Food for a dog with crystals in her urine and also frequent ear infections (allergies)

by Cynthia
(Alabama)

I have a 4 year old, neutered female pug. She had had frequent UTI's and had surgery to correct this. (Sorry, I can't remember the name of it, but it was to her external parts.) She has had no problems since that time, but I was told that she had crystals even as a puppy. She's been on Hills Scientific C/D since the surgery, but she gained about two pounds on this dog food. I kept reducing the amount I fed her, but it didn't seem to help. Then I asked the vet and he changed her to another Hills formula that's designed for diabetic, weight loss, and as a last feature in it's description, for crystals. She has now lost all but 8 ounces of the added weight and seems to have much more energy. By the way, she is not diabetic. She seems to get well from one ear infection and then gets another. I've read that this may be an allergy. My question is this: what dog food can I give her that will stop the crystals and also help her not get ear infections (allergies). Thank you.


Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having so many issues with your pug. You are really fighting two different battles at this time.

First, to guard against future crystals, your vet puts her on a low protein, high fiber/high grain prescription. I’m assuming he has her on wet food as well. Wet foods help keep the system flushed out.

Second, the battle against ear infections. This is typically caused by a high grain diet.

That’s the main problem with the prescription formulas as they are designed to fight one problem by reducing ingredients but this often causes other problems. In your case it’s fighting the crystals and weight gain with the high fiber but the crappy grains they put in this food is causing your ear infections.

Check your ingredients. I believe most all Hills prescription formulas contain corn, by-products and/or wheat and some type of gluten.

These ingredients are causing your ear infections as they commonly do for dogs. These type ingredients are also put in most commercial and prescription formulas are just making our dogs sick.

Better gains are ones like brown rice, barley, or oatmeal. Some dogs are even sensitive to these once they develop an allergy to the bad grains.

I’m not a vet so I really can’t tell you ethically to go off any prescription. But what I can tell you is what happens with others that have.

Others have turned to a low protein premium pet food like Sold Gold’s Millennium brand or similar. Halo makes a canned food that is very low in protein as well.

She needs to be on these type foods to fight both battles. She needs moist type foods in her diet to help keep her urinary tract flushed out. No dog should ever be on a dry food only diet.

She also needs two very important nutrients that are missing in most all cooked or processed dog foods. These are enzymes and probiotics. They get these naturally from a raw food diet but you can get supplements to supply her in her diet.

These two nutrients are so very critical in a dog’s diet. Most dogs’ these days do not get these in their processed diets and that is one of the major causes of degenerative type diseases and cancers.

Enzymes help break down the foods they eat. When they don’t get this from the food they eat, other internal organs have to produce enzymes to help break down the foods.

Probiotics give them the natural good bacteria in their digestive system that helps with digestion and to keep the bad bacteria from taking over and causing problems.

A good digestive system is the heart of the immune system. A strong immune system will help fight everything bad, provide a good skin and coat and keep the intestinal system healthy.

If I were you, I would get another opinion from a holistic vet. These vets are trained just like your regular vet but have additional training in nutrition. That’s the BIG thing missing with our regular vets. They have their place and are great for medicine but have only very little nutritional training.

A holistic vet will treat the whole body through nutrition and supplements and not through unneeded shots and other treatments that typically treat the symptom and not the cause.

Check your local yellow pages for one or ask at the small independent pet food stores. Not the big pet food stores but the small independent ones. They sell the premium natural foods and usually know any holistic vets in the area. You can also find the above mentioned foods there.

I wish you and your little girl the best of luck. Please take action to get her on the right track.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

Roger