Royal Canin – Does it Really Help Urinary Problems?

wning a dog that has current health problems can be very difficult. Dogs with health problems need extra care, as well a potential investment in veterinary bills. Some veterinary procedures can cost over $5000! Urinary problems are one of the more common health conditions to affect dogs. These problems can be influenced by a variety of factors, some of which are related to diet. Royal Canin, a large pet food manufacturing company, produces several formulas targeted to help with health conditions, including urinary problems. However, how effective is Royal Canin at actually helping dogs that are experiencing issues with their urinary tract?

The Formula

For dogs (there is a separate formula for cats), Royal Canin has a formula titled “Royal Canin Urinary SO”. This formula is only available by obtaining a prescription from a veterinarian. It contains many ingredients that are marketed as being able to help dogs deal with urinary tract problems.

The Ingredients

The first five ingredients in Royal Canin Urinary SO for dogs are: rice, ground corn, chicken fat, chicken meal and natural flavors. Other ingredients include corn gluten meal, dried egg product, salt, powdered cellulose, potassium chloride, fish oil and monocalcium phosphate. The main criticism of this formula is that it contains two carbohydrate ingredients (rice and corn) as its first two ingredients. These make up the bulk of the formula .The third ingredient, chicken fat, can be dangerous in high concentrations, just like any other fat product.

Helping with Urinary Problems

There are several methods that Royal Canin Urinary SO uses to address urinary problems in dogs. One of these methods is called “Relative Super Saturation” (RSS). This method predicts the potential of certain ingredients to cause crystallization of urine. Royal Canin apparently uses this scale to determine what to add to their Urinary SO formula. Urinary SO also contains ingredients to dissolve struvite uroliths, as well as decreasing the saturation of the urine by dilution. According to Royal Canin, their formula helps to prevent three conditions: stiruvite urolithaisis, calcium oxalate urolithiasis and calcium phosphate (brushite) urolithiasis.

Customer Reviews

According to dog owners, opinions on the effectiveness of Royal Canin Urinary SO are mixed. Some dog owners reported that it can be used combined with veterinary-prescribed medications. However, some dog owners also said that it wasn’t completely effective at helping their dogs deal with urinary tract problems.