Struvite Crystals In Cats Ph

Cats should naturally have a very low acidic urinary ph and a ph over seven.

Struvite crystals in cats ph.

Struvite and calcium oxalate are the most common type of stones in cats. The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes. How struvite crystals form. Struvite stones are one of the most common bladder stones in dogs and cats.

Struvite specifically is a material that is composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate. Calcium oxalate crystals on the other hand are usually present when urine is too acidic. However according to veterinarians at the marva vista animal clinic in los angeles struvite crystals require an alkaline ph in order to form. They are most likely to develop when a cat s urine is alkaline more than 7 0 ph.

Once the stone is formed it increases in size over weeks or months. These diets only contain 10 water. They typically form because of urinary changes that happen when bladder infections occur. A cat affected with struvite crystals calcium oxalate crystals or any other type of crystal will suffer from the same array of symptoms and are affected in the same way.

They cannot form in acidic urine. Cats fed this diet supplemented with ammonium chloride had a urine ph of 5 97 and only 9 per cent contained struvite crystals but when the ph was adjusted to 7 0 all the samples showed struvite crystals. Cats fed the dry pelleted diet had urine of higher ph 7 55 and 78 per cent of the samples contained struvite crystals. Urinary crystals is a common problem in dehydrated cats.

The main dietary factors that appear to affect the development of cat crystals are urine ph and water consumption. Less common stones include ammonium biurate cystine and uric acid. However your cat s diet still does play a factor. Struvite stones are composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate.

Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats. Healthy cats have low ph urine ie acidic. The more concentrated the urine the more likely minerals can become crystals and eventually stones. This is the main reason they are so susceptible to urinary crystals and stones.

It mainly occurs due to lack of or inadequate moisture in cat food or lack of drinking water. Struvite crystals in cats are formed when the urine ph is too high ie too alkaline. So how do cats get urine that is too alkaline. Cats are not natural water drinkers as they evolved over millions of years and derived most of their moisture from their prey.

By eating a diet that is high in plant based food kibble commercial cat food. Struvite crystals develop in concentrated urine once the urine becomes supersaturated crystals aggregate to form stones.