The Food Topic..Again :)

[GAOMariposa]

Hi everyone. I need some more advice. I posted on another thread about how my baby had crystals in her urine. The vet wanted me to put her on the Hill's S/D for 30 days and then put her on the K/D (I think it was this one) for maintenance. Well, I didn't want to put her on that. I bought 2 cans of it though and she wouldn't eat it.

So what I've been doing for the last few weeks is giving her boiled chicken with the broth and it seems to be working. I tried giving her just Chicken Soup moistened and I saw crystals again. I tried giving her just the Innova moistened and she wouldn't eat it and I noticed a little bit of crystals. I'm almost at my wits end!!! I can't find a good solution. In some of her urine I notice crystals (when I let it dry on newspaper and then look at it with a flashlight), then sometimes I don't. I actually watch her when she goes potty on the paper and then circle the spot with a marker and make note of the time of day and what she ate. Today she's only been eating boiled chicken with broth and so far, no crystals.

So here's my problem, I've read on several different websites lots of different contradictions about what food is best. Some say to feed high protein, others say feed low protein. I would consider feeding raw, but since I'm in Mexico, I'm a little scared about doing it. So what I would like is some recommendations on food that has worked for other babies with struvite crystal issues.

I also think my baby might be allergic to chicken. I feed her more boiled chicken and broth a little while ago and when I picked her up, the rims around her eyes were very red. Not to mention that she's been itchy. I thought she might have fleas, but she's on Frontline and I haven't seen any fleas on her, and the allergy shampoo the vet gave me a while ago didn't seem to help. She rubs and scratches her eyes a lot. I have drops that the vet gave me and they seem to help, but I would rather find a permanent solution.

Okay, so sorry to go on and on. But I would like to know what food works best for a baby who may have a poultry allergy and has pee pee issues. I'm also going to pick up the cranberry stuff when I go home (hopefully in 3 weeks) and I would also like to pick up some new food. I wanted to try the Orijen fish but I'm not sure if the protein might be too high. Thanks again everyone and I'm sorry for the long post.

[lucirbc]

I have a dog (not a yorkie), who has had some "stones" in her bladder. i am not sure if that is the same thing as crystals, but i read that too high of protein can cause the problem. she also does not do well with chicken. i have started natures variety prairie beef flavor and plan on rotating the flavors (all but the chicken). hope it helps!

[lil fu fu girl]

Everything that I have read points to several issues;
1) genetics, some dogs are prone to them,
2) too high a ph in the urine due to diet,
3)or reocurring infection.

So, nutritionally, to put it simply; when we are feeding our pets a vegetable/grain enriched food, we are making their urine more alchaline, which assists in the formation of struvite and calcium crystals. Protein, on the other hand, makes the urine more acidic, and helps prevent the formation of the struvite crystals in the bladder. I would stick to proteins, and lots and lots of filtered water to flush out the kidneys and bladder. (Filtered water, as most waters are loaded with minerals, which also aid in the formation of crystals.) Hope this helps.

[GAOMariposa]

Thank you for the recommendation. My baby isn't a Yorkie either. Her little sister will be, though. I had a urinalysis done and they didn't see crystals, but here at home, I still see some crystals when I don't give her the broth with the chicken breast. Not as much as I saw a few weeks ago. The vet just wanted to put her on the Hills SD just in case. But it looked so gross and she wouldn't eat it.

The Nature's Variety sounds really good. I think I'm going to have her try some when I go home. Is it Petco or Petsmart that allows you to return the bag if they don't like? I didn't think I had a picky eater, but boy was I wrong. A worker at an animal feed store told me to feed her whatever I wanted her to eat and that she would have to eat it, whether she liked it or not. Sorry, but that's not how it works with these small babies.

But thank you again for the rec. I will have her try that in a few weeks. Hopefully it works, along with the cranberry powder.

[GAOMariposa]

Originally Posted by lil fu fu girl

Everything that I have read points to several issues;
1) genetics, some dogs are prone to them,
2) too high a ph in the urine due to diet,
3)or reocurring infection.

So, nutritionally, to put it simply; when we are feeding our pets a vegetable/grain enriched food, we are making their urine more alchaline, which assists in the formation of struvite and calcium crystals. Protein, on the other hand, makes the urine more acidic, and helps prevent the formation of the struvite crystals in the bladder. I would stick to proteins, and lots and lots of filtered water to flush out the kidneys and bladder. (Filtered water, as most waters are loaded with minerals, which also aid in the formation of crystals.) Hope this helps.

