Struvite Crystals In Puppy Urine
One way to get your dog to drink more water is to increase his sodium.
Struvite crystals in puppy urine. Crystals can become bladder stones and a chronic issue if not dealt with. Acute dog urinary incontinence concern can be brought on by struvite crystals forming in the dogs urine. Struvite crystals are formed in the alkaline urine thus drinking more water will help his urine get more diluted and acidic. Struvite stones are one of the most common bladder stones in dogs and cats.
Struvite crystals irritate the urinary tract and trigger frequent urination. However according to veterinarians at the marva vista animal clinic in los angeles struvite crystals require an alkaline ph in order to form. In some cases this requires adjusting the ph of your dog s urine. Certain kinds of crystals in cat urine or dog urine may eventually lead to stone formation.
If left untreated struvite crystals can form stones that can make it impossible for your dog to urinate which can become a life threatening condition. Struvite crystals in dog urine. The crystals composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate become a problem only if your dog contracts a urinary tract infection. Many dogs have struvite crystals in their urine which does not necessarily indicate a medical condition.
They typically form because of urinary changes that happen when bladder infections occur. Struvite is a natural constituent of dog s urine. They cannot form in acidic urine. The cause of crystals in cats and dogs depend on the kind of crystal your veterinarian finds.
They are comprised of magnesium ammonium phosphate and are more likely to appear when the urine gets too alkaline. Struvite is a normal component of dog s urine and will remain dissolved as long as the urine is acidic and is not too concentrated. It remains dissolved and not precipitate for as long as. Struvite crystals are the first of the two main types of crystals seen in dog s urine.
Urine crystals and stones aren t always related. The changes caused in the crystals by a staphylococcal or proteus infection from. Incontinence in a dog caused by crystals in urine. In general crystals are found when an abundance of certain compounds are excreted by the kidneys.
The veterinarian will determine if your dog needs medical treatment. It is therefore important to make the dog s urine more acidic to prevent their formation explains veterinarian dr. Dogs prone to the formation of struvite stones have alkaline urine which makes crystals prone to forming and aggregating to form stones. However crystals can form blockages and lead to stones.