Is there a homemade diet I can make or another commercial diet that is suitable for cysteine stones?
Answer Hi Sandy, Along with the food (which I’ll address shortly) at all times your dog has access to fresh water and the ability to go to the bathroom, rather than “holding it” for long periods of time. This treatment alone will go a long way to prevent recurrence. Giving your dog food that has more moisture will increase the flow of water through the urinary system and minimize crystal formation in the bladder. The high recurrence rate of cystine stones makes prevention important in dogs that have experienced an episode of cystine stone formation. A prevention protocol consists of administering tiopronin (15 mg/kg orally twice a day), adding water to the dog’s food, and alkalinizing the urine with potassium citrate. The goal of alkalinization should be to achieve a urine pH of 7 to 7.5.24 It would be a good idea to get pH test strips, so you can test your dog’s urine. An alternative prevention protocol calls for feeding the prescription UD diet plus administering either tiopronin or
