Can Hill's c/d Multicare cat food dissolve my cat's bladder stone?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry you and Sanjee are going through this. First I think it important to wait until the stone analysis is back before deciding 100% what to do diet wise. Even though she has calcium oxalate crystals doesn't mean the stone will be that exactly, though it is likely. Calcium oxalate stones are the hardest to prevent recurrence. I recommend Veterinary Prescription diets like Royal Canin SO, Hill's c/d or Purina UR. I also recommend monitoring urine pH and concentration. Calcium oxalate crystals form in more acidic (lower pH) urine. If the diet alone won't control the pH and keep it more neutral sometimes we have to add potassium citrate. I think periodic X-rays to check for recurrence are also important. There are many small white dogs that have had many cystotomies to remove calcium oxalate stones. I hope this helps and I wish Sanjee the best today for her surgery and a speedy recovery!

Surgery may be the next option if he won't eat the prescription diet. Discuss other diets, both canned and dry, with your veterinarian first. It may take several weeks to months to fully dissolve any stones or crystals. Try to get him to drink as much water as possible to dilute his urine.

Purina Friskies is a low/mid grade quality food and I would not be surprised if his crystalluria returns. He really needs a prescription diet such as c/d from Hills or a similar formula from Royal Canin. Your veterinarian should have this food available, or be able to send you to a store to purchase with a prescription. I have also had good luck using Crystal Stone Formula ( a Chinese herbal), but this is a prescription herbal. I would be happy to consult with you about this. I would recommend a prescription diet for at least 6 months prior to trying to wean off of it. If you absolutely CANNOT get a prescription diet, I would focus on a high quality, high protein diet, but NONE will dissolve and prevent crystals as well.

I am afraid bladder stones are very painful. Home remedies are not reliable and at best prolong this painful condition. It is much more humane to feed Franko a specific diet food that will usually dissolve bladder stones within about three to six weeks, provided they are struvite stones. Your veterinarian can sell you the diet. Apple Cider Vinegar, Oolong tea etc., are not palatable for cats and will not dissolve bladder stones.

The recommendation is to feed your pet a low protein, low sodium diet to help alkalinize the urine and reduce cystine urine excretion. You can achieve this with the Rx brands Hill's U/D or Royal Canin UC Low Purine. Although it is suggested that feeding a canned diet or increasing water intake will help to dilute the urine as well, and therefore reduce cystine urine excretion. Dissolving stones is possible with the diet, but this can take an extended period of time and there is always the risk of stone blockage along the urinary tract. If blockage occurs then your only option for resolution is to have the stones surgically removed. From a medical standpoint, the drug 2-MPG is used to dissolve stones that are currently in the bladder. You will have more success riding stones if you implement both MPG treatment and a urinary diet simultaneously.

Bladder stones are collections of mineral crystals that combine together in the urinary tract. Excess minerals can encourage the formation of crystals in the urine, leading to the creation of bladder stones. Urinary diets have the correct balance of minerals to maintain bladder health. In addition, they have low protein and calcium, which results in decreased urinary concentrations of stone-forming constituents. To get the biggest benefit, I recommend choosing a urinary specific food for Liir, as regular diets will not be formulated to help with bladder health. I recommend Hill's Science Diet u/d. I hope this helps!

Poor Jimmy! The main concern in a male dog with bladder stones is that they could become lodged in the urethra, causing a urinary obstruction which is a life-threatening emergency condition. In many cases, this will not occur, but it is a big risk to take. If Jimmy has struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) crystals in his urine, odds are good that his bladder stones are also struvites. This type of stone can sometimes be dissolved with a prescription based diet. It can take many months for these stones to dissolve, but the diet change does not dissolve the stones for all dogs. If Jimmy has other forms of crystals in his urine, surgery is the only option. Surgery is nearly always the best (and only) option for managing bladder stones. I understand your financial concerns, but fortunately there are some resources available to help. Care Credit (carecredit.com) can provide financing options. There are also many non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care (redrover.org, humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962, bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets, lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/, https://getyourpet.com). I hope this helps!