Dawn G - (8 y/o Bichon) Cushings/Bladder Stones - what to feed her?

[Dawn G]

Hi I am a new member I need some help. My 8yr old Bishion Frise has cushings and blader stones she is also over waight I would like to know whot to feed her other than Hills as she dose not seem to like it. is there any home made food you can recommend

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[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Dawn and welcome to you and your baby! :)

Science Diet affects me the same way - cannot stand that feed! But before we talk about what needs to be fed, it would help if we had a bit more info on your baby.

First, can you post the actual results of the testing to diagnose her Cushing's, including the normal ranges for each value and the units of measurement (ug/dl, nmol/l, etc)? Also, the general labs that were most recently done, usually called a CBC - this test is the blood test that lists many results.

The stones - what kind of stones does she have? Are you sure it is stones and not crystals in the urine? Oxalate stones are fairly common with cush babies but they can also get other types and it is very important to know which type of stone/crystal you are dealing with in order to figure out what to feed.

Has surgery been talked about for stones? This condition can become very painful for the pup and surgery is often required.

Does your baby get treats? What kind do you give? Often, this can be the answer to losing a bit of weight as a lot of the commercial treats out there are chock full of fats. Fresh foods like green beans, carrots, apples, bananas, and oranges will help a great deal when used as treats VS commercial types. Be sure they are fresh, not canned, as canned will have more sugars added as well as other spices like onions that are not good for dogs. ;)

I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more about your baby soon.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Dawn G]

Thanks Leslie for the quick reply Bubbles Has multiple bladder stones which my vet plans to remove py cystotomy when her Cushings is stabilised. She is taking 90mg of Trilosane a day to achieve this. I found it a bit difficult to understand my vet as I was very upset at the time, so I am not too sure what stones she has. I think it is Oxalate stones as she said it was common in Cushings cases. I have stopped giving her biscuit treats and now only give her an odd tripe stick (dried entrails) which I cut up so she only gets a few small pieces a day. I am seeing my vet this week and will get the results of her tests. I will tell you the results as soon as I get them. Bubbles seems a bit more lively since starting her treatment although she has never been a boisterous dog.
Love to you and The Gang xx and thanks once again

[addy]

Hi Dawn,

Welcome. Sorry to hear about your pup. Mary Strauss has a website called Dogaware. She has written many articles for Whole Dog Journal about the different type of stones dogs can get. If you search her website you will find quite a bit of information well as info on diet. She also reviews all the commercial foods and will answer questions via email.

Thought it might help your research.

Hugs,
Addy