My dog has struvite crystals. Can he still have bully sticks?

Unfortunately, only these diets will be able to help Luca’s bladder problems. The diet will help acidity the urine and it also causes him to drink more. This helps to prevent crystal formation and also has a flushing action in the bladder. I recommend to try the Royal Canin first. Mix it in VERY slow (like 10% of the food initially). Then every few days increase the amount. You should purchase the canned food to see if he likes that. If he does, you can feed him that mixed in with the dry food. Try to keep him out of the other Doha’s food. The diet will not work if it falls below 90% of the total daily food intake. I hope you find this helpful and please feel free to post any further questions.

I would not deviate from Blaze's diet if he has a history of bladder stones. If you are feeding u/d, there are canned versions that can be used to stuff Kongs and then frozen as an extra treat, or can also be baked into crunchy cookies to give some variety without going off his diet. Your vet can also let you know of any other science diet foods that are compatible with u/d along with treats that may add some variety.

Honestly, this is tricky. Royal Canin's SO diet (which is excellent BTW) works because it neutralizes the urine pH, making it almost impossible for crystals to form, and it also encourages more drinking, which has the same effect. If you feed other foods, you increase the chances of the food not working, and having crystals or stones. I tend to encourage owners to use the kibble as treats, or take the canned food and shape in into "cookies," and bake at a low temperature until hardened. I know it sounds like a bit of work, but dogs like it, and you'll be making sure Ted is getting exactly what he needs to stay healthy.

I believe Royal Canin now makes a hypoallergenic diet that is also appropriate for crystals that has hydrolyzed proteins so the immune system does not recognize them and they do not trigger allergies. Even though the ingredient list might contain some things Dylan is allergic to, he should not develop allergy symptoms. This diet is called Multifunction Urinary and Hydrolyzed Protein. Talk to your veterinarian and see if this might be a good option for Dylan with his specific crystals. Otherwise you could discuss having a nutritionist formulate a home cooked diet, but it is very important that a veterinary nutritionist is involved so that the diet is balanced and appropriate to prevent crystal formation.

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.

I would not feed him anything except for the prescription diet. You can take the can version of the diet and put it in ice trays and freeze it to make treats for him. You could also look at the brand of prescription food and see if that have a compatible treat. You could even call the company and ask - most are more than willing to help. I hope this helps!

It is unlikely due to the oak bark but I would try to stop this behavior if possible. It can be caused by the type of food they are eating. Food high in protein like blue buffalo commonly cause this problem. Also, bacterial infection and other metabolic reasons can cause this depending on the type of crystals that were seen. I would make sure she is on a high quality food like science diet or Iams. If you have to switch foods, make sure you mix the old food with the new food. I would have her ironed rechecked after a few weeks to make sure the crystals aren’t staying there as that can eventually cause a stone to develop. I hope this helps!