Thank you so much for the information Gregg. He is a 7-year-old neutered Chi on
phenobarbital for seizures. I can't help but think that this may have something
to do with it. My Vet said no. She did check his urine for bacteria and it was
loaded. He was on antibiotics first, it got rid of the bacteria but he still
struggled to urinate. That's when she x-rayed him and found stones. The stones
were sent to the lab for analysis. She said his target pH sould be 7.0 - 7.1.
She wants him on Science Diet u/d. Also he is obese because of the
phenobarbital. I refused to put him on Science Diet. He is such a good dog and
seems to be doing well since his surgery.
Even though he is obese he runs around like a puppy and I do walk him
frequently.
The breeder is a friend of mine, he was an emergency c-section baby born blue
but he survived. He is a big Chi 22lbs.
I will give your recommendations a try and test his pH on a regular basis.
You have been most informative, thank you.
Mary Beth
Gregg Dickson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mary Beth,
I'm sorry to hear that your Chi is struggling with kindey/bladder stones. How
old is your Chi? Is he/she a male or female?
There are several factors that can cause stones. Some of the most common are:
Urine pH. pH is an indicator of acidity level. It can be measured via
hydrogen ion concentration. a pH of 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic and above 7
is alkaline. Generally, dogs tend to have slightly acidic urine around 6 - 6.5.
Unfortunately, calcium oxalate stones have a propensity to form in acidic to
neutral urine. Urine pH needs to be measure immediately upon voiding from the
bladder for it to be accurate. Hopefully, your vet checked this while assessing
your Chi's symptoms. If the pH was low then you can reduce the acidity of your
Chi's diet to reduce the likelyhood of stone formation. The addition of 1
tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or better yet, potassium
bicarbonate per liter of water to your Chi's water and/or food may help.
Bacterial infection. The vet should have cultured the inside of one of the
stones to determine if bacteria is the cause, since urine is supposed to be
sterile. If the vet neglected to perform this step, then I'd recommend looking
for another vet. You can still have a culture performed of your Chi's urine
without the stones, but it must be performed against a fresh sample of urine,
because bacteria will invade it very quickly once it leaves the body. If the
culture is positive, then the vet can test several antibiotics on it to see
which is most effective. and treat the Chi with that antibiotic.
Dehydration. Insufficient liquid intake can result in a higher
concentration of minerals in the urine. This can result in more frequent
occurance of stones. Encourage your Chi to drink lots of water.
Infrequent urination. The longer the urine stays in the bladder, the more
likely the minerals can condense and crystalize to form stones. Try to
encourage your Chi to urinate 6 or more times a day if he/she is prone to
stones.
Hard water. If you liive near the beach or other lowland areas, then your
tap water is likely hard, meaning that it has a higher mineral content than
normal. You can use a water filter to reduce the mineral content of the water,
or even buy distilled water to eliminate all mineral content, if your Chi has
ongoing struggles with stones. Avoid spring water, however, since it can also
be high in mineral content.
Diet. An imbalance of nutrients or a diet that is too high in certain
minerals or too low in others can increase the likelyhood of stone formation.
This is a very complex topic and there are dozens of chemical processes that
can be involved. in general however, since you mention that the stones are
calcium oxolate, increase the amount of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium in
the diet. Increasing dietary magnesium and phosphorus decreases the amount of
calcium in the urine, and increasing dietary calcium reduces absorption of
oxalates from the intestines. Potassium citrate may help prevent calcium
oxalate stone formation because it forms a soluble complex with oxalates and
promotes the formation of alkaline urine. Some people use 1 tablespoon of
potassium citrate combined with a tablespoon of potassium bicarbonate mentioned
above in a 1:1 ratio added per liter of water as a preventative.
Genetic factors. There isn't a lot you can do about this, but some dogs
are just predisposed to the formation of stones because of abnormaltites or
genetic mutations. You can ask your breeder if other owners have reported
problems with their Chi's. If it turns out that your Chi is prone, then I would
recommend using most or all of the tips mentioned above to help minimize the
frequency and severity of stone fomation.
Disease. Sometimes kidney/bladder stones are symptoms of another illness.
A thorough medical evaluation is recommended to help rule out other health
problems.
Aging. Some dogs, especially males, become more prone to stone formation
as they age because of changes in hormone levels. In addition to the
preventative measures mentioned above, hormone replacement therapy may also be
a possible solution.
I hope this helps. Please let us know if you discover any other tips that
help.
Gregg Dickson
http://www.ChihuahuaFanatics.com/
--- In [email protected], "farmermarybeth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Hi, Does anyone have experience with bladder stones? My chi recently
> had stones removed and I am trying to figure out a diet to keep his pH
> level 7.0 - 7.1 and stones from reoccuring.
> Mary Beth
>
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