The Best Food for Dogs With Bladder Stones: Nutritional Support for Healthier Pets

If your dog has been dealing with bladder stones, you may have come to realize how much their diet matters. 

The Volhard diet offers a natural, fresh, and balanced approach to supporting dogs with bladder stones by helping maintain ideal urine pH and reducing the risk of stone formation. Its high-quality ingredients and customizable protein options create a healthier urinary environment, making it a gentle alternative to more invasive treatments. 

3 Main Types of Bladder Stones in Dogs

Bladder stones, or uroliths, form when minerals crystallize in a dog’s urinary tract, often due to imbalances in diet, hydration, or underlying medical conditions. 

Understanding the three primary types—struvite, calcium oxalate, and urate—is key to determining the proper treatment and prevention strategies. 

Struvite Stones: Linked to Infections and Responsive to Hydration

Struvite stones are the most common type found in dogs, especially females, and are typically associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs). The infection changes the pH of the urine, allowing magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate to crystallize.

Calcium Oxalate Stones: Non-Dissolvable, But Preventable

Unlike struvite stones, calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved with dietary changes and typically require surgical removal or non-invasive procedures, such as lithotripsy. These stones tend to form in more acidic urine and are more common in male dogs.

Urate Stones: Often Genetic, But Manageable With Diet

Urate stones are less common and are often linked to genetic conditions, particularly in breeds such as Dalmatians, Bulldogs, and certain terriers. These stones are associated with an inability to properly metabolize purines, which are found in protein-rich foods.

Key Nutrition for Dogs With Bladder Stones

Nutrition is central to both preventing and managing bladder stones in dogs. 

The proper diet can help regulate urine pH, reduce the concentration of stone-forming minerals, and support overall urinary tract health. 

A targeted, whole-food-based diet minimizes the risk of recurrence and often supports faster recovery following treatment or surgery.

Ingredients to Avoid in a Bladder Stone-Friendly Diet

• Foods that are high in calcium, phosphorus, oxalates, or purines can all contribute to mineral buildup in the bladder. 
• Excess sodium, artificial preservatives, and synthetic additives can also worsen inflammation and dehydration, creating an environment that promotes stone formation rather than discouraging it.

High-Oxalate Foods That May Promote Stone Formation

For dogs prone to calcium oxalate stones, limiting oxalate intake is essential. 

Oxalates can bind with calcium in the urine, forming crystals that eventually develop into stones. 

• Foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, brown rice, beets, almonds, and rhubarb are particularly high in oxalates and are best avoided or minimized in a preventative diet. Reducing these foods helps keep urinary minerals in balance and decreases the likelihood of recurrence.

Purine-Rich Ingredients to Watch Out For 

Urate stones are often associated with a diet high in purines. 

Purines are naturally found in many high-protein animal products, especially organ meats. 

Ingredients such as liver, kidney, anchovies, sardines, and game meats are particularly rich in purines and should be limited if your dog is genetically predisposed to urate stones.

The Problem With Commercial Dry Kibble

One of the biggest challenges in managing bladder stones is the widespread use of commercial dry kibble. Many of these products are loaded with low-quality fillers, synthetic preservatives, and highly processed proteins, offering little nutritional value. 

Dry kibble lacks the moisture content dogs need to stay properly hydrated, which can concentrate minerals in the urine and increase the risk of stone development. A fresh, moisture-rich diet is typically a much better choice for dogs with bladder health concerns.

Ingredients That Support Bladder Health

In contrast to harmful ingredients, many natural foods actively support bladder and urinary health. Fresh fruits like cranberries and blueberries are rich in antioxidants and can help reduce bacteria in the urinary tract. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation, while herbs like parsley and dandelion greens can help gently flush the bladder. Bone broth adds hydration and essential nutrients that aid in healing and maintenance.

Low-Oxalate Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains

Peeled apples, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, and bananas are all safe options. Grains like wild rice and quinoa offer digestible carbohydrates without contributing to stone formation, making them excellent additions to a balanced meal plan.

Recommended Proteins: Poultry, Fish, and Select Meats

Lean options like chicken, turkey, and white fish are generally safer choices that provide essential amino acids without the risk associated with red meat or organ-based proteins. Eggs are also a valuable source of high-quality protein with minimal purine content. 

