Optimal Diet For Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones in Dogs

• 1. What Are Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones in Dogs?
  
• 2. What Causes Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones?
  
• 3. Symptoms of Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones
  
• 4. Treatment for Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones
  
• 5. Foods High In Oxalate
  
• 6. The Problem With Using Commercial Dog Foods To Prevent & Treat Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones 
  
• 7. Tracking Oxalate Levels With ChefPaw’s App
  
• 8. ChefPaw’s Renal Diets Formulated For Low Oxalate
  
• 9. Frequently Asked Questions
  

Urinary stones, like calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones, are more commonly seen in dogs than humans. There are several types of urinary stones, and everything from your dog’s breed to their sex can influence which stones they are more likely to develop.

Today, we are focusing on calcium oxalate stones that occur in the bladder, which studies have shown are on the rise, making them the second most common type of bladder stones in all dogs and the most common bladder stones in male dogs. While struvite stones remain the most common type of bladder stone in female dogs, there is also a concerning rise in CaOx stones in both sexes. Then, struvite bladder stones have been declining in dogs. 

Unlike struvite stones, calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved with antibiotics and dietary changes, requiring medical removal, often through surgery. This makes prevention essential, which can be achieved by carefully monitoring the ingredients in your dog’s food.

What Are Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones in Dogs? 

Also known as uroliths or cystic calculi, calcium oxalate stones are mineral formations that develop in a dog's bladder or kidneys. Occurring more frequently than calcium oxalate kidney stones, calcium oxalate bladder stones can range in size from sand-like grains to large, single stones. 

Small and male dogs are particularly susceptible to urinary stones in their bladder. When left untreated, these urinary stones can be life-threatening, cause the kidneys to fail, and can result in their bladder rupturing — depending on the location of the stones. This means that not only is it important to recognize the signs of CaOx stones, but it is also crucial for pet parents to understand how to prevent them.

What Causes Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones? 

Calcium oxalate bladder stones most often form when high levels of calcium and oxalate combine to meet up in the urine. High salt concentrations in urine that increase calcium excretion, combined with infrequent urination, create the perfect breeding ground for calcium oxalate bladder stones, which can be further encouraged by an acidic pH level in the body.

Certain breeds, especially those related to the bulldog lineage, are prone to developing hereditary calcium oxalate urolithiasis (recessive genetic disorders).

Breeds prone to CaOx1 (which is caused by a mutation in a protein that is excreted in the urine) include American Staffordshire Terriers, Border Collie, Boston Terriers, Bullmastiffs, Havaneses, Rottweiler, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Breeds prone to CaOx2 (which is caused by a mutation in a protein that transports electrolytes between the urine and kidney cells) include American Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, Beagles, Bullmastiffs, and English Mastiffs.

Symptoms of Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones

Signs of calcium oxalate bladder stones include: 

• Blood in the urine
• Straining to urinate/decreased urine flow
• Inflammation and swelling of the bladder walls or urethra 
• Painful Muscle spasms
• Physical obstruction to urine flow
• Licking the genital area
• Inability to control urination
• Reduced appetite 
• Weakness/poor energy

Treatment for Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones

Depending on the severity of the urinary stones, there are both non-surgical options, along with surgical removal of the stones. Non-surgical removal options such as urohydropropulsion, which uses a urinary catheter to flush out the stones. For this to happen, the stones need to be very small, and some sedation which may include general anesthesia will still need to be used. 

Surgery is the go-to procedure when stones are too large or there are too many. It’s often recommended for male dogs, as they are at a much greater risk of the stones obstructing their urinary tract. 

The sooner prevention and treatment can start, which can be as simple as a change in diet, the better, as prognosis is usually good when the stones are removed. Diet will be critical to preventing stones from recurring as studies find about half of dogs that experience calcium oxalate urinary bladder stones, will see them again within 3 years. 

Foods High In Oxalate 

Oxalates are natural compounds found in many amazingly beneficial plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, some legumes, and grains. High concentrations of oxalates, especially, when in meals with high amounts of simple carbohydrates, are a recipe for disaster for dogs that struggle with urinary stones. 

