EVALUATION OF A CALCULOLYTIC DIET IN FEMALE DOGS WITH INDUCED STRUVITE UROLITHIASIS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 45  (8) , 1508-1519
Abstract
The calculolytic effect of a diet designed to reduce the urine concentration of urea, P and Mg was evaluated in female Beagles with induced urease-positive urinary tract infections and struvite urolithiasis and in female Beagles with induced sterile struvite urolithiasis. The reduced protein calculolytic diet induced urolith dissolution in 5 of 6 infected dogs with struvite urolithiasis in 2-5 mo. (.hivin.X = 14.4 wk). At the end of 6 mo., uroliths in comparable control dogs fed a maintenance diet were 5 times larger and 14 times heavier than at the beginning of the study. The calculolytic diet induced urolith dissolution in 6 of 6 noninfected dogs with struvite uroliths in 2-4 wk (.hivin.X = 3.3 wk). Four uroliths in noninfected dogs fed the maintenance diet dissolved over 2-5 mo. (.hivin.X = 14 wk). Urolith dissolution in dogs fed the calculolytic diet was associated with diet-induced diuresis, reduction in urine pH, reduction in urine concentration of urea ammonia, P and Mg, and increase in urine titratable acidity. Consumption of the calculolytic diet was also associated with significant (P = < 0.01) reduction in the serum concentration of urea and albumin and a significant (P = < 0.01) increase in serum hepatic alkaline phosphatase activity. Concomitant occurrence of hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes indicated that these biochemical and morphologic changes were associated with dietary protein restriction.