Oxalate crystals?

[MomOfPippa]

Oxalate crystals/UTI

Has anyone's fur child ever suffered from oxalate crystals? Pippa has a UTI (getting better on antibiotics, caught it quickly) but the vet found oxalate crystals on her xray which is a big worry. Worst case scenario they turn into stones and need to be surgically removed. At the moment worst case is it is probably just uncomfortable.
Vet recommends Hills UD which I will not put her on since she said she needs to ask a sales person for advice (lol), Pippa is allergic to the two main crappy ingredients and apparently how it works is to add more sodium to her body to make her thirsty and drink more (how is that healthy?!).
I was going out of my mind thinking I am looking at her with rose-tinted glasses and the fact that to me she drinks a lot more than most dogs but this has been confirmed with her daycare, petsitters and our parents who will sometimes look after her. So we really can't find an organic cause for this although I will now stop giving her blueberries, carrots and rooibos (red bush) tea.
I think I might try raw (and fully commit to it this time) although she has such a sensitive tummy and skin, I am very two minded. But that is a way to give her food with a higher moisture content so I am happy to try this weekend.

Has any anyone had any experience with these crystals? Or others perhaps? Anything we can do/give to help, tips and tricks?

Edit: Forgot to mention that she has a very hidden vulva and seems to squat very low. This is her first UTI so the vet advised if there is a second one she will need an episioplasty, I have seen advise to wipe her down after each wee and shampoo her bits daily so will do that now (not just wipe down at night). She is also a very messy player at daycare so literally comes home with her bottom half caked in mud which probably isn't helping. I see people give their pup's cranberry chews - are the human chews or pet specific? I've looked high & low and there are no pet cranberry chews in South Africa. I have found a 100% cranberry extract I am planning on adding to her water (if the label is safe)

Pic of Pip in her new jersey (or dress at this stage!) just to keep her tummy/bladder warm while she heals.

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

I would absolutely not put her on that special kibble, and I think you are right to switch to raw. She needs moisture in her food. Do you have any access to raw goat's milk where you live? Adding that to her diet could get in some extra moisture.

Because I feed Answers Pet Food, I've seen interesting info on their 30 day raw milk fast. I know Answers is not available in your area, but you might be able to find raw goat milk locally.

I've never delt with these issues, but feel like healing through food is a great place to start.

Best of luck, keep us updated.

 

[Alice Kable]

I had a female rescue with a horrible UTI I made a no salt added vegetable broth which included the veggies chopped really small. She loved it.

I agree, good food is a great place to start!

 

[lalipupper]

When my pup had a UTI the vet gave me 'pet grade' cranberry pills. Looking at the ingredients it was honestly the same as a human cranberry supplement. It was advertised as a 'chewable pill' but really it was just a normal old dry cranberry supplement pill that I'd get for myself at the pharmacy, just smaller. It wasn't a 'soft chew', just 'chewable'. I popped it inside a piece of wiener, dabbed some peanut butter on it, or stuffed it inside a 'pill pocket' (from pet store). She had no interest in chewing it up on her own.

 

[Honeys Owners]

As mentioned before, the most important thing is to keep her drinking a lot and on a good probiotic that contains lactobacillus and bifidobacterum eg. Proviable DC. I would also add that it's important tp take her out frequently for a pee. I would check her urine pH with a pH meter you can get inexpensively form Amazon, and make sure her pH is between 6.5-7.5. If not, you can add potassium citrate to her food. You can also buy d-mannose powder to help prevent e.coli urinary tract infections, which is the main ingredient in cranberries.
Here's the Merck Manual web page:
Recurrence is a major problem with calcium oxalate uroliths. An “ideal” diet is considered to be low oxalate, low protein, and low sodium and would maintain urine pH at 6.5–7.5 and urine specific gravity <1.020. A few commercially available canned foods achieve these goals and may minimize the risk of recurrence. Potassium citrate may be added as needed to assure the urine pH is within the desired range; water may be used to provide appropriate reduction in urine concentration. If these urine conditions are achieved and calcium oxalate crystals are still seen in warm, fresh urine, then vitamin B6 and/or thiazide diuretics can be considered (although of unproven efficacy). Effectiveness of therapy should be reevaluated at 1- to 4-mo intervals by urinalysis. Chlorothiazide diuretics may also be of value.

 

[MomOfPippa]

I started raw yesterday, mixed with kibble because she historically has a very sensitive tummy. But she took to it so well and loved it! Sent it mixed again with to daycare so they will let me know if she eats there as well as she's not a morning eater, which is my main concern regarding switching both meals to raw. I am going to get her a little lunch coolerbag which will put my mind at ease about anyone possibly forgetting to put it back in the fridge.
I have a friend who was recently speaking about a farm outside of town that specializes in these kinds of milk, I will call them and make sure.