The Importance of Fresh, Moisture-Rich Meals

Hydration plays a critical role in preventing bladder stones. Cooking with broth, incorporating lightly steamed vegetables, and serving (raw) meats with their natural juices all help improve hydration and support a healthier urinary system.

Note: Your dog's digestive system cannot effectively process the rendered fat from cooked meat. Please discard all liquid left after cooking. 

• s step continues the maintenance process, promoting lasting bladder health.

For pets with a history of urinary issues, Easy Peesy II can also be used proactively. Administer it once daily for 14 days, three times a year, to maintain a healthy urinary environment and help reduce the risk of recurrence.

By aligning the Easy Peesy protocol with your pet’s specific history, whether they have struggled with struvite, calcium oxalate, or infection-related stones, you can take a thoughtful, preventive approach that prioritizes both comfort and long-term wellness.

Struvite Stone-Safe Turkey & Rice Stew

A home-cooked turkey stew is an ideal option to support this process. Lean ground turkey provides a clean, low-fat protein source that’s gentle on the urinary tract. You can also include low-oxalate vegetables like carrots, green beans, and peeled zucchini for added fiber and nutrients. 

How the Volhard Diet Supports Urinary Health

Volhard Dog Nutrition takes a holistic approach to canine health, recognizing that nutrition plays a foundational role in supporting the kidneys and bladder. Our diets are formulated to balance minerals, promote hydration, and provide whole food ingredients that help reduce inflammation and support detoxification. 

Volhard’s 21-Day Kidney & Bladder Cleanse

The Volhard Winter Diet is a 21-day reset specifically designed to cleanse and rebalance the kidneys and bladder, particularly in dogs prone to urinary stones. 

Our program offers a warming, nourishing meal plan that helps detoxify organs and promote fluid balance. 

For a 50-pound dog, meals are fed twice daily and consist of one-third protein (like beef, fish, lamb, or cottage cheese), one-third grains (such as oats or millet), and one-third vegetables (like kale, broccoli, leeks, or green beans), all prepared for easy digestion. 

Specific urinary-supportive herbs, such as dandelion, nettles, and uva ursi, are added in small, rotating amounts. Watermelon can be served as a cleansing mono-meal a few times during the program to assist with hydration and toxin removal. 

After the cleanse, dogs can transition to a balanced maintenance diet to maintain their urinary health in the long term.

Choosing the Right Foundation Mix and Protein Pairings

Once the 21-day cleanse is complete, we recommend moving to one of our balanced maintenance diets, such as the AM/PM or NDF2 diets. 

Our formulations provide a stable nutritional base, allowing for flexibility in protein selection based on your dog’s specific needs. For dogs with a history of bladder stones, pairing our diets with lean, low-purine proteins like poultry, white fish, or cottage cheese is ideal. 

Note: In the case of cottage cheese, use it once weekly alongside a staple protein (e.g., turkey and whitefish on alternate days).

Support Your Dog’s Bladder Health With Volhard Dog Nutrition!

Give your dog the fresh, balanced, and moisture-rich meals they need to prevent bladder stones and support long-term urinary health. Volhard Dog Nutrition offers a smarter, safer way to keep your pup happy, hydrated, and stone-free.

For more advice on dog nutrition, health, and training, contact us and check out our other blogs!

Volhard Dog Nutrition and its expert canine nutrition coaches offer online consultations to help more dog parents discover why and how to feed their dogs the healthiest foods!

Speaking to a Volhard canine nutrition coach will help you understand the inseparable relationship between healthy food, a healthy body, and a healthy mind.

If you want to contact one of our Volhard canine nutrition coaches, don't hesitate to access our consultation page!

References:

1. "Bladder Stones in Dogs: VCA Animal Hospitals." Vca, vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/bladder-stones-in-dogs. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
   
   
2. Diets for Bladder Stones, www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20143185233. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
   
   
3. "Urolithiasis in dogs: Evaluation of trends in UROLITH composition and risk factors (2006‐2018)." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, vol. 35, no. 3, May 2021, pp. 1406–1415, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16114. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
   
   
4. "Which Type of Food Contributes to the Formation of Bladder Stones in Dogs?" Pet Reader, 22 June 2023, petreader.net/which-type-of-food-contributes-to-the-formation-of-bladder-stones-in-dogs/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.