Low Purine | Canine Meal Kit

If your dog is prone to uric acid or urate stones, what you feed them matters.

Some dogs are genetically predisposed, Dalmatians are the classic example, but English Bulldogs and some other breeds can also be affected. Males are much more likely to develop these stones than females, particularly male Dalmatians.

The good news is that diet can be an important part of prevention.

Does a low-purine diet mean no meat?

No.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about feeding a low-purine diet.

Most muscle meats are relatively close to one another in purine content when compared on a 100-gram basis. You don’t necessarily need to eliminate meat or feed an extremely low-protein diet.  The bigger concern in most grocery store ground meats is fat content.  For that reason we tend to point our customers toward lean poultry options.  You can use other meats though, particularly if you’re also managing allergies or a picky eater.  Just be aware of the fat content and seek out lean options with a goal of 10% fat. 

Where things change dramatically is organ meat.

Liver, kidney and other organs can contain significantly higher levels of purines, making them a poor choice for a dog that needs meaningful purine restriction. For these dogs, the goal is to choose appropriate muscle meats while eliminating the high-purine ingredients that can unnecessarily increase the total purine load.

It’s not just about purines

This is where low-purine nutrition gets more complicated.

A diet can have an appropriate purine level and still not be a good choice for a dog prone to urate stones.

- Moisture is extremely important. Dry foods are inherently problematic for these dogs because they provide little or no water with the food. The more concentrated the urine becomes, largely due to dehydration, the easier it is for compounds in the urine to come together and form crystals and stones.

- Fat matters, too. Fat can be part of the organic material that helps bind stone material together. For a dog prone to urate stones, a diet that is unnecessarily high in fat isn’t a good choice.

- Mineral balance matters. Calcium is necessary, but the form of calcium used in a diet is important. Calcium carbonate can interact differently in the digestive and urinary environment than calcium citrate and may contribute to the formation of mineral-containing stone material. For low-purine diets, calcium citrate is a preferred calcium source.

Who is most likely to develop urate stones?

The biggest genetic risk is seen in:

• Dalmatians
• English Bulldogs
• Some other dogs with inherited abnormalities in uric acid metabolism
• Dogs with certain liver or blood-flow abnormalities, including portosystemic shunts

Male dogs are much more likely than females to develop urate stones. This is especially pronounced in Dalmatians.

Why prevention is so important

A urate stone may sit quietly in the bladder for a while or it can become a very serious problem if it moves into the urethra.

This is particularly concerning in male dogs, because their narrower urethra makes obstruction more likely.

Once a stone is blocking the urinary tract, it is an emergency. The stone has to be removed.  Depending on the individual situation, this may require catheterization, flushing, specialized stone-removal procedures, or in many cases surgery.

Some urate stones may be medically dissolved under veterinary supervision, but you cannot rely on dissolution when a dog is obstructed.

That’s why prevention is always the better strategy.

For a dog that is predisposed to urate stones, the goal isn’t simply “feed less meat.”

It’s about putting the whole diet together correctly:

Lower the purine load.
Avoid high-purine organ meats.
Feed adequate moisture.
Don’t overdo dietary fat.
Use appropriate calcium and mineral sources.
Keep the diet properly balanced.

A well-formulated low-purine diet can help reduce the amount of uric acid the body has to deal with and, for dogs that are prone to these stones, that can make a very important difference.

A Smarter Way to Feed Fresh

• Whole food ingredients selected with low purine levels 
• Premium nutrients that minimize stone formation 
• Flexible protein choices
• Simplified homemade dog food preparation

What’s Included

• Low Purine Veggie Mix
• K9 Food Essentials Core nutrient packs

How It Works

1. Add fresh diced or ground, lean muscle-meat, veggie mix, and water
2. Cook for approximately 20 minutes 
3. Allow to cool
4. Mix in the K9 Food Essentials nutrient pack
5. Portion and refrigerate or freeze as needed.

 When prepared as directed, this kit was designed to exceed canine nutrient guidelines.

WHOLE FOOD INGREDIENTS:

Zucchini, white potato, sweet potato, carrots

K9 FOOD ESSENTIALS | CORE: Calcium Citrate, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Organic Dried Kelp, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Yeast Culture, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Bitartrate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Ferrous Amino Acid Chelate, Natural Vitamin E Supplement, Selenium Yeast, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate,  Methylfolate, Methylcobalamin (B12)