Struvite Stones In Cats Diet

Struvite uroliths occur in both dogs and cats but have different causes.

Struvite stones in cats diet.

Overly concentrated urine high levels of phosphate magnesium and ammonium in the urine infection less common in cats than in dogs. In cats approximately 45 of uroliths consist entirely or predominantly of struvite and most feline struvite uroliths form in sterile urine figure 1. Struvite is the most common feline stone analyzed by the minnesota urolith center. Dry and canned therapeutic foods are 100 effective in dissolving feline struviteuroliths in about 1 to 3 weeks.

This diet should be fed for 5 to 12 weeks only for adult cats with struvite stones. In dogs struvite stones the. Healthy cats have low ph urine ie acidic. Struvite diets for cats and dogs causes differ.

Cats may have predisposing factors to struvite stones such as castration obesity and a sedentary. Don t give your pet alkalizing foods such as apples bananas cabbage broccoli beans potatoes pumpkin millet honey alfalfa non distilled vinegar organic apple cider vinegar squash. Struvite crystals in cats are formed when the urine ph is too high ie too alkaline. The most important step to preventing recurrence is to feed a prescription diet.

Diet has played an important role in struvite dissolution and prevention for over 3 5 years. So how do cats get urine that is too alkaline. Diet in some cases a specially formulated diet will be enough to dissolve the stones this depends on the type of. Foods made with grains corn wheat rice etc create alkaline urine in dogs and cats that makes them susceptible to struvite stones.

1 the pathophysiology of struvite urolith formation in sterile urine is poorly understood. Once the stones have been dissolved there are other diets from specific that are designed for longer term use that will help prevent them reforming. In buffington s experience most cats prefer canned food to dry food with water added to it. Cats who have developed struvite bladder stones are likely to experience a recurrence later in life unless the conditions that led to the formation of stones can be corrected.

However dietary and metabolic factors that result in alkaline urine and increased concentrations of magnesium ammonium and phosphate in urine have been implicated. Treatment of stones in cats. Leaving dogs on a struvite dissolution or prevention diet after stones have dissolved is not recommended. Specific fsw struvite dissolution is a wet food designed to dissolve struvite stones in cats.

Filling the bladder to create heavier urination to flush out the stone surgical removal of stones sometimes cats can simply pass out the stone when.