homemade diet for dog with bladder stones
Homemade Dog Food for Bladder Stones, Recipes
Dogs can develop bladder stones or kidney stonesthe same way humans do.
Kidney and bladder stones in dogs are very serious, painful, and even fatal problems.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals,
Bladder stones are common in dogs. They result from one or more underlying abnormalities, making stone analysis a step in the diagnosis process.
It is important to evaluate what the dog was fed before the bladder stone diagnosis and analyze blood and urine for clues as to how nutrition may prevent bladder stone occurrence.
If you prefer to cook for your pooch, then these homemade dog food for bladder stones recipes will come in handy.
According to the most recent findings, today's dietary recommendations for dogs with bladder stones differ from those recommended a few decades ago.
Diets should not be restricted in protein, phosphorus, or calcium.
A 2002 AVMA study found that feeding dogs a low-carb and high-protein diet reduces the risk of kidney stones.
Therefore, a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of a dog's body weight daily is recommended.
In addition to this diet, remember that water intake will be a crucial component for dealing with bladder stones in dogs.
Take any opportunity to encourage your dog to drink water or otherwise consume fluids (through homemade food or canned dog food) and urinate.
Adding a little salt will encourage your pet to urinate more, and several studies found that sodium intake actually helps to deal with bladder stones.
Do not confuse different types of stones. A diet for dogs with struvite crystals (or struvite bladder stones containing magnesium ammonium phosphate).
This will differ greatly from a diet for dogs with calcium oxalate (CaOx) bladder and kidney stones.
While these are technically homemade dog food for bladder stones recipes, remember that every dog and every case is different.
It's crucial that you discuss any dietary adjustments and recipes with your veterinarian before feeding them to your pooch.
With that in mind, here are 13 recipes for homemade dog food for bladder stones that may help your pup.
All leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-5 days and frozen for 3 months.
Homemade Dog Food for Bladder Stones
1. Chicken Dinner with Desert
Ingredients:
- 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 1 cups rice
- 2 cups frozen green peas (steamed)
- 1 can of pure pumpkin
- Bananas (desert served banana daily)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375
- Rinse chicken, place in a casserole dish, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 30 minutes. Drain and chop into small pieces.
- Cook rice according to the directions on the bag and your cooker.
- Mix ingredients together. Allow cooling. Chop in a food processor.
- Serve with half of a banana (sliced).
2. Complete Nutrition Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. cooked ground turkey
- 3 oz canned tuna (packed in water)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 oz beef liver
- 4 oz plain low-fat yogurt
- 4 oz low-fat cottage cheese
- 3 cups white rice
- 5 oz broccoli, 5 oz carrots, 5 oz peas
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Brown ground meats.
- Fry liver in olive oil.
- Steam vegetables.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Scramble eggs (or cook any way preferred).
- Mix all ingredients together and chop in a food processor.
More Homemade Dog Food for Bladder Stones
3. Satisfying Beef Supper
Ingredients:
- 5 oz ground beef
- 3 cups long-grained white rice
- 2 tsp canola oil
- tsp salt substitute (potassium chloride)
- 1 tsp bone meal powder
- tsp iodized table salt (sodium chloride)
- 1 chewable kids multi-vitamin/multi-mineral
- 50 mg zinc
Directions:
- Brown ground meat.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Mix rice and meat with other ingredients.
- Vitamins can be ground into food or served separately.
4. Egg Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 cups long-grain brown rice
- 2 tsp canola oil
- oz brewer's yeast
- 4 bonemeal tablets (10-grain or equivalent)
- teaspoon salt substitute (potassium chloride)
- 1 chewable kids multivitamin (or canine vitamin)
Directions:
- Boil egg and crush (with shells).
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Vitamins can be ground into food or served separately.
5. Chuck Roast with Mash
Ingredients:
- 1 pounds of ground chuck roast
- lb of cooked calf liver
- 1 cup instant mashed potatoes
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 8 chewable Tums (calcium carbonate)
- 1 chewable vitamin for kids or dogs
- 100 IU of vitamin E-liquid
- 2 oz distilled water
Directions:
- Brown ground chuck roast.
- Fry's liver.
- Prepare mashed potatoes using the directions on the box.
- Mix all the ingredients together, grounding the vitamins and mixing in.
6. Tuna Surprise
Ingredients:
- 3 cans of tuna packed in water
- 1 tsp iodized table salt (sodium chloride)
- 1 tsp salt substitute (potassium chloride)
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup chopped zucchini
Directions:
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Steam vegetables.