Foods that contain 10 milligrams or more of oxalates per serving are considered high in oxalates and should be avoided when reducing oxalate intake.

• Spinach (½ cup contains 755 milligrams) 
• Almonds (1 oz or about 22 nuts, contains 122 milligrams of oxalates)
• Potatoes (1 medium potato contains 97 milligrams of oxalates)
• Brown Rice (1 cup contains 24mg)
• Soy (3 oz serving of firm tofu contains 235 milligrams)
• Beets (1 cup contains 152 milligrams)
• Raspberries (1 cup contains 48 milligrams)
• Dates (a single date contains 24 milligrams) 
• Navy Beans (½ cup contains 76 milligrams) 

The Problem With Using Commercial Dog Foods To Prevent & Treat Calcium Oxalate Bladder Stones 

USDA's primary database does not include oxalate numbers for foods nor do commercial pet foods typically track oxalates or include them on their labels. 

Oxalate content is not a required nutrient to report according to pet food labeling guidelines set by AAFCO, which focus more on macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and ‘essential’ vitamins and minerals. The AAFCO only provides recommended minimums for about 36 nutrients and recommended maximums for 12 nutrients — ChefPaw tracks up to 68 nutrients, including oxalate. 

While you can find specialty commercial foods designed to reduce oxalate amounts, these foods are often incredibly expensive. Even worse, you are still kept in the dark regarding the exact amounts of oxalates in them. That’s right, even commercial foods advertised to reduce the formation of urate, oxalate, and cystine calculi won’t tell you the amount these minerals appear in them. 

Simply outrageous!

Thankfully, this isn’t the case with ChefPaw, the dog food maker, that gives pet parents the ability to give their dogs home-cooked meals that are better tailored to their health. 

Tracking Oxalate Levels With ChefPaw’s App

Tracking twice as many nutrients than you’ll find on commercial pet food labels, ChefPaw is the ultimate tool for better understanding and monitoring your dog’s nutrition. With its nutrient analyzer that customizes ChefPaw’s recipes to your dog’s breed, age, weight, and activity level, ChefPaw’s app will tell you how many milligrams of oxalates in your dog’s meals. 

This is one of the many reasons veterinarians, who have justifiable concerns about homemade dog foods, are loving ChefPaw. And often prefer it over commercial foods advertised as having a low-oxalate formula. 

ChefPaw’s Renal Diets Formulated For Low Oxalate

Diets and meals designed to support kidney health and renal failure are excellent options for preventing calcium oxalate stones, regardless of whether they are the bladder or kidney version. 

In the following ChefPaw recipes, you’ll see high-oxalate whole foods like brown rice replaced with white rice. This alone replaces 24 milligrams of oxalates with just 4 milligrams per cup. 

For any of the following recipes, it’s important your dog always has access to fresh water, as reduced water intake is a contributing factor to urinary stones. However, where kibble typically only contains 6-10% moisture, ChefPaw meals have a moisture content typically around 50-70%, placing them closer to wet foods, but not enough to see a deterioration in the meal’s texture.  

#4a - Renal Diet with turkey and white rice (Maggie’s Mid-day Meals):

With a high water count (67% water overall), moderate protein content, and less than 0.3% sodium, Recipe #4a is a great choice for preventing calcium oxalate stones. 

#4b - Renal Diet with Lamb and White Rice (Maggie’s Morning Meals):

Closely resembling the diet above, recipe #4b puts a fun spin on the recipe by swapping turkey for lamb. This makes it a great recipe to pair with the above, as repeated exposure to the same protein source is the most common cause of food allergies. 

#4c Renal Diet with Turkey and White Rice (low-calorie version):

Looking for a diet low in oxalate that can also help your dog lose weight? Then you’ll love Recipe #4c, which pairs turkey and white rice with other beneficial ingredients that will help your dog feel fuller while promoting weight loss. 

#4d - Renal Diet with Lamb and White Rice (low calorie and low protein version)

Along with reducing foods high in oxalates, your vet may recommend reducing protein. Protein can increase levels of calcium, oxalate, and uric acid in the urine while promoting an acidic urinary pH. Featuring a novel protein, this recipe is a great option if the protein content of recipe #4c is too much.