My little pug dog has to eat an expensive prescription canned dog food called Royal Canin Urinary SO. If she eats other foods she will get crystals in her urinary tract which lead to blood in the urine and eventually (the vet says) to kidney stones.

As a human being, I personally eat only natural fresh food, no canned food. In light of all the pet food troubles these days, I want to know if anyone has a natural (balanced) doggy diet I could feed her that will not give her the urinary crystals but keep her healthy.
I hope someone can help me, as I am running out money buying this expensive smelly canned stuff with who knows what in it.

Does your vet just happen to sell it? I had more confidence in vets' objectivity about dog chow before they all started selling it. I have zero confidence in natural foods and their benefit to man or beast. I would suggest finding a vet that sells Science Diet. Chances are, they have a far cheaper dry product that would be fine for your Pug.

If you insist on a natural chow, look no further than the banner ads on this page.

I am also suggesting this gets moved to the dog forum.

Does your vet just happen to sell it? I had more confidence in vets' objectivity about dog chow before they all started selling it. I have zero confidence in natural foods and their benefit to man or beast. I would suggest finding a vet that sells Science Diet. Chances are, they have a far cheaper dry product that would be fine for your Pug.

If you insist on a natural chow, look no further than the banner ads on this page.

I am also suggesting this gets moved to the dog forum.

To Labman: Thank you for your answer. You are right, my vet sells the Waltham Royal Canin Urinary SO dog food for about $2.00 a can! I am not interested in buying prepared natural dog food. I did not make myself clear. What I want is a RECIPE that I can make for my dog myself, with fresh foods I buy from the store. It would have to be a nutritionally balanced diet for dogs in general, but one that would not aggrevate her problem. I guess I am asking the impossible. I will try to find the doggy forum for other questions about my dog.

Jeanne, you are going to be hard pressed to find a balanced holistic diet that you can create that will help with her medical condition. If you are fortunate enough to do so, I can guarantee that it won't save you much money since you have to purchase all of the special ingredients, minerals, & vitamins to create the proper balance. In addition, it will take up your time to cook it.

Is there any reason why the vet put your pug on the canned food rather than the kibble? Waltham Royal makes a kibble for this problem as well as the canned. Also, labman is right in that Hill's Science Diet also makes a kibble for this problem as well. It is another food that you can only find at a vet's office. Kibble works out to be much less expensive than the canned product and it is better for your dog's teeth. It cleans the teeth, where wet food does not. The problem with any kind of wet food for your dog, whether you buy it or make it yourself, is that it has been proven that this type of diet will create an early onset of gum and dental disease in your dog. Unless you are able to brush your dog's teeth regularly and afford to have the vet clean your dogs teeth on a regular basis, your pug is much better off on a kibble diet. When vets perform dental work, they need to anesthetize your pet. The less often your dog has to be place under, the safer it will be for her. The thought of a loved pet dying due to being given an overdose of anesthesia scares the heck out of me.

I am very disheartened that your vet feels that this is the best food for your dog. Good vets recommend what is best for your pet, whether they sell it or not. You just might want to ask your friends and neighbors in your area which vet they use and why. It may be time to make an appointment with another vet and see what they recommend for your dog's problem.

Whatever you decide to do, if you remember, please let us know what you have decided to do and how your dog is doing. :)

I think the evidence is overwhelming that a commercial, dry kibble is the best choice for dogs. Many people do prepare their own dog diets. It is very difficult to do right, and many dogs suddenly die after seeming to to well on their diet. I could send you to somebody on another site that likely would give you what she would say is what you want. I neither agree with her, nor feel comfortable sending people from here to another forum. She has a web site where she sells what you would need. I trust her less than I trust your vet. Too many people giving dog diet advice are selling something. Here is a link to somebody that as far as I know is selling dogs, not dog food, Woodhaven Labradors Training-Nutrition Articles (http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles2.html#nutrition) I disagree with some of their material, but it is some of the most objective advice on the net. Raw meat diets spark concern - January 15, 2005 (http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jan05/050115ww.asp) is less balanced.

What you want may exist, but the correct Science diet is much safer, easier to find, and cheaper.