- Mix all ingredients together and mash or blend.
7. Savory Soup
Ingredients:
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 cup turkey (finely minced)
- 4 tbsp Sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon bonemeal powder
- 1 cup turkey broth (homemade or pre-packaged)
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool and serve.
8. Fruity Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup cherries
- 1 cup apples (cored and diced)
- cup shredded coconut
- cup low-fat yogurt
- 2 eggs beaten with shells
- 6 cups bread cubes (wheat or white)
- 2 cups water
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Mix water, yogurt, eggs, and bread in a bowl.
- Mix fruit together with cup water.
- Pour into the baking pan.
- Bake 45 minutes.
- Top with fruit mixture
Last 2 Homemade Dog Food for Bladder Stones
9. Western Omelet
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs (beaten with shells)
- 3 oz chopped ham
- cup of red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- cup of green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- cup (1oz) shredded low-fat Swiss cheese
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- Whisk together eggs (yolk and whites) and water in a bowl.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tsp olive oil.
- Saut ham and peppers.
- Clean the pan, and add 1 tsp olive oil. Heat skillet to medium-high.
- Add half of the egg mixture.
- Cook for 2 minutes while rolling the pan to distribute the mixture.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of cheese on top of the egg.
- Add half of the vegetables.
- Fold the omelet and remove it from the pan.
- Repeat for the second omelet.
10. Veggie Stir-Fry with Flax Seed Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- small zucchini (chopped)
- 1 cups cauliflower (chopped)
- 1 cups broccoli (chopped)
- 1 cup mushrooms (chopped)
- cup green pepper strips (chopped)
- cup red pepper strips (chopped)
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 tbsp flax seed, toasted
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Directions:
- Mix flax seeds, ginger, broth, soy sauce, and vinegar in a bowl.
- Add oil to the wok and heat over medium heat
- Add vegetables and stir fry for 5 minutes.
- Add lid and steam for an extra 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce mixture to the wok and stir for 1 minute.
- Cool and serve.
Homemade Dog Food for Bladder Stones: Before You Go
What homemade dog food for bladder stones is great?
A diet high in fresh foods is advised by canine nutritionists. Just like us, dogs benefit from eating fresh food.
Particularly if your dog has struvite stones, stay away from starchy, highly processed kibble foods.
Maintaining proper hydration will help your dog's urine be less mineralized. This may lessen the likelihood of stones forming.
Don't forget to give him plenty of chances to go outside to pee as his drinking increases.
Even if Fido requires surgery to remove the stones, the appropriate diet and herbs can help stop a recurrence.
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Homemade Dog Food For Struvite Bladder Stones
Key Takeaways
- Struvite bladder stones are the most common type of bladder stone in dogs, and are contracted from a bacterial infection of the bladder via the urethra.
- Unlike other types of bladder stone, struvite bladder stones are not primarily caused by diet. But restricting your dogs diet could help dissolve the stones and relieve your dog of the condition.
- Homemade dog food for struvite bladder stones can be a bit resource-intensive because of the nature of the condition, but its well worth it if youre set on a natural remedy for this illness.
Dogs can develop many of the health problems that humans have, includingkidneyor bladder stones. Just like with us, struvite bladder stones in particular are quite common in canines. Bladder stones generally form from minerals that build up in the bladder and resemble small rocks. Struvite stones specifically develop due to a buildup of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate as a reaction to an upper urinary tract infection.
Such infections are caused by bacteria that secrete ammonia, which combine with the magnesium and phosphorus in the urine, as well as calcium carbon-apatite, to form struvite crystals and subsequently turn your dogs urine alkaline. Canine urine is normally acidic, so any struvite that forms usually dissolves. However, if the concentration of struvite is higher than normal or if the urine turns alkaline struvite bladder stones may form. Factors that may contribute to urine turning alkaline include:
- Bladder infections
- Kidney disease
- Antacids or diuretics used long-term
Transitioning your pup to homemade food instead of commercial dog food can help to prevent struvite bladder stones from forming in your dogs bladder. My tried and tested homemade dog food for struvite bladder stones is just the recipe for that task. Alternatively, try out one of the best fresh dog food brands if youre too busy to cook your own dog food.
A Quick Rundown on Struvite Bladder Stones
Bladder stones are known to be a somewhat common problem among canines, with struvite bladder stones being the most common variety.
