What natural foods can I feed my dog to prevent bladder stones?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Pug | 6 years and 2 months old
Other than medicated food, what all natural foods can I feed my dog to help prevent bladder stones? I've read blueberries and whole grain wheat are good for this
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 31st, 2016
It's is difficult to say which foods in particular because ultimately it is a question of how that food affects the pH of the urine. The acidity or alkalinity (pH) of the urine influences whether the stone constituents will remain dissolved or form stones. Some stones, such as struvite, form in alkaline urine, whereas others, including calcium oxalate stones, form in acidic urine. Depending on the type of stone (struvite vs calcium oxalate-in most cases but there are exceptions such as ammonium urate) you may want to feed a diet that decreases the pH or one that increases the pH. Furthermore, any underlying urinary tract infections must be treated as bacteria can alter the pH. In order to obtain the information needed, have your veterinarian perform a urinalysis or if your pet had surgery for bladder stones ask for the stone analysis report. As far as blueberries, I think that it is fine. However, grains may result in more of an alkaline urine which could promote further struvite stone formation.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on December 25th, 2017
I am so sorry to say this but, no. The reason for the stone formation is improper urine pH. The improper pH is often from urinary infections, improper diet or a combination of both. The special dog food she is eating now is specifically formulated to keep the urine pH at a constant normal level to help prevent the formation of stones. The diet is not 100% effective but it is your best chance at minimizing the chance of them recurring. It is strongly recommended that you NOT feed her anything at all but the special diet. Many of those special diets have treats available of the same formulation. Outside of that, definitely not. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on February 13th, 2018
Hello, and thank you for your question. Calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved through diet, unfortunately. There is a chance that further treatment will be necessary if bladder stones are present, such as lithotripsy or surgery. For now, your best bet is to choose a diet that encourages water intake and maintains a neutral urine pH, such as Royal Canin Urinary SO. I would also try to encourage water intake in other ways, such as feeding the canned version of Urinary SO, and flavouring the water with a bit of low sodium broth. All these things will help him to urinate more and flush out any crystals in his bladder. I hope this helps, and that your pup is feeling better soon!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on January 31st, 2019
Hi there! I'm afraid formulating an appropriate diet for a dog with a medical condition like this is quite a complex undertaking, so it's a bit outside the scope of what we can do on a forum like this. I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary nutritionist for a consult - he/she can help you put together a complete and balanced diet that is also appropriate for his bladder stones. You can find more information on how to do this here: http://www.acvn.org/nutrition-consults/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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