homemade diet in prevention of struvite crystal reccurance

Question
Our 3y.o. shitzu was recently diagnosed and underwent surgery for struvite crystals.  We are currently feeding her canned food provided by our vet but would love some homemade or raw diets that we may also feed her.  She especially loved getting cookies everynight before bed but have been warned to stop feeding her those as well.  Is there any yummy alternative for a spoiled dog?!
Thanks in advance for your time,
Tammy


Answer
Hi Tammy,

While I support your decision to investigate homefeeding, I also do not think it's a decision to take lightly, especially in cases of a health condition such as struvites. As you know, the first line of action with struvites is to manage the infection, as something like 95% of all struvites occur alongside a bacterial infection. (There are cases of what is called sterile struvite, but these are comparatively rare). Sometimes the urine is acidified via the use of Vitmain C, but I prefer simply to use slightly higher than usual levels of protein. If one overdoes the acidification, the risk of oxalates is then increased, and it's easy to overdo it with C. But overall, I feel a specific diet should be developed for the individual dog, rather than just tossing out generic recipes. I would advise you to consult with a professional nutrition specilaist for the recipes, to ensure your efforts to help your dog don't actually make the condition worse. I have to admit, I see this all the time.

Let me know if I can help more, Catherine