Elderly little bitch with bladder stones

[danda]

My little 9 year old girl has just been diagnosed with stone(s) in her bladder. She now has to have special food. Can anyone advise what would be ok to use as treats for her now? I have never had a dog with this problem before.

 

[Aru]

I generally tell people to make the kibble into mush then shape into treats and freeze if its in the early days when dissolution is happening....keeps your diet on tract but gives the dog a different shape for a change.
Otherwise it depends on what exact type of stones the dog has.Theres 4 different types. struvite/calcium oxalate/urate/cysteine
Some need to acidify the urine,other's you need to alkalise it...so knowing what type if pretty important if your adding onto the diet,otherwise you may be unintentionally causing the prescription diet not to work.

 

[danda]

Apparantly it is Oxalate, what to avoid for this type?

 

[Aru]

Ah..your unlucky thats the less common type and a bit trickier then struvite stone.
She may need surgery or laser blasting if its an oxalate stone as diets often will not dissolve those, has the vets checked for cushing's or run bloods to check calcium levels in the blood yet? or are you on the checking urine stage.


Treat wise- plain chicken,plain turkey,rice, pasta, eggs, banana and a few other things are safe enough.

http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/07/dietary-treatment-of-bladder-stones/

http://www.marvistavet.com/calcium-oxalate-stones-canine.pml

 

[danda]

She is a French bulldog of the old fashioned type, longer muzzle and smaller head than most of those I see. She is 9 years old and has been badly treated in the past which originally paralized her back legs but now she can walk but not much control of back legs and not much feeling in her back end at all. For the moment we are continuing with the diet, Volvic water and finishing up with the meds. I checked with the vet and I go back in 3 months to see if it is status quo or improvement or more and/or bigger stones, she is no longer weeing so often and no more bleeding. We will operate if no other choice.

Many thanks for your input, lucky for me she is rather greedy so new food no problem, did not like it first meal but now no problem.