How to save on my dog's expensive prescription urinary diet?

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!

You can find a couple of over the counter foods in the following link that are adequate for urinary tract diseases but non of the non prescription diets are as good as the prescription diets and this is something you must understand: https://herepup.com/best-dog-food-for-urinary-health/

I wouldn't recommend trying a home cooked diet without consulting your veterinarian first - many recipes online are not nutritionally balanced. Whether or not your dog can switch to a new diet depends on the type of stone - some are more likely than others to come back. Ask your veterinarian about other options, and be up front about the cost being an issue.

Unfortunately there is not a comparable diet that would be less expensive. You could ask your vet about trying an over the counter weight loss diet if you haven't already, but the prescription diets are by far the lowest in calories and have other nutrients that promote weight loss.

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.

I would recommend just feeding normal dog food rather than using human food until you can discuss it with your vet. You may even be able to just call the clinic and ask for a prescription for another brand of dog food. Sometimes you have to dry a couple different prescription dog foods to see which one your pet will prefer. Hill's and Royal Canin also have similar prescription dog foods that you could try. Good luck!

Foods in the US need to be regulated under AAFCO standards to be complete and nutritionally balanced, so most foods will do a good job of making sure your pet stays healthy and happy. Specialist foods generally are designed to treat an issue, such as a food allergy or a health problem, and are beneficial for pets that need it. As for the prescription diets your vet sells, these are specially formulated to help treat a specific medical condition like a prescription medication would. They are prescription-only because of this, and sometimes cost a bit more because a lot more research and formulation (and sometimes unique ingredients) goes into them to make them able to treat a health condition. In many cases, your vet can send a prescription for this food to an online pet store or pharmacy so you can purchase the product cheaper.