Hi Hope Flo is recovering.
Just to say that Chilli (our almost 2 yr old male) was partially diagnosed with a similar oxalate crystal problem, but thankfully no stones.
Weirdly, I have actually read somewhere that cockers have lower incidence of stones than other breeds. The vet actually recommended trying Burns or Chappie first, as an alternative to the vets prescription urinary diets (when you look at the contents they are fairly similar). And also said that it's not always necessary to keep them on the diet for perpetuity, especially in a young dog.
Our vet at first tried to suggest that dietary protein was the cause and then when we pointed out that the 20% protein in his CSJ was not overly high, and nor were the other components all that differnet to the prescription diet, then suggested that the type of protein might also influence the condition. Having done some research, and spoken to colleagues who are hospital consultants, I'm personally pretty sceptical about any evidence for the dietary influence on the development of such conditions. I think it's fair to say that this is not an area of evidence based practice for many vets. Nonetheless we are trying Chili on the Burns diet and cutting out other treats like cheese for the time being.
Funnily enough, when I spoke to one colleague she said that these type of urinary conditions in humans are rarely dietary and often resolve in a month or so...that's the exact same time frame as the vet reckoned the diet would need to take effect.
