Urolithiasis in Dogs

Urolithiasis (stones in the urinary tract) in Dogs

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Section: Overview

Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests are needed to identify urolithiasis as the cause of your pet's symptoms and to exclude other disease processes. Your veterinarian may recommend:

  • Complete medical history and physical examination, including palpation of the abdomen. Bladder stones can be difficult to palpate due to the tendency of many pets to tense their abdomen when the veterinarian attempts to palpate them. The medical history may include questions about the pet's urine stream, the frequency of urination, presence of blood in the urine, change in water consumption, changes in appetite, weight loss and history of previous illness or infection.

  • Urinalysis to evaluate urine concentration, acidity or alkalinity (called pH), presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria and crystals

  • Abdominal X-rays to identify stones that are dense enough to be visu
    alized

    Other diagnostic tests that may be completed include:

  • Urine culture and sensitivity to identify bacterial urinary tract infection

  • Serum biochemistry tests to assess kidney function

  • Complete blood count to evaluate for infection

  • Abdominal ultrasound to evaluate for obstruction of the urinary tract by stones

  • Contrast dye X-ray studies to visualize some stones not visualized on plain X-rays

  • Stone analysis to identify the mineral composition of the stones and guide your veterinarian in treating urolithiasis

    Treatment

    Treatments for urolithiasis may include one or more of the following:

  • Treatment of bacterial urinary tract infection with antibiotics

  • Removal of stones surgically or by dietary intervention. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. Surgery is invasive but usually insures removal of all stones and allows for mineral analysis of the stones. Dissolution of stones by dietary methods is not invasive but does not allow mineral analysis of the stones and requires your veterinarian to make an educated guess about the type of stone present. Some stones can be dissolved by dietary means and others cannot. Whether or not to attempt dietary dissolution will depend on your pet's general health, the type of stone suspected, the location and number of stones and other factors that your veterinarian will discuss with you. In many instances, surgery is the most direct way to remove stones and submit them for analysis.

    Home Care

    At home, be sure to administer any medications prescribed by your veterinarian. Give antibiotics according to the schedule prescribed. It's important to allow your pet free access to fresh clean water.

    Follow-up with your veterinarian for physical examinations and urinalysis as directed. Urine culture should be repeated 5 to 7 days after completion of antibiotic treatment to ensure eradication of infection. If your pet has a poor response to treatment, further workup may be required to search for underlying disease processes.

    Stone analysis will guide your veterinarian's treatment plan:

  • Struvite stones: antibiotics to treat bacterial infection
  • Oxalate stones: thiazide diuretics and potassium citrate
  • Urate stones: allopurinol
  • Cystine stones: penicillamine or 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine (2-MPG or Thiola)

    Preventative Care

    Most stones are difficult to prevent. Providing your pet with frequent opportunities to urinate and an ample supply of fresh clean water may help.

    Prompt treatment of urinary tract infections can help reduce the potential for certain stone formation.

     
    Printable Version
     
    Have a Pet Question?
    Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
    and His Staff of Veterinarians Ask Dr. Jon
    Dr. Jon's Newsletter
    Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...
     
     

    Related Articles

    • 1 Hematuria (Blood in Urine) in Dogs

      Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It may be gross (visible to the naked eye) or microscopic.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Cystotomy in Dogs

      Cystotomy is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the urinary bladder. The procedure can be done for many reasons, the most common being to facilitate removal of bladder and urethral...

      Read MoreRead More
    • Related Articles
    • 1 Cystotomy in Dogs

      Cystotomy is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the urinary bladder. The procedure can be done for many reasons, the most common being to facilitate removal of bladder and urethral...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Hematuria (Blood in Urine) in Dogs

      Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It may be gross (visible to the naked eye) or microscopic.

      Read MoreRead More
     

    Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

    Dogs & Puppies
    Cats
    Related Articles
    • 1 Cystotomy in Dogs

      Cystotomy is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the urinary bladder. The procedure can be done for many reasons, the most common being to facilitate removal of bladder and urethral...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Hematuria (Blood in Urine) in Dogs

      Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It may be gross (visible to the naked eye) or microscopic.

      Read MoreRead More
    Advertisement
    Advertisement