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For the nutritional management of dogs with urinary tract disease. Urinary tract disease in dogs is often caused by the formation of mineral-based crystals and stones in the urinary tract that can cause discomfort, bloody urine and even life-threatening obstruction. For dogs, struvite crystals generally cause urinary tract disease.
Hills Prescription Diet s/d has been formulated by veterinarians to help resolve struvite crystals and stones in your dog. Struvite forms as a result of urine that’s saturated with protein, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium combined with an improper urine pH.
Indications:
- Struvite uroliths (dissolution).
Not recommended for:
- Cats.
- Puppies.
- Pregnant or lactating bitches.
- First 1-2 weeks after surgery.
- Dogs concurrently receiving urinary acidifiers.
- Feeding for longer than 6 months, without monitoring plasma protein and acid-base status (because of low protein content and urine acidifying properties).
- Dogs with non-struvite uroliths.
- Dogs with heart failure, hypertension, kidney disease or liver disease.
- Dogs with hyperlipidaemia or pancreatitis, or at risk of pancreatitis.
Dogs with the following risk factors for pancreatitis may not be candidates for dietary management with
Canine s/d. They should be thoroughly evaluated before feeding Canine s/d, and if fed Canine s/d they should have regular monthly health checks during the feeding period.
– Hyperlipidaemia (a principal risk factor).
– History of pancreatitis.
– Age above 7 years old.
– Obesity.
– History of consuming high fat food
– Concurrent disease, e.g. hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus.
– Administration of certain drugs, e.g. corticosteroids.
Also:
- The risk is higher in females than in males, and in neutered animals compared to entire animals.
- Certain breeds appear predisposed to pancreatitis, e.g. Miniature Schnauzer, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier, Japanese Spaniel, Maltese breeds, Miniature Poodle and Lhasa Apso.
Additional information:
- The transition to feeding Canine s/d should ideally take a period of four days.
- Monitor the urine and control urinary tract infection throughout dissolution. Urinary pH will increase if infection with urease-producing bacteria is not
eliminated. Urinary pH must be continuously acidic for successful dissolution.
- Dogs fed foods with a restricted protein content commonly exhibit unusual laboratory values, e.g. it is not uncommon to find a urinary specific gravity below 1.020 and a plasma /serum urea value less than 1.7 mmol/l (10mg/dl)
Other products to consider
- After successful dissolution (or surgical removal) of struvite uroliths: feed Hills Prescription Diet Canine c/d (or Hills Prescription Diet Canine w/d if prone to being
overweight) long term to prevent recurrence of struvite urolithiasis.
- To control non-struvite uroliths: Hills Prescription Diet Canine u/d.
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