My dog has silica stones. Is it from chewing palm trees or his food?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am not sure I am clear on what is going on with Ellie. If sand was ingested in large enough quantity is can cause a stomach or intestinal obstruction, which would require surgery to remove. Eating sand would not cause stones in the bladder or kidneys. I am not sure what a jack stone is. Bladder stones form due to urinary tract infections, diet or genetics. Please feel free to request a consult so I can help you better with Ellie. I hope she improves soon!

Not that I am aware of. The exact cause of calcium oxalate bladder stones is poorly understood at this time. Normal dog urine is slightly acidic and contains waste products from metabolism including dissolved mineral salts and other compounds. These mineral salts will remain dissolved in the urine as long as the pH stays within a narrow range, and as long as the urine does not become too concentrated. Some diets that cause a persistently alkaline urine pH may also cause this. This link may help you more. ( https://www.vetmed.umn.edu/sites/vetmed.umn.edu/files/canine_calcium_oxalate_uroliths.pdf )

The answer partially depends on the type of bladder stones that Boo had. I am attaching handouts on the 2 most common types below. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=460 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=662 If Boo had struvite stones, those can often be managed without a prescription diet. If Boo had calcium oxalate stones, then diet will be a very important part of preventing him from forming stones again in the future. Unfortunately, the prescription diets tend to have both by-products and corn. The best option I have found for dogs with calcium oxalate stones are to make a homemade diet for their dogs. A diet can be created by a board certified nutritionist or with the help of Balance It. https://secure.balanceit.com/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Wookiee but it sounds like things are much better. So I can assume that the crystals and stones were struvite because of the c/d food and I can assume you tried s/d first but maybe not. Struvite crystals and stones are most often tied to infection in the bladder and urinary system. You may be able to try another diet but only your vet should make that call for you. They are much more familiar with his particular case. If you monitored his urine with dip sticks (again consult your vet) you may be able to feed something else. Ask you vet. The kibble shouldn't hurt his teeth unless he develops severe periodontal disease which lots of small breeds develop due to their genetics. Sure you can wet the food plus that increases water consumption which is crucial in pets with a history of urinary problems. Yes, I would advise against the table scraps as these can definitely play a role and alter the pH of the urine (how acidic or alkaline). Good luck with Wookiee. Great questions.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as she is eating, drinking as normal and passing normal stools, she is not in any danger. The symptoms of of gastrointestinal blockage include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, lack of stools. If Pearl definitely ate the stones and has not passed them, an x-ray of the abdomen would be a good idea. It may happen that the stones are still sitting in the stomach but not causing any clinical symptoms. They may move down to the small intestines and form an abstraction at some point. Stones are very easy to detect on x-ray, so this would give definitive answer if there is anything to worry about or not. Pumpkin or any other laxative treatment / diet will not be a good idea for Pearl.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can sometimes point out the possibility of a gastrointestinal condition and just like you pointed out it can be some lack of a nutrient or something in the diet. I think a good place to start would be changing his diet to something else to see if that makes a difference. If no difference is noted, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, start by changing his diet to something like a Purina Pro Plan or Hill's Science Diet product that tend to be very complete diets. Also, try to avoid him eating the sand as that could result in gastrointestinal upset or obstruction. Good luck!

Hello again. It really depends on what type of stones are present, such as are they oxylate or struvite? Some stones are harder to manage with diet than others, & of course, it also depends on what is available in your country. Your veterinarian is the best individual to help with this unless you have some laboratory data that indicates what is going on. Hills & Royal Canin Prescription Diets are very popular here. You can definitely add a little plain white rice, but not so much as to dilute the diets, & please do not add any supplements unless directed to do so by your veterinarian. Adding things like calcium can set Cointhee up for more imbalances & more problems. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.