Struvite Crystals Signs & Symptoms and natural treatments

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Hi Dot

As we explained in last week’s newsletter, just like humans, our pets can develop struvite crystals and kidney stones.

Cats and dogs, particularly around the ages of six and seven, are vulnerable to struvite crystals and, if left untreated, struvite crystals can fuse together to form struvite stones which account for more than a third of all urinary tract stones in dogs and a half of all urinary tract stones in cats.


.Signs and symptoms of struvite crystals

There a number of symptoms that may indicate your pets are suffering from struvite crystals:
Frequent urination.
Straining to urinate.
Abnormal urinary flow.
Urination in unusual places, for example in the house.
Cloudy or bloody urine.
Increased thirst.

What to do if your pet displays these symptoms
If you recognise these symptoms in your pet, get your vet to conduct tests that will diagnose the cause so that your pet can begin the appropriate treatment.

If your pet’s straining to urinate becomes extreme, or they stop urinating altogether, you must get them to a vet urgently as they may have a blocked urinary tract.


Treating pet’s struvite crystals and stones naturally
If your vet determines that your pet has struvite crystals or stones, but that their condition isn’t too advanced, it may be possible to treat them naturally.

The prescription diet your vet may suggest will primarily include artificial acidifiers, but you can achieve this naturally using Vets All Natural Raw 76, Health Rolls or Complete Mix.

I advise using additional Vitamin C (make sure it is ascorbic acid, and not a buffered version like sodium ascorbate) and cranberry tablets. Cranberry does contain high levels of Vitamin C, but the primary effect of cranberry is to create a mucilaginous lining on the mucosal surface of the bladder wall, which inhibits the attachment of bacteria and assists voiding of any contaminants with normal urination.

I suggest feeding primarily red meat if you are using Complete Mix (eg Kangaroo meat) at a ratio of 70% meat and 30% soaked Complete Mix (by weight/volume). You can add about 1-2 g of Vitamin C powder per day (1/2 teaspoon) and two to three cranberry tablets for a 15kg dog.

Have your pet’s urine PH tested every month for three to four months following the commencement of treatment (or, even better, weekly at home using a home PH test), to make sure it is acidic. Ideal PH is about 5-6 for a dog, and 4-6 for a cat. Once the PH is stable, you can cease the cranberry supplement, and then do another test a month later to make sure it has not changed.

When feeding our pets the goal is always to mimic a ‘live prey’ diet, which is why a balanced diet of meat (preferably raw) and vegetable matter is always preferable, both as a preventative measure, and to rectify conditions such as struvite crystals.