Symptoms
- Constantly urinating
- Difficulty urinating
- Frequently thirsty
- Weird urination pattern (when urinating, your dog might only release a few drops to start, and after a few seconds it may increase to several drops to a stream)
- Poor bladder control
- Cloudy urine
- Blood in urine
Causes
As stated above, struvite stones develop because of bacterial infection. Bacteria in the bladder produce urease, an enzyme that fosters the rapid reproduction of bacteria. Urease reacts with the urea in the urine, producing an excess of ammonia, which is the reason why the urine becomes alkaline. As weve discussed, alkaline urine does not dissolve struvite crystals well, enabling the development of struvite stones.
Struvite stones tend to be more common in female dogs, likely because their urethra is wider and shorter, making it easier for bacteria to get to the bladder from there.
The main cause for infections are unsanitary environment, swimming or traveling through filthy areas, or even poor hygiene that enables anal bacteria to travel to the urethra.
Lack of hydration is also a key factor in causing struvite bladder stones. If this is your main issue, I find that a small amount ofadded saltin food encourages dogs to drink more water. Remember that canned food provides more fluid than dry kibble, but nothing beats actual homemade dog food recipes, or products from acclaimed fresh dog food brands.
What Kind of Diet is Best To Treat My Dogs Bladder Stones?
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, a diet thats low in protein, magnesium, and phosphorus may reduce the risk of struvite bladder stones in dogs [1]. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends one gram of protein per one pound of a dogs body weight each day. Always remember to give your dog plenty of water to encourage urination to help them dissolve and/or pass the crystals, too.
The most typical recipes for struvite bladder stones in dogs are low in magnesium, phosphorous, and protein. The ideal struvite bladder stone recipe is formulated to promote more acidic urine that can assist in dissolving the bladder stones your pup already has and help to prevent new struvite stones from forming.
My Best Veterinarian Approved Recipe For Struvite Bladder Stones
As Ive shown in all my other homemade dog food recipes, you can easily create healthy,homemade foodto improve your pups health conditions just by using fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits. This struvite bladder stones recipe is no different. Created with the help of my friend Michael Stavin, DVM, this has helped relieve one of my dogs of a particularly nasty bout of struvite stone symptoms, and prevented recurring struvite stones from appearing since. It has since helped many of my friends dogs, and eventually, I hope it will help any of your dogs suffering from this condition as well.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 of a cup of 25 percent fat ground beef
- 3 cups of white rice, long-grain
- 2 teaspoons of canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of potassium chloride
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of bone meal powder
- 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt, iodized
- One vitamin and mineral supplement for children
- 50 milligrams of zinc
Instructions
Cook the rice according to the directions on the packaging. While thats cooking, brown the ground beef over low heat in a skillet. Afterwards, mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The recipe provides approximately 1095 kilocalories about the daily requirement of a 45 lb neutered dog.
As always, remember to consult with your vet in case you need to make any adjustments to the recipe based on factors such as:
- Activity level
- Age
- Breed
- Current health
- Environment
- Medical history
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can I feed a dog with struvite stones?
Foods that have lower oxalate levels include peeled apples without the core or seeds, fish, meats, and wild rice. Struvite crystals often form as a result of a urinary tract infections(UTI)that will require veterinary treatment. However, low oxalate foods can help to dissolve them.
2. What foods should dogs with struvite crystals avoid?
You should avoid feeding your dog foods made with grains including corn, brown rice, and wheat as they are all high in oxalate. Grains create alkaline urine in dogs that make them more susceptible to developing struvite stones. An alkaline ph is necessary for struvite stones to form and cant form in acidic urine. Additional foods to avoid include:
- Alfalfa
- Bananas
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Honey
- Millet
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Squash
Vinegar thats not distilled like organic apple cider vinegar found in some foods, should also be avoided.
3. What can I feed a dog with bladder crystals?
The answer largely depends on what type of bladder stone youre dealing with. Only three types have been documented to respond well to dissolution via dietary regimen: purine stones, cystine stones, and struvite stones. For the first two, a protein-restricted diet that promotes alkaline urine pH is required. For struvite stones, veterinarians advise foods high in fat, although this might increase the likelihood of pancreatitis. In general as with humans, high sodium is to be avoided.
4. Is canned pumpkin good for dogs with bladder stones?
Addingcanned pumpkincan soothe the digestive system when a dog has an upset from bladder stones or even an upset stomach. The most important point is that you should only feed your dog 100 percent plain pumpkin. You should never use pumpkin pie filling since it contains additional ingredients that are harmful to dogs.