Archive Bladder stones in cats

What are bladder stones?

Urine is produced in the kidneys, stored in the bladder and runs out of the body through the “urethra tube”. The urine carries water, dissolved protein waste and excess minerals.

Stones can form when there are more waste materials than can be dissolved. These stones can then block the urine passage causing urine and waste elements to remain in the bladder. The tension in the bladder causes pain and retained waste elements can seriously harm the body. Once this happens, vet assistance will be required.

How nutrition can help?

Nutrition can help in 3 ways

By reducing the mineral and protein waste for the urine to excrete – giving less material for crystals to form
By changing the acidity of the urine helping to dissolve struvite stones and preventing other stones from re-forming
By encouraging drinking so increasing urination and helping flush out waste

However, different types of stones require different nutritional strategies so it is important that you discuss this with your vet and make the right choices.

TYPE OF STONE	HOW NUTRITION CAN HELP	WHICH SPECIFIC DIET CAN HELP
Struvite Stones: The most common urinary stones. These form if there is too much magnesium and phosphorous in the urine and the urine is not acidic enough. The good news is the right diet can dissolve these stones.	Make the urine more acidic helping to dissolve the stones; Encourages drinking to increase urination and so flush out the stones. Reduced mineral content, particularly magnesium and phosphorus, to help prevent crystals reforming.	SPECIFIC™ FSD & FSW Struvite Dissolution: A choice of wet and dry foods designed to help dissolve Struvite stones in cats. Once the stones have been dissolved then SPECIFIC™ FCD/FCW/FCD-L Crystal prevention: A choice of wet and dry diets suitable for long term use will help prevent the recurrence
Calcium-oxalate stones: These cannot be dissolved and must be removed surgically but once removed the right diet can help prevent re-formation. These form when there is too much urinary calcium and oxalate	Has lower protein – reducing the concentration of oxalate in the urine. Makes the urine more alkaline, discouraging crystals from forming. Added potassium citrate keeps the calcium oxalate in solution rather than forming into solid crystals	SPECIFIC™ FCD/FCW/FCD-L Crystal prevention: A choice of wet and dry diets to help prevent the recurrence of Calcium Oxalate stones. These diets have a moderate sodium content making then suitable for long term use. For cats with a tendency to gain weight there is a light version SPECIFIC™ FCD-L
Urate stones: stones within the urinary tract composed of ammonium urate.	Has a low purine concentration Has lower protein Creates more alkaline urine discouraging crystals from forming.	SPECIFIC™ FKD & FKW Kidney Support: A choice of wet and dry foods to help prevent the recurrence of Calcium Oxalate and the less common Urate and Cystine stones.
Cystine stones: caused by an excess of the amino acid (a building block of protein) cysteine	Has lower protein Creates more alkaline urine discouraging crystals from forming