PREVENTIVE HYDRATION, DIET, ELMINIATION & EXERCISE
RECOMMENDATIONS for a Healthy Dalmatian
Written by Julia Soukup, webmaster for the Dalmatian Club of America
(revised May 8, 2014)
Dalmatians have the potential to become urate crystal and/or stone formers during their lifetime.
There is also a potential for Dalmatians (or any breed/mixed-breed dog) to form other types of
urinary stones in fairly high incidence as indicated by statistics from the University of Minnesota
Urolith Lab. Current trends through 2011, show calcium oxalate stones are on the rise in all breeds of dogs at 42% vs. Purine (urate salts, uric acid) stones at only 4.2%.1
Do not let this low percentage of urate type stones comfort you into not following this
recommended preventative protocol! Urinary stones are a very serious and life-threatening
condition and the potential of this happening to your dog is not to be taken lightly. The data
quoted above is from the stones that are turned into the Minnesota Lab. The actual percentages
of all stones for all dogs could be much higher. It is very important that you submit your dog’s
debris or stones to the designated lab for proper diagnosis and treatment of your own dog as well
as providing helpful information for the future well-being of the entire breed and all canines.
In order to minimize the potential for your Dalmatian to obstruct or have problems urinating you
should follow a simple protocol of HYDRATION, DIET, frequent URINE ELIMINATION &
EXERCISE. This protocol is also a healthy choice for any breed of dog.
It is absolutely critical that you do the following things:
HYDRATION: The amount of water your Dalmatian consumes is crucial.
It is very important that you put water on your Dalmatian’s dry kibble when you feed
them. This forces the dog to drink more water and thus flush out their systems more
thoroughly. Add enough water to the kibble to at least make it float. Clean, fresh human quality water should be available to your Dalmatian at all times.
DIET: It is important that your Dalmatian is fed a diet lower in purines, NOT protein, although
they usually go hand-in-hand. You should avoid feeding a Dalmatian Beef-based or Liver-based
foods or treats. Often times the really high-end specialty foods are way too rich and are higher in
purines.
Please consult with your BREEDER on what to feed your Dalmatian. A list of high purine foods
to avoid is available on the DCA web site at: http://www.thedca.org/purines.html.
URINE ELIMINATION: Frequent urine elimination is a key component in keeping your
Dalmatian stone free. It is important that the bladder is relieved or “flushed out” several times
during the day. Crystals/Stones are formed when the urine stays too long in the bladder. Stagnant
urine provides the environment for particles to form into crystals or stones. A bladder infection
can also lead to crystals or stones.
EXERCISE: The amount of exercise is very important. If a dog has the frequent and regular
exercise they will be consuming more water. The activity/exercise will increase their drinking
and elimination. So exercise your Dalmatian often for a happy and healthy dog.
NOTE:
Should your dog develop urinary crystals or stones, it is critical that the debris be sent to the
University of Minnesota Urolith Lab for complete composition analysis. Treatment for one type of
stone can make other types of stones worse! Please contact your BREEDER ASAP as they
will have information or can help find contacts that can help you make the best decisions for
your dog! Remember your vet is a general practitioner, and although an expert on general dog
care, he/she is usually not an expert in Dalmatian specific care. Much of the information
being provided to them from educated sources.
1. Minnesota Urolith Center: Part One: Veterinary canine urolith epidemiology: 1981-2011
Mineral composition trends have been stabilizing in recent years.
May 1, 2012 By: Carl A. Osborne, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, Jody P. Lulich, DVM, PhD, Dipl.
ACVIM, DVM360 MAGAZINE
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Featured+Contributors/Part-One-Veterinary-canineurolith-epidemiology-19/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/773166