At some stage in their life, about 27% of dogs will suffer from urinary health problems and the most common issues in dogs are urinary stones, bladder stones, loss of bladder control, and UTIs (urinary tract infections).
As a responsible dog parent, you have to provide the best care for the improvement of urinary health in dogs by serving them with the best dog food specified for urinary health. A urinary care dog food plays a major role in the management and prevention of UTI.
Often the dogs affected with urinary health problems feel miserable. The issues like UTI or bladder stones can affect the overall health and wellbeing of a dog. The longer life of an issue can be more miserable. You don’t want your pet to be in pain if you love your dog.
It is important to consider the options of your dog food seriously if you want to maintain the health of the urinary tract and want to prevent recurrent infections related to the urinary tract.
Let’s discuss the best dog food for urinary health.
How we picked the Best Dog Food for Urinary Health
Whole Foods
The whole food ingredients are the best to always enhance the overall immunity of your dog and provide them with the best nutrition. It is sometimes not a matter to focus on one problem but maintaining health as a whole.
Minerals and Vitamins
Minerals and vitamins work side by side to enhance the immune system of your dog. Apart from food enriched with these micronutrients, you can also focus on supplements. The most important ones are vitamin C and B12.
Food with Cranberries
Cranberries help people with bladder infections, UTIs, and other urinary health-related problems, and this is the same in the case of dogs as well. Look at the list of ingredients to see which also has tart red fruits. Like minerals and vitamins, you can also go for supplements.
What are the causes of urinary health problems
In contrast to common belief, lack of water is not the only reason however, the absence of a quality diet also plays a role in urinary health problems. Some common ingredients lead to urinary health problems too.
A few examples of essential ingredients that can lead to problems in the urinary tract are phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium.
You need to be vigilant for the ingredients in your dog’s food if your dog suffers from symptoms of urinary problems or a breed that is prone to urinary diseases or a history of related illness.
Best Dog food for Urinary Health (by life stage)
It is extremely important to feed your pooch with the right kind of dog food, especially if you observe any signs of urinary tract problems.
Good dog food must have several things like extra cod oil, cranberries, and added vitamin B even.
The food should be low in specific minerals like phosphorus and magnesium. These ingredients result in bladder stones or urolithiasis.
Best dog food for puppies with urinary health problems
Sometimes puppies are susceptible to urinary tract problems. Sometimes the reason is the breed being more affected by urinary tract issues.
Urinary problems of the pup can be cleared up without any difficulty if treated early. However, the dogs will continue to eat dog food made especially for urinary health problems.
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetable Canned Dog Food
This wet food type contains more moisture as compared to others, which helps to prevent dehydration. For the prevention of urinary problems, hydration is very important.
It is enriched with omega fatty acids for a healthy coat and skin. The food contains premium quality ingredients which are the best choice for many puppies needed for the growth of many pups.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| DHA is used in the formulation | It has peas, which is currently investigated by the FDA because of the potential association to Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy |
| Does not contain any by-product meals, wheat, soy, or corn | |
| Real chicken is the main ingredient |
Best Dog Food for Adult Dogs with Urinary Health Issues
You will find many dog foods specifically designed for adult dogs in this section for added health issues.
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet + Urinary Care for Dogs
This dry food is formulated to support the health of the urinary tract and helps to maintain a healthy weight. To help your dog stay fuller for a long time it is made with dietary fiber. The food is completely free of grains.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| No soy, corn, or wheat | Costly |
| Designed with low sodium and magnesium levels | Peas are present in a high amount |
| The formula for veterinary diet |
Purina Pro Plan Urinary Veterinary Diets Canned Dog Food
This canned formula is another veterinary designed specifically for the health of the urinary tract. The canned food contains a high amount of moisture, making it best for dogs with urinary issues.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Formulated by vets | Has by-products of meat |
| Extra moisture | |
| Designed to lower down the risk of formation of urinary stone |
Royal Canine Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Small Breed
The formula is formulated to help support the bladder and urinary tract in smaller dogs. It helps in the dilution of specific minerals to lower down the chances of crystal and stone formation. The kibble size is meant for small breed dogs.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Reduces iron level in urine | Particularly not high in meat ingredients |
| Meant for dogs below 22 pounds | Many low-quality ingredients |
| Does not have peas or by-products of pea |
Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D Urinary Care Multicare Chicken Flavor Wet Dog Food
Specifically, wet food is formulated to support urinary and bladder function. It has all the required nutrients that are needed by your canine without causing stones to develop and overload the bladder.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Minimizes the risk of struvite crystals and oxalate crystals | Has by-products |
| Has extra omega fatty acids and antioxidants | |
| Designed with controlled levels of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium |
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated Dog Food Chicken Recipe
High-quality food is sometimes, required by a dog. This is the exact dry recipe by the brand.
It has organic whole grain barley and free-range chicken. The food is also non-prescribed.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Minimal processing | Costly |
| No preservatives, by-products, or GMO ingredients | Some preparation at home is required |
| The addition of moisture is included |
Nulo Adult Trim weight Management Dry Dog Food
The dry dog food is manufactured using plenty of meat products like turkey, salmon, and cod. It is free of white potatoes, soy, and wheat. The combination has 74% animal-based protein, which is high relatively.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| High-quality protein | Some complaints regarding digestive issues. |
| Contains probiotics | |
| L- carnitine has boosted metabolism | |
| Management of weight |
Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Urinary Care Multicare Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
This dry formula is specifically designed for dogs with bladder stones and tract problems. To prevent overloading the dog’s system, the food provides just the right amount of phosphorus and magnesium.
Even it is enhanced with antioxidants to support immunity.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Balanced amount of fat levels | Costly |
| Sodium content is low | |
| Has omega-3 fatty acids |
Best Dog food for Senior Dogs with Urinary Health Issues
Senior dogs are more sensitive to urinary health issues. We have one dog food recipe formulated specifically to support a dog’s urinary tract.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Aging 7+ Canned Dog Food
This recipe is the best for urinary health issues in senior dogs. It comes with water as the main ingredient to increase hydration and is highly palatable. The other ingredients included are also of premium quality.
PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
| Formulated especially for seniors | Costly |
| Can dissolve stones | |
| To promote cognitive function it has a blend of nutrients and antioxidants |
What are the common urinary health issues in dogs?
Just like people, dogs can get many urinary health issues. Fortunately, most of them are curable. In other cases, however, the problem if left untreated can be deadly.
For this, it is important to consult a vet if you think that they are suffering from urinary problems.
- Infections in the bladder and urinary tract
- Formation of crystals and stones in the bladder
- Other Bladder and kidney issues
- Bladder Tumors or Cancer
- Pyometra
- Kidney Stones
- Prostatic Diseases
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Cushing’s diseases
Buying Guide
It is strongly suggested to serve your dog with a well-balanced and highly nutritious diet made using organic ingredients. Below are some important points to consider while buying the best dog food.
- Whole-food and high-quality ingredients
- Enriched in high-quality animal protein
- Low levels of inflammatory ingredients like additives, gluten, soy, fillers, and preservatives
- Moist and easy to digest
- Combination of omega fatty acids
Conclusion
You might consider a prescription diet if you are worried about the urinary health of your pet. Unfortunately, many dog owners are unfamiliar with the prescription diet made with hydrolyzed proteins, low-quality grains, fillers, and by-products which could affect the health of a dog. It is extremely important to serve high-quality dog food for urinary tract problems to ensure your pet lives a happy and long life. You should consult your vet if you observe any of the symptoms.