Pet Forum

Stones in dogs can be a serious condition. Let's discuss dog bladder stones by defining it, then we can talk about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of canine bladder stones.

What is dog bladder stones? Dogs, like humans, can suffer from bladder stones (otherwise known as canine urolithiasis, cystitis, urethritis, or kidney stones). This condition, in which excessive amounts of "stones" or crystals gather in the urinary tract, causes urinary tract irritation and pain during urination. Most often the stones are formed in a dog's bladder, but they can form in the kidney or the urethra as well. Once formed, they then aggravate the urinary tract lining and can lead to blood in the urine and pain. In some instances the stones will actually block the stream of urine, thus making urination painful and even impossible.

What causes bladder stones in dogs? If your veterinarian suspects your dog may have uroliths, he or she may perform some or all of these diagnostic tests: abdominal palpation, to feel stones present in the urinary bladder; urinalysis, to determine the types of crystals present; urine culture with antibiotic sensitivity, to determine if bacteria are present in the urinary tract and the appropriate antibiotic with which to treat these bacteria; and radiographic examination (possibly with contrast media), to see if stones are present and their location in the urinary tract. To evaluate how well your pet is responding to therapy, your veterinarian may periodically repeat some of these tests. Therefore, you will need to bring your pet in for rechecks as directed by your veterinarian.

What are the symptoms of canine stones in the bladder? Although a urinalysis can provide a clue, the only way to know for sure that a dog’s bladder stone is an oxalate stone is to retrieve a stone and have a laboratory analyze it. If the stones are very small, flushing the urinary bladder and forcefully expressing it may produce a stone sample for testing. The only other way to obtain a sample is to surgically open the bladder and remove the stones. The surgical method is invasive but provides the most rapid resolution of the bladder stone issue. Calcium oxalate stones cannot be made to dissolve over time by changing to a special diet (as can be done with struvite or uric acid bladder stones).

What dog bladder stone treatments can be used? Bladder stones are rarely life threatening. In fact, it can be treated with the right diet and the necessary hygienic practices. But even so, it is not advisable that you follow self-medication techniques for your dogs. A veterinarian would definitely help your pet a lot when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The occurrence of bladder stones greatly differs from one dog to another. A friend's medications for bladder stones on her dog might not necessarily work for your pet. Regular checkup is still your best defense against this rather common disease that affects man's loyal and trusted best friend.

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