Mary Beth asked:
My chi recently had calcium oxalate stones removed. Can you recommend a diet to help prevent them from forming again? My Vet recommeneded Hills u/d but I refused to put him on that food.

Thank you,
Mary Beth
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Mary Beth,
I'm sorry to hear that your Chi is struggling with kidney/bladder stones. How old is your Chi? Is he/she a male or female?

There are several factors that can cause Chihuahua bladder stones. Some of the most common are:

• Urine pH. pH is an indicator of acidity level. It can be measured via hydrogen ion concentration. a pH of 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Generally, dogs tend to have slightly acidic urine around 6 - 6.5. Unfortunately, calcium oxalate stones have a propensity to form in acidic to neutral urine. Urine pH needs to be measure immediately upon voiding from the bladder for it to be accurate. Hopefully, your vet checked this while assessing your Chi's symptoms. If the pH was low then you can reduce the acidity of your Chi's diet to reduce the likelihood of stone formation. The addition of 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or better yet, potassium bicarbonate per liter of water to your Chi's water and/or food may help.
  
• Bacterial infection. The vet should have cultured the inside of one of the stones to determine if bacteria is the cause, since urine is supposed to be sterile. If the vet neglected to perform this step, then I'd recommend looking for another vet. You can still have a culture performed of your Chi's urine without the stones, but it must be performed against a fresh sample of urine, because bacteria will invade it very quickly once it leaves the body. If the culture is positive, then the vet can test several antibiotics on it to see which is most effective. and treat the Chi with that antibiotic.
  
• Dehydration. Insufficient liquid intake can result in a higher concentration of minerals in the urine. This can result in more frequent occurrence of stones. Encourage your Chi to drink lots of water.
  
• Infrequent urination. The longer the urine stays in the bladder, the more likely the minerals can condense and crystallize to form stones. Try to encourage your Chi to urinate 6 or more times a day if he/she is prone to stones.
  
• Hard water. If you live near the beach or other lowland areas, then your tap water is likely hard, meaning that it has a higher mineral content than normal. You can use a water filter to reduce the mineral content of the water, or even buy distilled water to eliminate all mineral content, if your Chi has ongoing struggles with stones. Avoid spring water, however, since it can also be high in mineral content.
  
• Diet. An imbalance of nutrients or a diet that is too high in certain minerals or too low in others can increase the likelihood of stone formation. This is a very complex topic and there are dozens of chemical processes that can be involved. in general however, since you mention that the stones are calcium oxalate, increase the amount of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium in the diet. Increasing dietary magnesium and phosphorus decreases the amount of calcium in the urine, and increasing dietary calcium reduces absorption of oxalates from the intestines. Potassium citrate may help prevent calcium oxalate stone formation because it forms a soluble complex with oxalates and promotes the formation of alkaline urine. Some people use 1 tablespoon of potassium citrate combined with a tablespoon of potassium bicarbonate mentioned above in a 1:1 ratio added per liter of water as a preventative.
  
• Genetic factors. There isn't a lot you can do about this, but some dogs are just predisposed to the formation of stones because of abnormalities or genetic mutations. You can ask your breeder if other owners have reported problems with their Chi's. If it turns out that your Chi is prone, then I would recommend using most or all of the tips mentioned above to help minimize the frequency and severity of stone formation.
  
• Disease. Sometimes kidney/bladder stones are symptoms of another illness. A thorough medical evaluation is recommended to help rule out other health problems.
  
• Aging. Some dogs, especially males, become more prone to stone formation as they age because of changes in hormone levels. In addition to the preventative measures mentioned above, hormone replacement therapy may also be a possible solution.

I hope this helps. Please let us know if you discover any other tips that help.

Gregg Dickson
http://www.ChihuahuaFanatics.com/