. This happened once when my parents put him in boarding for 2 weeks! He was so stressed that when they got him back he developed a UTI and there was blood in is urine. Unfortunately I can't remember if he was on Buffalo Blue then or not. After the incident we didn't bump into it again. The vet also recommended to stay away from fish due to the phosphorus and magnesium. Currently he's on Buffalo Blue Indoor cat formula chicken and rice flavor ( for his hair ball problem), however I'm trying to feed him more canned food instead. Currently the wet food he eats is Nutro max and ACTR1UM Holistic Pet Food. He gets 1/2 canned morning and night and kibble in between. I'm in the process of searching for better canned food formula for possible replacement; trouble is he is incredibly picky about his canned food
> 
> He and I live with my parents but I plan to take him with me when I move out. Unfortunately, until then I don't have full control of is food and he seems to enjoy kibble more. Ideally I want to introduce him to raw. Unfortunately, it seems Buffalo Blue is the only holistic kibble brand he likes (and that I'll be able to afford when I move out). I admit I am considering Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul or Felidae as other alternatives for kibble or canned food replacements. Is it alright if I stay with his current kibble as it does not seem to be presenting any more problems, or should I switch?


Both of my cats are picky too, but they go crazy for the Nature's Variety canned foods, especially the lamb one, both in stew and pate form. I personally do not like blue buffalo, so I am biased to say you should switch your cat off of it. It is pretty high in mineral concentration, and they dont list the target urinary pH either. Which is why I stick with Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, and Holistic Select as my main canned food companies. I give my cats Natural Balance kibble twice a day, literally like 10-15 pieces of kibble in the morning and in the night. I did feed just canned food for a bit, but they started to refuse to eat, so I use the few pieces of kibble to entice them to eat the canned food, works every time. I dont know if it just triggers their hunger, because they end up eating their whole canned serving right after the small amount of kibble. I mix a lot of water with their canned food, I make it look like a soupy-stew mixture.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

To the OP:

I would find out EXACTLY what type of stones your dog has when you go to your vet. All stones are different and should/can be treated differently.


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