We have a beagle named Charlie Girl who gets treated like a queen. Literally. For the 3 years we had her before the kid came along, she got anything and everything she wanted: toys, treats, clothes, doggie daycare, doggie hotels, and even human food.

Charlie

Then came the day of “five paper towel rolls”. Out of nowhere, she kept having accidents in the house which she hadn’t been doing since she was a puppy. We immediately made an appointment with the vet because we knew something had to be wrong. The vet couldn’t see us until later in the evening so we had to keep an eye on Charlie girl and watch for her accidents. I must have used up five paper towel rolls that day (get it?)

While I was spraying cleaner all over my floors (thank god it was tile!), I was frantically searching the internet for what could possibly be wrong with my furbaby. I received a multitude of answers and decided it was best to wait for the vet’s diagnosis. We take Charlie Girl to regular vet visits, so we knew whatever she had was brought on by something else. Her tail was no longer wagging. She was not happy.

charlie 2

After our vet visit, lab tests, and an x-ray, we saw clear as day that Charlie Girl had kidney stones. She kept having to go potty because she was trying to get those stones out. Our vet gave us two options: surgically remove them or change her diet to let them pass naturally (painfully) but naturally. I trusted our vet and she recommended changing her diet first. She switched us to vet-prescribed Royal Canin Urinary SO. (Moderate calorie, because she’s a chubb-a-wub)

The vet was absolutely correct in her diagnosis. A few days into the diet, Charlie girl was wagging her tail once more. The follow-up x-ray confirmed it. No more kidney stones! When your dog has symptoms of an upset stomach or any other potential issues.  it’s important to take him/her to your veterinarian so they can get to the bottom of it. A wagging tail equals a happy dog!

charlie and kid

It’s been a year and half since she’s been on this diet, and there’s been no UTI or sign of kidney stones in sight. Science really is the best way to look at every issue your dog may have. For more pet health nutrition information, go to http://www.mypetreference.com/#!search/ask+the+vet

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.