Treatment recommendations

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.  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.

Recommendations are now available in multiple languages on our iphone and android app.

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Resources for additional testing

Calcium Oxalate –

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

How to contact and consult with a veterinary nutritionist

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

Online resources for owners

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association WSAVA – Nutrition Toolkit

Printout containing this information

Human foods

Literature from human studies can provide some information on foods high (or low) in minerals (eg. calcium and oxalate). This information may assist some owners who select human food as treats.

In most cases, if treats comprise less than 5-10% of the diet, they most likely will not affect prevention strategies to minimize urolith formation.

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Purine content of select human foods

From Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5, Chapter 39, Canine Purine Urolithiasis, Table 39-3, page 836
Foods to avoid (high purine concentration) Foods to use sparingly (moderately high purine concentration) Foods that can be fed (negligible purine concentration)
Anchovies Asparagus Breads (whole grain cereal products)
Brain Cauliflower Butter and fats
Clams Fish (except those listed in first column) Cheese
Goose Legumes (beans and peas) Eggs
Gravies Lentils Fruits and fruit juices
Heart Meats Gelatin
Kidney Mushrooms Milk
Liver Spinach Nuts
Mackeral Refined cereals
Meat extracts including bouillon Sugars
Mussels Vegetable soups
Oysters Cream soups
Salmon Vegetables (except those listed in the second column)
Sardines Water
Scallops
Shrimp
Sweetbreads
Tuna
Yeast (baker's and brewer's)

Human foods to limit/avoid feeding dogs with calcium oxalate uroliths

Moderate/high-calcium food items

  • 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

Moderate/high-oxalate food items

  • 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
    • Apples — High; avoid feeding
    • 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.

Human foods with minimal calcium or oxalate content

Low-calcium food items

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

Low-oxalate food items

  • 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

How to interpret results

ACVIM consensus on treatment and prevention of uroliths in dogs and cats