Teddy's Tinkles: My dog's experience with crystals in his urine

by Jessica, VT

When it comes to our pets we don’t always focus on their bathroom habits but this can be an
important aspect of their health. Certain breeds are prone to crystals and bladder stones but nature
doesn’t always pick and choose so it is important to remember to monitor your pet’s urine stream,
quantity of urine and bathroom habits in general. I have a teacup Yorkie and unfortunately I picked a
lemon when I adopted him (but I don’t love him any less!). My little guy has every genetic/hereditary
issue in the book, and urine crystals is one of them. The signs I noticed he needed to urinate small
amounts more frequently, his urine was a bit more concentrated (darker) than normal and the stream
had an intermittent flow when he would try to urinate. In order to analyze urine and the health of the
bladder,  the first thing we needed was a urinalysis – this revealed a type of crystal called struvite in
low levels. Struvite crystal can be treated early with a diet change but if not treated they can form
bladder stones which require surgical intervention for removal.

 A few ways to help your pet’s bladder health is by adding extra warm water to their canned meals (especially if they don’t drink much like my guy),taking them out more often for bathroom breaks as holding their bladder can cause strain on their bladder, and most importantly having them on a veterinary diet that has an “S/O index".
Certain diets help dissolve pure struvite stones and helps prevent calcium oxalate stones from forming.
My little guy is on Royal Canin Urinary S/O for small dogs – this is a lifelong diet * – to ensure his bladder
stays healthy happy and problem free of crystals in the future! Venturing from his diet can cause a
change in the PH of his urine. I perform a urinalysis every year to make sure there have been no changes
to his health.
Who knew food could be such an important aspect of our pet’s health – so remember that the quality
and type of diet can make a big impact on their bodily functions. In some cases urine crystals can be
indicators of a more serious underlying conditions, monitoring their habits and bladder health is key!