Best Dog Food For Urinary Health: Reviews & Top Picks!
You would be surprised by how many pups suffer from urinary tract health issues. If you notice your furry friend is in pain when urinating or finding it difficult to pass urine, you should bring him to a vet immediately.
More about this in a bit...
Urinary tract issues can turn into a serious problem really quick, especially in dogs who can't tell us what they're feeling (unfortunately - majority of them). Bladder stones can soon become too large to pass and your dog's bladder can eventually rupture. And this is extremely painful to your little pup as well as to you wallet when you have to pay the vet's bill.
This is particularly dangerous to small breeds, which are more susceptible to urinary tract infections and bladder stones. We'll get to this later...
But there's at least one thing to do besides regular vet visit. You can choose the dog food for urinary crystals since healthy diet also promotes urinary tract health. So today we're reviewing the best dog food for urinary tract health.
Reviews of the Best Dog Food For Urinary Health
Ask a Vet Question
One of the options for best dog food for urinary health is Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Dry Dog Food. This is a hypoallergenic recipe that focuses on high digestibility for healthier stools and urine.
Its ingredients are selected to balance the urine’s pH levels to reduce ammonia content for a lower risk of bladder stones or urinary tract infections.
This urinary dog food for bladder stones also uses quality, filling ingredients so your dog feels fuller faster. This prevents overeating and promotes better digestion for urinary health.
This formula by Hill’s Prescription Diet is one that your veterinarian must prescribe for your dog. It is on the pricier side, but if your dog currently suffers from frequent urinary tract infections, it is one of the best urinary tract dog food options.
In addition to added antioxidants and nutrients to promote heart and immune health, this formula focuses on urinary health. It has low levels of calcium and protein, with only 0.45% and 8.0%, respectively, in its Guaranteed Analysis, so it's fine option as food for dogs with urinary crystals.
This will put your dog at less risk for developing stones in his urine.
The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary formula is one of the most recommended for dogs with urinary health issues. Your veterinarian must prescribe this urinary care dog food, since he or she will be able to decide if its formula is right for your dog’s needs.
This is a low-calcium and low-phosphorus formula, which is good for food for dogs with crystals in urine. The protein content meets AAFCO standards, but remains on the lower side to help reduce the risk of crystal buildup.
Additionally, customers who feed their dogs this food say that their urinary tract health has improved quickly after switching to this diet.
FirstMate focuses on a limited ingredient, highly digestible, hypoallergenic formula to help promote urinary tract health for dogs. When a dog food for dogs with bladder stones has less ingredients, your dog has less chance for negative reactions to an ingredient or problems digesting the food.
This formula has lamb meal as the main protein, which is a simpler and more-digestible protein than others. It also contains cranberries, which are a natural source of acidity and a superfood that promotes urinary tract health.
With plenty of fibrous ingredients, this formula will also get your dog’s digestive system moving for less risk of mineral buildup within the bladder. it'a great choice as dog food for crystals in urine.
What Is The Best Dog Food For Struvite Crystals In Dogs?
There are two types of bladder stones that can affect dogs: struvite and calcium oxalate. Struvite crystals form in highly-alkaline urine, whereas calcium oxalate crystals form in highly-acidic urine. Struvite crystals, formed by magnesium ammonium phosphate, is the most common type of bladder stone to affect dogs. Therefore, these are the stones I focus on most in this review.
The best urinary tract dog food to promote urinary tract health:
- Is Slightly Acidic: Too many acidic ingredients can cause the urine to become too acidic, resulting in calcium oxalate crystals. Look for a healthy balance of acidic ingredients, like cranberries.
- Are Restricted In Protein, Phosphorus And Magnesium: Phosphorus and magnesium form struvite crystals, so your dog’s food should have a minimal amount. Proteins provide the body with urea, which converts into ammonia when digested. Ammonia is also one of the components of struvite crystals.
- Will Have Light Salt Content: Salt helps to create the need for thirst, which will encourage your dog to drink more.
In addition to his diet, make sure your dog is drinking plenty of water. This will help flush out his system and lower the risk for developing stones. Feeding your dog small amounts frequently through the day can also aid healthy digestion.
This video by VetVid explains more about urinary tract infections in dogs and how they’re treated:
Final Thoughts
Urinary tract health is one of the most important things to watch for in your dog. If you notice him straining to urinate or urinating less frequently, do not hesitate to put a call into your vet to make sure everything is okay. You’ll want to avoid potentially serious problems by being proactive.
If your dog is prone to urinary tract infections or bladder stones, try one of these foods proven to help promote a healthy urinary tract. These dog foods promote proper digestion, balance out the urine’s pH, and are low in protein and minerals that could build up in your dog’s urine.
