struvite crystals 2-3?

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Karen or anyone else have you heard or dealt with struvite crystals 2-3. A co worker of mine has a small dog whose been in several times for this so she's asking me if I can recommend any food or treatment plan?

She asked the vet about alternative food and they recommended hills CD, she knows that's not a quality dog food but not sure if under the conditions it's the only solution. 

Her other dog she just rescued a few months back keeps vomiting after eating so I suggested a limited ingredient.  I don't know what she is currently feeding either of them but i know she does mix wet and kibble together. 

TIA

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We've had many discussions here about struvite crystals. It's a complicated issue and unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Struvite stones are the result of repeated bladder infections, not enough water intake, and/or urine pH which is too alkaline. According to Tufts, there is no need for special diets once the stones are either dissolved or surgically removed. Your friend can discuss these options with her vet. Here is some information from Tufts nutritional services that you can pass on to her: 
 http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/07/dietary-treatment-of-bladder-...
The Hill's food her vet is recommending absolute garbage, but there are very few alternatives other than having a custom homemade diet formulated by a veterinary nutrtion specialist (Tufts, Davis, and Raynes Nutrition all do this, along with independent veterinary specialists) and making it herself, which she may not have the resources to do. (Rayne will also make and ship the custom diet, but that's mega $$$)  I can't recommend diets for kidney or bladder issues because these diets are all about the mineral percentages and ratios, and I don't have the information about the values needed or about the values in the commercial foods to do that. 
However, there are treatments that are more effective than diet as mentioned above, and I would urge your co-worker to talk to her vet or to a veterinary internist about treatments. 
I think the other dog's vomiting and diet should be addressed in a separate discussion, in The Food Group. I would need a lot more information, including the specific foods and treats she uses. I'd be happy to help, but she should be aware that chronic regurgitation is often a symptom of a bigger health issue, and one which also requires a specialist. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Our Yogi ended up having struvite crystals totaling blocking his ureters so no urine could come out. He was placed on antibiotics and Royal Canin urinary diet. I hated the RC food, but in order to get his ph down and decrease the magnesium and I think it was phosphate, we fed it for at least a month or more. We did take his urine for repeated urinalysis to see how the treatment was going. His ph did lower quite a bit with this treatment.  I really wanted him off the RC, so I put him back on Acana, and started supplementing with cranberry capsules per our vet’s recommendation.  After a month of Acana and cranberry, we rechecked his urine again, it was normal.

It has been a few months now, I will probably take his urine in again just to confirm he is still doing well.

Hope this might help a little. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Leslie, that is so helpful even for those of us not needing that info right now. I’m filing it and Karen’s link in the back of my brain in case I need it later.