Treatment recommendations

Calcium Oxalate –

• New —  Hereditary Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis, Type 1 (CaOx1)
  • University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine, Canine Genetics Lab
• Urate — Genetic Hyperuricosuria testing (HUU) (SLC2A9 Gene)
  • UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
• Cystine — Urine cystine/creatinine ratio - Measure urine cystine at an amino acid lab (UC Davis Amino Acid Laboratory), measure urine creatinine at your preferred lab. 
• Urine Nitroprusside/Genetic Testing/Metabolic Screening
  • PennGen Laboratories

 We are unfamiliar with laboratories outside the United States that perform these tests.  Contact the specific lab with questions about sample submission.

What commercial or home-prepared diets are available for animals with a history of urolithiasis?

More and more, pet owners are partnering with the veterinary team to determine appropriate diets for their pets. Many pet parents contact us asking us to provide specific recommendations for managing individual dogs and cats with urinary stones. We would love to help, but this is not in the best interest of the pet. Without examining the dog or cat, reviewing its history and asking pertinent questions, we may be jeopardizing the overall health of this loving companion.

Each of our recommendations contains diagnostic and therapeutic goals to reduce the risk of stone recurrence.  Foods listed are those with research evidence or we have favorable experience using.  Other diets may also be helpful.  However, we have not performed appropriate studies on home-prepared diets or on many commercial diets regarding their efficacy in the treatment or prevention of urolithiasis.  If the foods suggested do not meet the pets’ needs, the flowsheet for the pet’s urolith mineral type lists the urine goals (specific gravity and pH) to achieve to reduce the risk of stone recurrence.  If you wish to prepare your own food, contact a veterinary nutritionist to help you formulate an effective and balanced diet. Remember, not all stones are managed primarily with diet. Please read the entire recommendation and flowsheet with suggested follow-up intervals.

Our Recommendations page has a recent Consensus Statement from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) on how to manage most urolith types.

How do I contact and consult with a veterinary nutritionist?
Veterinary nutritionists can assist in the formulation of a diet, make recommendations on commercial diets, discuss management of patients with multiple medical concerns, or consult on the appropriateness of a selected diet.

To find a Veterinary Nutrition Specialist - : https://www.vetspecialists.com, select Nutrition (Diet Management)

Some Colleges of Veterinary Medicine offer consultations with nutritionists on staff.  Contact your nearest College of Veterinary Medicine for services provided. At the University of Minnesota, Veterinary Medical Center contact the nutritionists at phone 612-624-5024.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition veterinary consultation service can be reached:
Veterinary clinics/staff contact: 1-800-548-VETS (8387), or by email at [email protected]
Pet Owners: Consumer Affairs Department 1-800-445-5777 or [email protected]. Many diet manufacturers offer consultation on dietary recommendations —contact your preferred manufacturer.

Veterinary nutritionists are also available on-line at websites such as:  www.petdiets.com and www.balanceit.com

Printout containing this information

• Meats
  • Bologna — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Herring — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Oysters — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Salmon — High; avoid feeding
  • Sardines — High; avoid feeding
• Vegetables
  • Baked beans — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Broccoli — High; avoid feeding
  • Collards — High; avoid feeding
  • Lima beans — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Spinach — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Tofu (soybean curd) — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
• Milk and dairy products
  • Cheese — High; avoid feeding
  • Ice cream — High; avoid feeding
  • Milk — High; avoid feeding
  • Yogurt — High; avoid feeding
• Breads, grains, nuts
  • Brazil nuts — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
• Miscellaneous
  • Cocoa — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Hot chocolate — Moderate; feed in limited amounts

• Meats
  • Sardines — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
• Vegetables
  • Asparagus — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Broccoli — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Carrots — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Celery — High; avoid feeding
  • Corn — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Cucumber — High; avoid feeding
  • Eggplant — High; avoid feeding
  • Green beans — High; avoid feeding
  • Green peppers — High; avoid feeding
  • Lettuce — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Spinach — High; avoid feeding
  • Summer squash — High; avoid feeding
  • Sweet potatoes — High; avoid feeding
  • Tofu — High; avoid feeding
  • Tomatoes — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
• Fruits
  • Apricots — High; avoid feeding
  • Cherries — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Most berries — High; avoid feeding
  • Orange — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Peaches — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Pears — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Peel of lemon, lime or orange — High; avoid feeding
  • Pineapple — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Tangerine — High; avoid feeding
• Breads, grains, nuts
  • Cornbread — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Fruitcake — High; avoid feeding
  • Grits — High; avoid feeding
  • Peanuts — High; avoid feeding
  • Pecans — High; avoid feeding
  • Soybeans — High; avoid feeding
  • Wheat germ — High; avoid feeding
• Miscellaneous
  • Beer — High; avoid feeding
  • Chocolate — High; avoid feeding
  • Cocoa — High; avoid feeding
  • Coffee — Moderate; feed in limited amounts
  • Tea — High; avoid feeding
  • Tomato Soup — High; avoid feeding
  • Vegetable soup — High; avoid feeding

Adapted from Wainer L, Resnick Va, Resnick MI. Nutritional aspects of stone disease. In: Pak CYC, ed. Renal Stone Disease, Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment. Boston, MA: Martinus Nihoff Publishing, 1987; 85-120. Burroughs M. Renal diseases and disorders. In: Nelson JK, Moxness KE, Jensen MD, et al, eds. Mayo Clinic Diet Manual, 7th ed. St. Louis, MO:Mosby, 1994; 208-209.

• Meats and eggs
  • Eggs
  • Poultry
• Breads, grains, nuts
  • Almonds
  • Macaroni
  • Pretzels
  • Rice
  • Spaghetti
  • Walnuts
• Miscellaneous
  • Popcorn

• Meats and eggs
  • Beef
  • Eggs
  • Fish and shellfish — low in oxalate, but not low in calcium content
  • Lamb
  • Pork
  • Poultry
• Vegetables
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Mushrooms
  • Peas, green
  • Radishes
  • Potatoes, white
• Milk and dairy products
  • Cheese — low in oxalate, but not low in calcium content
  • Milk — low in oxalate, but not low in calcium content
  • Yogurt — low in oxalate, but not low in calcium content
  • Apple
  • Avocado
  • Banana
  • Bing cherries
  • Grapefruit
  • Mangos
  • Melons
    • Canteloupe
    • Casaba
    • Honeydew
    • Watermelon
  • Plums, green or yellow
• Breads, grains, nuts
  • Bread, white
  • Macaroni
  • Noodles
  • Rice
  • Spaghetti
• Miscelleneous
  • Jellies
  • Preserves
  • Soups with allowed ingredients

From Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5, Chapter 40, Canine Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis, pg 862