kika414
New member
Hello fellow bully lovers!
I am brand new to this community and look forward to connecting with other bulldog owners. I am in need of some advice for my guy, Paxton. Please help us....
He is 5 years old and was diagnosed 4 months ago with Cystine urea or Cystine crystals in his urine which cause cystine stones to collect in the bladder. He had a cystostomy (prcedure to open bladder to remove stones and flush out urethra) and he was also neutered at that time. I have done a lot of research into this and know that it is a genetic problem that causes protein that cannot be broken down to amino acids enough so that crystals develop in the urine and after time clump together forming stones. The goal with this condition is to keep the urine pH high >7.0 and to have him drink plenty of water and frequent potty breaks. Regular urine pH testing, and ultrasounds of his bladder is also done. The Vet prescribed Hills U/D diet for him and am NOT thrilled to have him stay on this diet for life, but do not want him to suffer through another surgery again!!! Some experts recommend feeding an ultra-low protein diet. I have heard that certain Urinary prescription diets can cause large breed dogs to develop cardiomyopathy from a diet high in carbs low in protein.
Shortly before his diagnosis we had switched him from Royal Canin after 4 years because he started developing allergies (formula change) to Fromm's grain free "beef frittata." His allergies improved, he loved the Fromm food but about 7 months later he developed the stones. I don't know if this was a coincidence or because the grain free formula from Fromm is high in protein and it exacerbated his problem....
So I am in need of some advice from bully owners that may have had an experience with this or ANY advice on how to get my guy a better diet while keeping in mind his cystine-stone bladder problems!!! I do NOT want to keep him on the Hills U/D prescription diet for much longer, even if I have to keep him on it but infusing it and substituting a portion of it with healthy bulldog nutrition he deserves!
Sorry for my lengthy post, but Paxton and his momma appreciate any help!
I am brand new to this community and look forward to connecting with other bulldog owners. I am in need of some advice for my guy, Paxton. Please help us....
He is 5 years old and was diagnosed 4 months ago with Cystine urea or Cystine crystals in his urine which cause cystine stones to collect in the bladder. He had a cystostomy (prcedure to open bladder to remove stones and flush out urethra) and he was also neutered at that time. I have done a lot of research into this and know that it is a genetic problem that causes protein that cannot be broken down to amino acids enough so that crystals develop in the urine and after time clump together forming stones. The goal with this condition is to keep the urine pH high >7.0 and to have him drink plenty of water and frequent potty breaks. Regular urine pH testing, and ultrasounds of his bladder is also done. The Vet prescribed Hills U/D diet for him and am NOT thrilled to have him stay on this diet for life, but do not want him to suffer through another surgery again!!! Some experts recommend feeding an ultra-low protein diet. I have heard that certain Urinary prescription diets can cause large breed dogs to develop cardiomyopathy from a diet high in carbs low in protein.
Shortly before his diagnosis we had switched him from Royal Canin after 4 years because he started developing allergies (formula change) to Fromm's grain free "beef frittata." His allergies improved, he loved the Fromm food but about 7 months later he developed the stones. I don't know if this was a coincidence or because the grain free formula from Fromm is high in protein and it exacerbated his problem....
So I am in need of some advice from bully owners that may have had an experience with this or ANY advice on how to get my guy a better diet while keeping in mind his cystine-stone bladder problems!!! I do NOT want to keep him on the Hills U/D prescription diet for much longer, even if I have to keep him on it but infusing it and substituting a portion of it with healthy bulldog nutrition he deserves!
Sorry for my lengthy post, but Paxton and his momma appreciate any help!
