Is an all-dry dog food diet safe or does it cause kidney stones?

Not necessarily. Good hydration plays a role in kidney stone formation along with genetics. You can do dry food only. As long as she drinks well, you can monitor for further signs. If she does develop an infection that may lead to stones you can always use a urinary health formula food

No, this is absolutely not correct to say that. kidney failure can be cause by various reasons but in most cases the exact reason is unknown. when kidney failure is already present, dry food and food with high protein levels can cause the kidney failure to get worse faster.

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.

There are a number of different kidney problems, such as incontinence, bladder stones or crystals in the urine, UTIs, cancer, or obstruction to the urethra, and some of them can't be prevented, such as chronic kidney failure or cancer which may naturally occur in older dogs. UTIs in dogs are caused by bacteria entering the urethra. Crystals in the urine can by caused by supersaturated urine, which happens when a dog has to hold their bladder for a long time. For good kidney health, I recommend making sure Bruno is let out to urinate on a regular basis, not being left longer than eight hours between peeing, making sure he always has a source of fresh water available, keeping him at a healthy weight, and making sure he eats a high quality diet.

I personally would not recommend a home cooked diet for a dog with bladder stones. A therapeutic diet is probably best to prevent more stones from forming and the foods restrict minerals used to form stones, encourage water consumption so that water is dilute, and keeping the urine at an ideal pH. If it is very important to you to cook meals for Hades I’d recommend using a diet formulated by a nutritionist- the website BalanceIT is a good resource. www.balanceIT.com

It's is difficult to say which foods in particular because ultimately it is a question of how that food affects the pH of the urine. The acidity or alkalinity (pH) of the urine influences whether the stone constituents will remain dissolved or form stones. Some stones, such as struvite, form in alkaline urine, whereas others, including calcium oxalate stones, form in acidic urine. Depending on the type of stone (struvite vs calcium oxalate-in most cases but there are exceptions such as ammonium urate) you may want to feed a diet that decreases the pH or one that increases the pH. Furthermore, any underlying urinary tract infections must be treated as bacteria can alter the pH. In order to obtain the information needed, have your veterinarian perform a urinalysis or if your pet had surgery for bladder stones ask for the stone analysis report. As far as blueberries, I think that it is fine. However, grains may result in more of an alkaline urine which could promote further struvite stone formation.

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.