Struvite: what's that?

Let’s talk about struvite, a disease especially widespread among cats, though it can also affect dogs. Since these are tiny crystals, more like sand particles than small stones, this disease affects more males than females, who are lucky enough to have a much wider urethra. Males have a far more likely chance to get blocked, especially felines, who really have a miniature urethra.

Struvite: is it a grave disease?

Why is this grave pathology, which may involve a delicate surgery, so frequent? I am convinced that the explanation is simple, especially for cats. This beautiful feline is a desertic animal, and nature has predicted this, by of course designing it to need limited amounts of water. When it is fed kibbles, it receives a very high quantity of dry matter, above 90% of the formula. To compensate such a dry food, the cat should drink large amounts of water, but being a desertic creature, its nature does not allow it to increase its thirst adequately. This results in a higher density of all body fluids, creating an imbalance in the normal activity of kidneys. The results? Stones are formed... a sort of sand which may completely obstruct the flow of urine.

Struvite: the solution

Dietary formulations that can dissolve these tiny crystals have been created, but because it’s better being safe than sorry, I give you a simple tip: mix all dry food with wet food (between 20% and 30% of the total ration). Because wet food is characterized by its high water content, exactly opposite to dry food (more than 80% water and 20% dry matter), their blend often restores normal proportions of wet and dry matter, greatly reducing the risk of struvite stones, even in dogs.

 

Dr. Sergio Canello

Forza10 Founder and Head of SANYpet’s Research and Development Department Veterinary surgeon and international expert in food-borne diseases