My dog has urinary issues. Are there affordable OTC food options?

To my knowledge, there are no current OTC diets formulated for dogs with urinary issues. These diets are designed to alter the pH in such a way to keep the urine at a certain level. Her current diet does not explain her weight and appetite despite being fed a normal diet. I would be interested in seeing what her current blood work looks like, and would want to investigate some potential causes for these symptoms you are seeing. It is possible Roxy could be developing several different endocrine disorders. If you are seeking to change her food and still need it to be appropriate for a dog with urinary problems, I would consider consulting with a veterinary nutritionist. You can usually find these professionals through veterinary schools. They will typically offer consultations for extremely reasonable costs, as they primarily function in the research circle. The nutritionists through my vet school ,Virginia Maryland College of Vet Med, would probably be happy to assist you if you emailed them with your concerns. Hope you figure things out and consider getting some diagnostics done on Roxy.

Unfortunately there are no over the counter that will help dissolve stones once they form. There are diets that claim to encourage urinary bladder health, however there are no clinical trials to substantiate those claims. What Scooby really needs right now is the Rx food, although it is a bit costly and I can sympathize with that. However it works and is effective because the necessary trials were done to formulate the food properly. It can take several months to even a year to dissolve the stones depending on the quantity and size.

There are no over the counter diets that fit this criteria. You can use this prescription diet by Blue Buffalo but you will need to get your vet to order it for you. ( https://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/blue-natural-veterinary-diet/wu-dry-food-for-dogs/ )

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I politely disagree with your Vet. I do not recommend over the counter urinary diets for cats who have been obstructed. It is a life threatening condition and not to mention expensive issue. I wouldn't risk a non-prescription diet. They are not comparable to the prescription options. I recommend, if your cat will eat it, an all canned food prescription urinary diet like Hill's c/d, Royal canin SO or Purina UR. Increase water intake where ever possible (adding water to the canned food, water fountains, etc). If you decide to go with an over the counter option then go with the lowest ash and do all canned food. I wish you the best!

If you are buying the prescription diet directly from your vet I would recommend looking at an online pet pharmacy to see if they carry the food. Often times these places can offer bulk discounts to purchasing cans and may also have a lower price available than your vet can offer. Your vet can send in the prescription for you so that you can then purchases there. Some other brands such as Royal Canin, Eukanuba and Pro Plan also offer prescription urinary diets so if Science Diet is too expensive, you may want to price shop and see if the other prescriptions available would work.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! if Lucky is on a prescription urinary diet for bladder stones, to prevent a urinary obstruction or to prevent urinary crystals it is not recommended to mix the food with anything else as it virtually makes it in effective. I would discuss other brands that may be more affordable with your Vet. Purina, Hills and Royal canin all make urinary foods. If you absolutely can not afford it then I would have him on an all canned food over the counter urinary diet and add extra water to the canned food. This will cause his urine to be more dilute. I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. You can try and switch to Royal Canin Urinary SO and see if this helps at all. There is dry and wet of this diet. It is a prescription diet so you will have to get a prescription from your veterinarian. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.