Kidney Stones in Cats and Dogs – Description, Treatment, Prevention By R.D. Hawkins
which until recently was thought to occur primarily in bladder seems to be happening more frequently in other areas of the urinary tract. Resent research studies suggest that this change is a byproduct of mineral rich diets and increased availability of vitamin supplements high in magnesium and calcium which many pet parents have adopted. There may be other reasons as well including less exercise due to the busy schedules of most pet parents. Kidney stones come in two main forms (struvite and calcium oxalate) and can produce no symptoms for years under the right set of circumstances. While this may be the case once symptoms become obvious kidney stones can pose significant risks to your pet’s health. Some of these symptoms would be changes in urinary frequency, changes in urinary habits, dribbling, blood in the urine stream, pain during urination and in more serious cases nausea, vomiting, depression, isolationism, and abdominal distention. There is also a lesser known type of stone primarily found in Dalmatians known as uric acid stones. This is biological issue due to this breed inability to absorb uric acid. Certainly, if you start to see symptoms of kidneys stones immediate action should be taken due to potential severity of the problem. The worst case scenario is when urinary tract blockage has occurred leading to a backup in urine which swells the kidney and if not correctly quickly will destroy the kidneys ability to function. The good news is that your cat or dog has two kidneys and even if some damage has occurred they can live a normal life with as little as 25% of total kidney function. Certainly treatment will depend on the size, type, location of the stone, and whether or not it is causing urinary blockage. Struvite stones can sometimes be dissolved with specially formulated pet foods containing the urinary acidifier L-methionine. This method of treatment is not effective when calcium oxalate stones are the culprit. The changes are pretty good that if the kidney stone is either large, causing partial or total blockage, or of the calcium oxalate variety that surgery will be required. Without a doubt the best treatment for any type of urinary stone is prevention because when they do occur the outcomes can range from very good to very bad and the costs can be quite substantial, especially when surgery is required. Preventive steps and facts *Know your dog: Recognize that certain breeds of pets are more vulnerable than others. Do your research and if you have one of these breeds recognize that without prevention chances are kidney or bladder stones will appear at some point. *Age matters: Stones generally are found in pets over 2 years old with the threat escalating after the age of 8. *Water intake: Flushing the urinary tract and moderating pH levels through adequate clean fresh water intake is very important both to overall health as well as kidney stone prevention. *Bathroom breaks: Make sure your pet is voiding at least three times a day and perhaps more if fluid intake has been increased. *Cranberry or blueberry juice: Supplementing your pets diet with cranberry (primary) or blueberry (secondary) juice is one of the most overlooked natural kidney stone prevention home remedies. These juices have two benefits: First, they reduce bacteria’s ability to adhere to the urinary tract thus avoiding bacterial infections, which have shown to be a major contributing factor in both bladder and kidney stones. Secondarily, cranberry juice has been shown to reduce the amount of ionized calcium in the urine by over fifty percent in pets with recurrent kidney stones. *Watch their diets: Diets and/or pet foods that are low in magnesium that normalize urine pH levels tend to be helpful in prevention. If you insist on high mineral diets make sure your pet drinks plenty of water to flush the urinary tract. *Vitamin Mineral Supplements: Proper nutrition is very important but too much of a good thing does not necessarily make it better. If you have a pet that is prone to kidney or bladder stones check with your vet for the proper supplemental vitamin and mineral formula for your unique situation. *Exercise: Active pet experience a number of health benefits including reduced risk of stone formation. *Herbal or Homeopathic supplements: Another good preventative step. Look for herbal or homeopathic urinary health products containing uva ursi which is generally considered to be a safe and effective urinary tonic with many health benefits.
formulated to safely and effectively support harmony, health and balance in the bladder and urinary tract. The remedy is easy to administer to pets without any fuss. - Continue |
| Thank You for Visiting Purchase Remedies.com |