Thank you!

 

[MomOfPippa]

Amazing advice! I started putting little bits of minced beef in her water yesterday to make her drink more but she'd get so excited and would drink so much she'd throw up - so better to stick to a more simple broth as you suggest. Do you know of any objections to boiling a protein with it (besides chicken as she's allergic)?

 

[MomOfPippa]

Thank you. Her dad is off to the only pharmacy I could find that has the extract, they will definitely have the human chewables as well. I will find a pet chew ingredient list online to compare the ingredients before he buys.
If needed I'll then stuff than in raw lamb meatballs she loves which we use to hide any pills

 

[MomOfPippa]

She is on a top-range probiotic everyday from a local supplier but its powder so I feel a lot of it falls through due to her dry Acana pellets (she just started transitioning to raw yesterday). I have tried keffir and she didn't take to it, but she does love yoghurt and I bought a moringa oil yesterday which apparently is a very good source of probiotics. When she just started the uti she had the paste course of prebiotics and probiotics as well.
Shame she was in the car with us for just 15 mins yesterday (after coming straight from home) and she was crying to go wee, which she's never done before poor child. So I am still quite worried her antibiotics aren't working and she only has one day left. I have not even heard back from that vet re what to feed her so I am looking into rather taking her to a holistic vet.
Her dad is going to the pharmacy today to get the cranberry extract, I will ask him to have a look for the d-mannose powder and ph strips or will order otherwise.

Thanks so much

 

[Honeys Owners]

Thank you. Her dad is off to the only pharmacy I could find that has the extract, they will definitely have the human chewables as well. I will find a pet chew ingredient list online to compare the ingredients before he buys.
If needed I'll then stuff than in raw lamb meatballs she loves which we use to hide any pills

Make sure you freeze any raw meat for a few days if you are buying it fresh, since freezing kills off any parasites ( although it doesn't kill bacteria, your dog's digestive tract should be able to handle that ) .

 

[Cbrugs]

I would absolutely not put her on that special kibble, and I think you are right to switch to raw. She needs moisture in her food. Do you have any access to raw goat's milk where you live? Adding that to her diet could get in some extra moisture.

Because I feed Answers Pet Food, I've seen interesting info on their 30 day raw milk fast. I know Answers is not available in your area, but you might be able to find raw goat milk locally.

I've never delt with these issues, but feel like healing through food is a great place to start.

Best of luck, keep us updated.

I just ordered some Answers raw as well as their fermented fish stock. I might get some of the goats milk to try but Jax never did well on kefir.


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[Frenchie Grrrl]

I just ordered some Answers raw as well as their fermented fish stock. I might get some of the goats milk to try but Jax never did well on kefir.


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Good luck, and keep us updated. I know if you email Answers, they will work with you directly on dietary suggestions for specific ailments. Just another resource, if you want one.

 

[Cbrugs]

Good luck, and keep us updated. I know if you email Answers, they will work with you directly on dietary suggestions for specific ailments. Just another resource, if you want one.

I recently joined a co-op and they have Answers right now and the prices are cheaper than what you would get at the store so I thought I would give it a try. I went with the Straight Pounder as I like the control the fruits and veggies the boys get. Jax can get yeasty if he gets too much. I am excited to try the fish stock.

 

[2bullymama]

I would absolutely not put her on that special kibble, and I think you are right to switch to raw. She needs moisture in her food. Do you have any access to raw goat's milk where you live? Adding that to her diet could get in some extra moisture.

Because I feed Answers Pet Food, I've seen interesting info on their 30 day raw milk fast. I know Answers is not available in your area, but you might be able to find raw goat milk locally.

I've never delt with these issues, but feel like healing through food is a great place to start.

Best of luck, keep us updated.

:up: totally agree!

 

[Honeys Owners]

I checked out Answers web site- looks like a great product ! We don't have that here in Canada,plus it would probably be beyond my price range, so I doctor up my own commercial raw food product to be roughly equivalent. I buy the commercial frozen raw product in bulk from a local company fairly inexpensively, and add to it daily sea kelp, turmeric, Acti-Flex 4000, fish oil,flax seed or hemp seed oil and coconut oil. I also add water kefir grains 2-3 times a week, and Vitamin E weekly. I think you can get all the benefits of their "fermented" product by adding your own milk kefir or water kefir or raw goats milk or both. I wouldn't add too much milk kefir or raw goats milk to a puppy's diet since you need to be in a certain range of calcium per day for puppies to avoid too rapid bone growth that will increase chances of hip problems later. I've never fed raw to a puppy so I'm not an expert on this. I couldn't find mention on Answers web site how much calcium is in their product or if it's suitable for puppies.