# Medi Cal/Royal Canin - opinions?



## Mijo's Mom (Apr 19, 2007)

Hi there!

Mijo's vet specialist left me a message yesterday. She is currently looking into a better food to have Mijo switch to. (He is currently on a vet-prescribed Hills canned food for crystals in his urine.) The specialist would like him to be on something a bit higher in protein (but not as high as the food he was on before he got sick - at 42%) She's looking for something that will keep crystals away. Anyone have any advice? She has contacted the vet at Medi Cal to see what she recommends. From what I have read on the Medi Cal/Royal Canin pages () most of their reduced-protein food has rice or corn listed as a first ingredient. Some have "meat by-products" listed as well. Shouldn't the first ingredient be a protein of some kind? And what are "by-products" anyways? I'm hoping they're not beaks and claws! 

Anyone have any experience feeding a crystal-prone dog? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

Connie


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Connie~ Laurie (laurief) has dog(s) with crystals. I know she'd give good advice if you PM her.


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## Mijo's Mom (Apr 19, 2007)

Thanks Leslie, will do!


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

Just a couple of things. Make sure you feed lots of water and give your pet as many opportunities to pee as possible to help prevent the build up of crystals. 

From a few others, I've read that probiotics can help with crystals. Also sometimes just switching to a better dog food can help. I also read something about Nature's Variety Instinct Duck: CANNED. Within days, the crystals were completely gone. Nature's Variety raw medallions might be good as well to help stabilize the ph balance.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Connie, I know we have been pming but I just went back in some threads, and I think that you said Mijo's crystals were calcium?? If that is the case, then they are different from Lily's crystals so the food I told you about might not have been recommended to you for that reason. 
Let me know what they finally put him on! 
Laurie


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## Mijo's Mom (Apr 19, 2007)

Just got off the phone with the internist. So she spoke with the internist at Medi Cal/Royal Canin, Dr. Houston. She did not think that the SO would be a good choice for Mijo because it was highest in sodium which would not bode well for Mijo's liver. At this point she believes that Mijo's best option is the Royal Canin Vegetarian formula. She suggested I try the dry and mix it with water or home-made broth or give him wet (although I can't seem to find info on the wet online!)

The info I found was here: http://www.ivdvetdiets.com/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=134,12,1,Documents&MediaID=1954&Filename=CanineVegetarian.pdf After reading all this I called back to ask about it because it does not mention the treatment of calcium oxalate crystals. Apparently it was all taken into consideration in the choosing of this food so we shall see what happens.

PS. The only abnormal results of Mijo's latest blood/urine tests (from the day he went to get the ultrasound to rule out shunt) are as follows:

urea: 3.1 (normal 3.5-9.0)
crystals: calcium oxalate dihydrate - occasional

We will be re-testing bile acids and urine in a couple of weeks, once he's been on this new diet for a while. Hope all resolves itself ASAP!!!!! 

Thanks for the advice!

Connie


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