I thought the problem was because of the veggies. I was feeding her way too many for her size. And I thought I was being a good mommy. When she had the urinalysis done her pH was 5. Her last urinalysis which was done before she was spayed in May was 6 and she was eating both Innova Evo and Chicken Soup.

I guess I'm going to try the Orijen fish (well, my baby will, not me ). She drinks only filtered water. I don't trust the water in Mexico. My vet told me to give her tap water because if she were ever to drink water from some puddle or something, it could cause a problem. But I still give her bottled water.

Thank you, your information did help.

[lil fu fu girl]

Originally Posted by GAOMariposa

I thought the problem was because of the veggies. I was feeding her way too many for her size. And I thought I was being a good mommy. When she had the urinalysis done her pH was 5. Her last urinalysis which was done before she was spayed in May was 6 and she was eating both Innova Evo and Chicken Soup.

I guess I'm going to try the Orijen fish (well, my baby will, not me ). She drinks only filtered water. I don't trust the water in Mexico. My vet told me to give her tap water because if she were ever to drink water from some puddle or something, it could cause a problem. But I still give her bottled water.

Thank you, your information did help.

You are most welcome!

[GAOMariposa]

Originally Posted by lucirbc

I have a dog (not a yorkie), who has had some "stones" in her bladder. i am not sure if that is the same thing as crystals, but i read that too high of protein can cause the problem. she also does not do well with chicken. i have started natures variety prairie beef flavor and plan on rotating the flavors (all but the chicken). hope it helps!

Thank you as well. It did.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by GAOMariposa

Thank you for the recommendation. My baby isn't a Yorkie either. Her little sister will be, though. I had a urinalysis done and they didn't see crystals, but here at home, I still see some crystals when I don't give her the broth with the chicken breast. Not as much as I saw a few weeks ago. The vet just wanted to put her on the Hills SD just in case. But it looked so gross and she wouldn't eat it.

The Nature's Variety sounds really good. I think I'm going to have her try some when I go home. Is it Petco or Petsmart that allows you to return the bag if they don't like? I didn't think I had a picky eater, but boy was I wrong. A worker at an animal feed store told me to feed her whatever I wanted her to eat and that she would have to eat it, whether she liked it or not. Sorry, but that's not how it works with these small babies.

But thank you again for the rec. I will have her try that in a few weeks. Hopefully it works, along with the cranberry powder.

I highly recommend the NV Instinct. Jackson is a picky picky eater and has never eaten dry food willingly without something else yummy mixed in. This NV Instinct.... loves it!!! It's a great food, too.

[GAOMariposa]

Originally Posted by Britster

I highly recommend the NV Instinct. Jackson is a picky picky eater and has never eaten dry food willingly without something else yummy mixed in. This NV Instinct.... loves it!!! It's a great food, too.

I'm going to have her try that. Hopefully she'll like it () And I'll also have her try the Orijen. I just hope I can find sample sizes of the NV. I think Orijen does have samples at the stores that carry it, right? And for the NV, I'll buy a bag at Petco (hopefully they take returns if she doesn't like it). Thanks for the rec.

[GAOMariposa]

Which one is more recommended, Instinct or Prairie?

I just noticed that Petsmart and Petco don't carry it. But there are several stores in my area that do. If my baby has a chicken allergy, is chicken fat okay to have as an ingredient in food?

[Britster]

Originally Posted by GAOMariposa

Which one is more recommended, Instinct or Prairie?

I just noticed that Petsmart and Petco don't carry it. But there are several stores in my area that do. If my baby has a chicken allergy, is chicken fat okay to have as an ingredient in food?

I know Instinct is rated higher, if that means anything, lol. It's a bit higher in protein (35%) and grain-free. The Prairie is semi-grain heavy, but still a good choice. I'm not entirely sure about the chicken fat. Jackson likes Duck & Turkey flavor best but I just bought him a bag of the Rabbit flavor, and he just cleaned his bowl w/ that one, too!

[GAOMariposa]

Originally Posted by Britster

I know Instinct is rated higher, if that means anything, lol. It's a bit higher in protein (35%) and grain-free. The Prairie is semi-grain heavy, but still a good choice. I'm not entirely sure about the chicken fat. Jackson likes Duck & Turkey flavor best but I just bought him a bag of the Rabbit flavor, and he just cleaned his bowl w/ that one, too!

I think I'm going to have to have her try the rabbit flavor one too, because of the allergy to poultry thing. I feel kind of bad about it though, because I used to have bunnies as pets when I was younger. But that's the only poultry free flavor the Instinct has. We'll see if she likes it.