Oxalate

Oxalate, in the urinary context, is a type of stone made of calcium oxalate which, unlike [struvite](/glossary/struvite), does not dissolve with diet and often requires surgical removal once formed. This is the key practical distinction between the two common stone types, and it shapes management: because oxalate stones cannot be dissolved nutritionally, prevention of recurrence is the main dietary goal after removal (veterinary literature). Nutritional prevention remains important and typically involves promoting dilute urine through hydration and [wet food](/glossary/wet-food), managing urine pH and mineral balance, and using therapeutic diets prescribed by a vet. Both dogs and cats can form calcium oxalate stones, and their frequency has risen over recent decades, in part as diets shifted to reduce struvite risk, a reminder that managing one stone type can influence another. Oxalate is also relevant to the broader picture of [feline lower urinary tract disease](/glossary/flutd) in cats. The marker: oxalate stones are the diet-resistant counterpart to struvite, so once present they usually need removal, and the dietary effort focuses on preventing their return, a contrast emphasised in the urinary entries of the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary). Hydration is central to both, linking oxalate to [dehydration](/glossary/dehydration) prevention.

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General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.