Urate stones in bulldogs are stones or crystals in the urinary tract composed of uric acid. The stones can be in the kidneys or in the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder. A proper diet formulated specifically to reduce the acidic level of the dog's urine plays a direct role in both treatment and prevention of urate stones in bulldogs.
Cause
Diet is a cause for the stone formation and it can be a key factor in reducing or preventing urate stones. High amounts of protein--specifically purine found in beef, poultry and fish--can cause this condition. A urate stone that is not posing a significant health risk to the bulldog may be dealt with non-surgically with a conscientious regime of anti-urate medication and low purine diet.
Diet
Once your bulldog has had a bout of urate stones, you know he has the tendency to develop the stones again. He is predisposed to the condition and a diet low in purine will help prevent the re-occurrence of the stones.
If you were allowing your bulldog to have table food, stop the practice immediately. Feeding a dog table food prepared for humans is a very unwise practice. It is unhealthy for the dog and it promotes inappropriate behavior.
There are many brands of commercial dog food that make available varieties of their food that are formulated with low purine content specifically for dogs that have or have had urate stones. These formulas contain low amounts or no amounts of meat, beef and meat- or beef-"by-products" that can cause abnormally high acidic urine in bulldogs. These dietary formulas consist of low purine foods like eggs and most vegetables and fruit.
For homemade dogfood, use eggs and cottage cheese as the protein base. Low purine meats such as chicken and whitefish can be fed occasionally. Avoid high purine food such as organ meats, gravies, legumes and canned or fresh seafood. Low purine foods such as rice, pasta and vegetables (not including aparagus, spinach, cauliflower or green peas) and low fiber or refined grain breads and cereals can be used. Mash the ingredients together, pureeing the vegetables or grain additions to make a food suitable for your dog. Practice and experimentation will result in a formula that your dog will enjoy.
Adequate fresh water is also important for the bulldog's urinary tract health. Be certain the dog has plenty of fresh, clean water always available.