Integrating Custom Recipes into Medical Programs for Dogs with Calcium Oxalate Crystals and Stones:
What We Know about Oxalate Crystals & Stones
For reasons we don’t understand, certain breeds of dogs are prone to forming oxalate urinary crystals and eventually stones, no matter which prescription food owners choose, hoping to prevent them. But we do know that combining oxalate-free ingredients and carefully supplementing calcium, can prevent the recurrence of calcium oxalate crystals and stones.
The Healthier Homemade dog food recipes for calcium oxalate crystals and stones contain ingredients to manage this condition.
Which Ingredients Matter
Meat is oxalate free and white rice is very low in oxalates, so these homemade dog food recipes are virtually oxalate-free. The recipe's calcium content is more than adequate for proper bone maintenance yet below the minimum considered by veterinary internal medicine specialists as ideal to manage the condition.
What to Expect
Diet cannot dissolve calcium oxalate stones, so surgical removal of calcium oxalate bladder stones is necessary for successful management of the condition. It also means that calcium oxalate mineralization in kidneys will not dissolve, but it will not increase on this diet.
More than Just Diet
Your dog’s diet is only one tool for the management of calcium oxalates, it is not a substitute for a comprehensive veterinary management plan. The plan may include urine alkalizers, acidifiers, and monitoring with quarterly urinalyses and x-rays for the first year on the program to make sure it is controlling crystalluria.
Detection of struvite urinary crystals is common on these diets. Semi-annual or annual urinalysis and bladder x-rays should be considered for the life of the patient.
What You Can Do
These patients should be offered only distilled water. The mineral content of municipal or well waters varies dramatically across the United States.
It is also best to avoid commercial dog treats because they are high in oxalates.
Don’t Use this Recipe If
If your dog has other conditions needing conflicting dietary restrictions (kidney disease, urinary stones, liver shunts, or cancer) Healthier Homemade recipes for calcium oxalate crystals and stones may not be appropriate.
This is one of the things we will verify with your veterinarian, before beginning to formulate your recipe.
Is it Balanced and Complete?
All Personalized Healthier Homemade Dog Food diets for calcium oxalate crystals and stones exceed AAFCO and NRC requirements for all daily nutrients.
Each Healthier Homemade Starter Kit includes a nutrition data fact sheet, so you and your veterinarian can see that all of the 42 daily essential nutrients exceed 100% levels in meals prepared with our recipes when used as directed. Commercial prescription diets, especially kibble, may be unappealing. Freshly cooked meals make a difference!
Dr. Ken Tudor is a recognized expert and leader in the field of pet nutrition and fitness. In addition to co-founding a national campaign to help fight dog obesity, he developed a pet weight management program and served on the American Animal Hospital Association task force to develop their Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.