Thank you, You have been a great help. I'm glad I came across your web site! No
one else could answer my questions.
Mary Beth
Gregg Dickson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mary Beth,
I suspect that the bacterial infection is the most likely cause of
the stones. The bacteria, or possibly their by-products, seem to act
as "seeds" for the formation of stones. If you can get the urinary
tract infection resolved then it most likely will alleviate the
formation of stones as well.
I agree with your decision to stay away from Science Diet. You can
get the same effect by supplementing with inexpensive componds like
baking soda, potassium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, etc. The other
trick that Hills uses is to reduce the protein content to 10% or less
and increase the fiber content slightly, but I personally would not
reduce the protein content this low unless it was a severe and
recurring problem. increased fiber is always a good idea.
Increasing water consumption and frequency of urination helps clear
up and minimize the risk of infection and the formation of stones.
Good luck!
Gregg Dickson
www.ChihuahuaFanatics.com
--- In [email protected], Mary Beth Farmer
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 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"
<farmermarybeth@> 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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