Same thing with our cocker Spaniel but the vet put him on Royal Canin SO (and we mix in boiled chicken breast). Unless we want to put him through more $2500 surgeries for bladder stones, he will be on this special prescription only diet for the rest of his life.
We were told certain breeds develop stones and along with diet, they can be prevented but not a guarantee no matter the food they eat
“We were told certain breeds develop stones and along with diet, they can be prevented but not a guarantee no matter the food they eat”
Ditto with 2 of my cats. The problem was, one of my cats has a grain intolerance and the SO (or Hills C/D) is loaded with grains.
So now I make her food, but also add 750 mg of l-methionine a day. (This is for an 8 lb cat, amounts for dogs will be different! She is also theoretically supposed to need 500 mg, but that doesn’t get her urinary pH low enough.) The l-meth acidifies the urine.
With a pH over ~7, struvite crystals can form; with a pH under 6, calcium oxylate crystals can form. I’ve read the optimum range is 6.0-6.5. I test her urine every few months, now that I know how much l-meth she needs with the diet I give her, to make sure she is in the safe zone.
My boy has been on SO and loves it. I tested his urine, because I wanted to start adding canned food to his diet so he gets more liquid, and it was a bit too acidic. Could be because he eats more than he really should!
So I’m a big believer in testing the urinary pH and being sure all is well! Low phosphorus and magnesium in their diet is important too, since that is what the struvite crystals are formed from. But they will only form is the pH is off.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/royal_canin.html?page=2
I did some checking on this dog food. Maybe you guys should read this. (((Sigh))) I guess I’ll have to keep looking. Won’t be buying Royal Canin. You guys should read these complaints.