Associations between dietary factors in canned food and formation of calcium oxalate uroliths in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To identify dietary factors in commercially available canned foods associated with the development of calcium oxalate (CaOx) uroliths in dogs.


METHODS
117 dogs with CaOx uroliths and 174 dogs without urinary tract disease.


METHODS
Case dogs were those that developed CaOx uroliths submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center for quantitative analysis between 1990 and 1992 while fed a commercially available canned diet. Control dogs were those without urinary tract disease evaluated at the same veterinary hospital just prior to or immediately after each case dog. A content-validated multiple-choice questionnaire was mailed to each owner of case and control dogs with the permission of the primary care veterinarian. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions for each dietary component were performed to test the hypothesis that a given factor was associated with CaOx urolith formation.


RESULTS
Canned foods with the highest amount of protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, or moisture were associated with a decreased risk of CaOx urolith formation, compared with diets with the lowest amounts. In contrast, canned diets with the highest amount of carbohydrate were associated with an increased risk of CaOx urolith formation.


CONCLUSIONS
Feeding canned diets formulated to contain high amounts of protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and moisture and a low amount of carbohydrate may minimize the risk of CaOx urolith formation in dogs.
Lekcharoensuk
Chalermpol
C
Minnesota Urolith Center, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108, USA.
Osborne
Carl A
CA
Lulich
Jody P
JP
Pusoonthornthum
Rosama
R
Kirk
Claudia A
CA
Ulrich
Lisa K
LK
Koehler
Lori A
LA
Carpenter
Kathleen A
KA
Swanson
Laurie L
LL
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004285:Dogs / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*
D002129:Calcium Oxalate