Q: My 14-year-old Pomeranian underwent surgery about two years ago for bladder stones, and has been on Hills s/d ever since. Suddenly, she does not want to eat her food, but she will gobble down boiled egg or turkey. I’m worried she isn’t getting enough nutrition.
Should I switch to Royal Canin SO,dry or wet? Or should I home-cook her meals? I found a recipe for chicken, rice and parsley. Any help would be appreciated. The poor little girl is also on meds for congestive heart failure, but luckily her lungs look good; the left side of her heart is enlarged. She looks extremely fragile after I had her groomed, I guess all that Pom hair hides things. She is perky and runs the other dogs around. – Su
A: Bladder stones can be difficult to manage. Most dogs will get a recurrence within two years after their first stone. There are several types of bladder stones, and preventing a recurrence depends on the type of stone that your dog forms.
Since your dog has been on Hills prescription diet s/d, she probably had a struvite stone. Struvite is made up of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. These stones generally form if your dog gets a bladder infection with a Staph or Proteus bacteria.
It is very important to have frequent urine tests done to find and treat bacterial infections as soon as possible. A stone can form as quickly as two weeks after an infection starts.
Feeding a food that helps prevent stone formation is also very important. Hills s/d diet is used to dissolve stones and is generally only fed for a limited period of time until the stones are gone. Once the stone is dissolved the dog is placed on Hills prescription c/d diet to help prevent a recurrence.
Your dog also has congestive heart failure and it is important to have a diet low in salt. High-salt diets can cause fluid retention, which in turn makes extra work for the weak heart to pump. Many stone prevention diets are higher in salt. Work with your veterinarian to pick a diet with the right balance for your dog?s unique problems. The Hills Company offers a free diet consultation to help you pick the right diet for your pet. It is helpful to have blood work and urine test results when getting a diet consultation.
Please remember it is always good for dogs that have had bladder stones to drink lots of water. I generally recommend you dump, clean, and refill your dog?s water dish two to four times a day. Give your dog filtered water and add water to her food to encourage more water consumption.
It is extremely important for your dog to have scheduled veterinary checkups to help keep her heart healthy and her stones from re-forming!
Dr. Baker
Dr. Susan Baker
Baker Veterinary Clinic
1801 S. Congress Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Read more articles by Dr. Baker | Ask her a question
Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2013/04/05/pomeranian-needs-food-help-after-bladder-surgery/
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