In the first of our series of ‘Ask The Nutritionist’ posts, we take a look at an increasingly common concern in cats and dogs - Urinary Tract Health.
Any time urinary tract problems arise, there is a potential risk for serious illness to occur, so it is always important to get a proper veterinary diagnosis before treatment begins. My initial recommendation would be to try to seek out a good holistic vet. www.ahvma.org has a database that you can search by state. Any vet should be able to determine what sort of crystals are present, based on analysis under a microscope. It should not require submission to a lab. It is vitally important to diagnose if crystals, infection or another underlying cause exists. The two main types of crystals (struvite and calcium oxalate) are diametrically opposed to one another and therefore the treatment method for each is different, too.
My recommendation would be to feed a good quality commercial food (not one of the ‘prescription’ diets which tend to be full of by-products and artificial ingredients including chemical preservatives) or better still - a home made diet, along with a supplement that is suited to the type of crystals the pet has. A product such as Berry Balance made by www.Solidgoldhealth.com or a similar product made by Wysong will help to acidify the urine in the case of struvite crystals, which form when the urine is too alkaline. Potassium Citrate granules are indicated when the urine is too acidic, and calcium oxalate crystals start to from. When chosen correctly, based on the diagnosis and analysis of the urine, these supplements can help manage urinary pH and reduce the likelihood of more crystals developing.
Animals with urine that is too alkaline (those prone to struvite crystal formation) can also be susceptible to urinary tract infections. Research is ongoing as to whether one condition causes the other, or the two things just flare up with the pH becomes high. Antibiotics will help to correct a true infection but they should not be used indiscriminately and we never recommend their long term use to try to ‘prevent’ infections.
A holistic approach to health is all about balance, and helping the body to heal itself. Long term supplementation with the above mentioned products, is not always necessary; you can monitor the pH of the urine yourself if you wish, using pH strips which are now quite commonly available. Any variances in the pH can be addressed with occasional supplement use, based on whether the urine has become more acidic or alkaline. A urinary health tincture called Tinkle Tonic from www.animalessentials.com is also an excellent product for achieving and maintaining over all urinary tract health.
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