Struvite Care Therapeutic (Chicken) Fresh Dog Food

Struvite stones are made of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate, and they form when urine is both too alkaline and too concentrated. That gives a therapeutic diet three jobs at once, and this recipe is built to do all three.

First, it limits the raw materials. Phosphorus and magnesium are both kept low, because both are structural components of struvite crystals. Protein is kept moderate rather than excessive, which limits the urinary nitrogen available to form ammonium, and the vegetables are restrained to zucchini, green beans and cauliflower, avoiding the more alkalinising plant ingredients used in other recipes.

Second, it changes the chemistry. Struvite crystals cannot form readily in acidic urine, so the recipe includes an acidifying strategy - led by added DL-Methionine, with cranberry as a supporting urinary ingredient - to help lower urine pH, raise struvite solubility, and both discourage new stones and dissolve existing ones.

Third, it dilutes. The single most effective measure against any urinary stone is simply more water passing through the bladder. As fresh food this recipe is naturally high in moisture (around 72%), and a measured amount of added salt encourages your dog to drink more, increasing urine volume and flushing crystals out before they can aggregate.

Have the stone type confirmed by your vet before starting, because the dietary approach for struvite differs from, and can work against, other stone types. This is also a corrective diet, not a lifelong one: the recipe is formulated to acidify the urine, but the pH actually achieved varies between dogs and must be confirmed in your own dog - it cannot be inferred from the ingredients alone. Monitor urine pH with your vet, and once it settles in a safe acidic range, work together to move to a suitable long-term maintenance diet.