Canine bladder stones. Your experience please.

Amongst all the other the doggy embuggerances currently hanging round my neck is the diagnosis of bladder stones in Labrador "Jack".

We've been down the ultrasound scan, x-ray, blood test and urine test route, and the evidence is clear. He's on pills for reducing the crystals in his urine, a standard antibiotic (Synulox), Metacam for pain relief, and a special food designed to dissolve the existing stones. If anyone has some practical experience of this condition I'd love to hear from them about the eventual outcome and possible preventative measures.

Eug

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Originally Posted by Colonel Blimp

Amongst all the other the doggy embuggerances currently hanging round my neck is the diagnosis of bladder stones in Labrador "Jack".

We've been down the ultrasound scan, x-ray, blood test and urine test route, and the evidence is clear. He's on pills for reducing the crystals in his urine, a standard antibiotic (Synulox), Metacam for pain relief, and a special food designed to dissolve the existing stones. If anyone has some practical experience of this condition I'd love to hear from them about the eventual outcome and possible preventative measures.

Eug

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My friend had a littermate to 1967 NFC Butte's Blue Moon. We're working patterns in the snow & he leaves a trail of blood about 5' wide out to the pile. In to the vet, diagnosis bladderstones - operation - dog never came out of anesthetic. My only experience - maybe some of the vets here can tell you more.

http://www.caninecystinuria.com/FAQ.html

Col Blimp:

My prior Golden had a fairly large calcium oxalate stone (about 1.0 cm) in him that had to be surgically removed. I noticed a slight tinge to his urine while walking him in the snow.... The protocol you stated is just about the same as what is done in the states. Did you have any idea of the number or size... The surgery itself is fairly common.

Post surgery (@ 10 YO) that dog lived another 4.5 years. I'm not 100%, sure but I think urological diets are lower in calcium and change the pH of the bladder to help prevent future issues. It works some of the time.

Do you know what kind of stones they are? The two main types of crystals, struvite and calcium oxalate are controlled differently. One is due to infection (struvites) and are more easily controlled than the other (calcium oxalate).

Thanks for the responses, they are said to be struvites and hence treatable via diet.

Eug

Struvites usually start because of an infection. So make sure that is taken care of as well.

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Struvites usually start because of an infection. So make sure that is taken care of as well.

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Thanks, Synulox is the industry standard broad spectrum antibiotic and he'll be on that for some time after the stones are gone. As a professional chemist I understand the infection / urea breakdown / pH reduction stuff, but non of my chums has ever had to deal with the practicalities, particularly future prevention.

Eug

The calculolytic diets in the USA used to eliminate struvite uroliths are relatively high in fat content so there is a slight potential risk of the patient developing pancreatitis so do not dismiss episodes of GI tract problems as being inconsequential. Also I have seen a few calculi that were of mixed composition hence incomplete dissolution from dietary therapy.

When urolith dissolution is complete follow up urinalysis at regular intervals is advisable.

Anecdotally, cranberry extract will help prevent some bacterias from seating into the bladder wall, which can happen with chronic infections from irritation (which stones will cause).

Dawn