Crystals in urine

[pjcarbone]

Penny has a UTI, the vet said she has tons of crystals in her urine, and she needs to raise the acidity in her urine. He claims that this is caused by her food. I swithched from Nutro Ultra to Innova, because the ingredients seemed healthier. Anyone ever hear of this? Is there anything else I can do besides switching food? HELP.

 

[BLCOLE]

Has your Newf had a check for Cystinurea (spelling?) It is a fairly well known genetic disorder in Newfoundlands that causes crystals in the urine. It can lead to kidney stones and other related problems.

 

[mulenag]

I have been researching the heck outta this topic lately...only concerning cats. The general info I have found is to make sure they are getting plenty of water. Also you could try some organic Apple Cider Vinegar to up the acidity. Otherwise you might want to consider a raw diet. BUT...again, this is just a little of what I've found pertaining to cats, I'm not sure if it will carry over for dogs. Get well soon, Penny!

 

[pjcarbone]

Thanks Brad, no Penny has not been checked for Cystinurea, is this a urine test?

 

[pjcarbone]

I looked in the breeding / genetics area & found a link. I'll ask my vet to do DNA testing in the am.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Cystenuria is an inherited disease. Were her parents cleared for the disease? You can check with your breeder for that information. The test is a DNA test usually done with a cheek swab.
I would see what the vet concludes but cystenuria is not from food, so maybe it is just an UTI. I hope that is all it is and she is feeling better soon!

 

[Sue M.]

Certain foods may be manufactured in a good way, but not all foods agree with all dogs. If the food is a problem, get her on something else.

I tried Innova for Nash because of his allergies and skin problems but it didn't agree with him at all. His pooh became runny like he had diahrea all the time. I took him off the food and he was fine.

 

[wrknnwf]

When did you switch foods? Have you been feeding any canned Nutro products? Crytsals in the urine are consistent with the toxic effect of the recalled foods. Just a thought.

 

[sarnewfie]

i agree with mulenag and also would add cranberry capsules helpwith crystals to. keeping them at bay or away.
i heard they dissolve them if not to large just as the apple cider does.]
Crystals are a common thing as jane describes with different foods, i have had great luck with wysong, and there are other natural brands out there.
i would stay away from the brands all made in the same plant.
go with a brand that is trusted

 

[Largo]

Definately check the food recall list and of course a Cystenuria test if her parents were carriers.

As far as the food, certain diets can set up an environment for crystal formation. If your vet has said that her urine is to alkaline and would like for you to try a food switch, then you will want to look for a food with less grains or more animal protein to grain protein in its formulation. And cut out or decrease any fruits you maybe giving her.

I would skip using the apple cider vinegar (good for lots of things, but counter productive for this issue), and instead use cranberry juice. Some here have had success using cranberry pills.

Did your Vet recommend a food?

I hope you can get this worked out and she is on the mend soon. Definately be sure she is drinking plenty of water. You may need to take her for more walks so that she will be thirsty.

 

[RhodyNewf]

I also only have experience with this in cats....but my cat had a a very high level of crystals in his urine--very dangerous with a male cat. My vet wanted me to put him on some crap food that was "prescription" and the ingredients were horrible. So I asked the woman at my food store, she is very knowledgable about nutrition...and she told me to switch exclusively to HIGH quality grain free canned food or raw. I switched all the cats to raw, with 1 can of wet food mixed in for flavor. He had a 2 week urine recheck and the crystal count was down. And after 3 months, they were gone.

Again, it is a cat and very different....but maybe helpful to someone!!!

 

[pjcarbone]

The Innova I switched to has no corn, wheat, soy or any glutens. It does have fruit & veggies. Contents are: Turkey, chicken, barley, brown rice, potatoes, apples, carrots, cottage cheest, alfalfa sprouts, eggs, plus supplements in the Innova (a very long list). My vet reccommended WD (prescription dry food). I called Penny's breeder & her parents are clear. The type of crystals she has in her urine are struvite.
I was really proud of myself, I researched dry foods before I switched. So much for research.
Thanks everyone for your advice., I still don't know if I'm thrilled about using the WD, but if it will help Penny, then I'll do anything.

 

[pjcarbone]

I switched about 1 1/2 to 2 mos. ago, and do not feed canned. I'll get cranberry capsuls tomorrow. How many do you give & how often?

 

[pjcarbone]

I went to check out Prescription brand foods and found that even some of theirs have been recalled. Involved is feline m/d dry foodhttp://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_03302007_en_US.htm. Here is the link, what's next?......

 

[sarnewfie]

go with a natural food, canidae, wysong synorgen, there are others out there, make sure they are WHEAT FREE
it is not worth the risk seeing the FDA is taking their sweet time and who knows who is in bed with who over there.
i would give her one twice a day of cranberry to start, and if need be 2 twice a day is ok.

 

[MGoBlue]

Just a tip on reading food ingredients since you're currently searching, Pat -

You said that the top 5 ingredients in Penny's current food are "turkey, chicken, barley, brown rice, and potatoes." My first thought is that this diet is probably very high in grains. The ingredient list has to be by order of weight in the food, and turkey and chicken are listed first and second, but they are listed without the word "meal" afterward. This means that they are added to the process as "whole," so the majority of the mass going into the food is water, which gets cooked right out. So really, nutritionally speaking, the major ingredients are the barley, rice, and potatoes, with the animal protein source (turkey/chicken) probably falling somewhere behind that. Adding the animal protein as whole instead of as a meal allows them to list it first.
So if you're looking for a diet lower in grains (to lower Penny's urine acidity) you want to find a kibble with a ___ (insert animal protein source) meal listed at the top.
Some of the grain free kibbles are great (Nature's Variety Raw Instinct is what I feed; I believe Solid Gold, Innova, and Timberwolf also have grain-free offerings) but watch the protein content if Penny is still growing. (Sorry, I don't know how old she is!) The protein content in these foods are not appropriate for young Newfs.

Good luck!

Tiff

 

[Ohana Mom]

Our vet used to have us use the W/D variety for our cats with the same issue... Again - I agree with the others - I don't like ANY of the prescription diets made by Hills. Just because they are at the vets office - doesn't make them good.
Is this her first UTI - or is it a chronic problem? If its her first one ever, I'm not sure I would be ready to say it's the food. You are feeding a very good quality food. But just like with us - some agree with the dogs more than others...

 

[pjcarbone]

Now I am totally confused. I thought that whole meat was better that meal, that meal was made from bits & pieces of "throw away" meat. The 1st three ingred. in the Innova I use are: turkey, chicken, chicken meal. I guess I should have asked the questions when I was getting ready to switch from Nutro/ultra. NN'er have all the info., I'll know better next time. I spent about 2 weeks researching before I switched. I have started Penny on Cranberry capsules, and making sure she drinks a lot & goes out more frequently (if that's possible). Thanks everyone!!!

 

[MGoBlue]

No, the bits and pieces is "byproducts." So if you see a label with "chicken byproducts meal" then you want to stay away from it. However, "chicken meal" is more desirable than "chicken."
Does that make more sense?

Tiff

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Originally posted by Penny:
I called Penny's breeder & her parents are clear. The type of crystals she has in her urine are struvite.

That is good to hear. Hopefully it is the food then. Hope she is feeling better soon!