Dealing With Bladder Stones In Dogs

Bladders stoned present themselves as hard rock-like formations in the bladder called uroliths or cystic calculi. These can lead to various problems such as pain and discomfort and chronic urinary tract infections.

Bladder stones occur for a number of reasons and are not easily noticeable all the time. Here’s what you should know to help in the early detection and treatment of bladder stones in your dog:

Symptoms

The symptoms of bladder stones usually depend on the size of the stones. Sometimes, these symptoms may be very mild and you may not realize that your dog has passed one.

The most obvious sign of bladder stones is blood-tinged, dark, and cloudy urine. It may also present itself as difficulty urinating. Other symptoms include unsuccessful attempts to urinate, straining, accidents, and licking/scratching around the urinary opening.

Causes

It is not always certain why bladder stones occur in dogs. Some scientists believe this is a result of something called the Precipitation-Crystallization Theory where stones form when stone-creating minerals are in high levels in the urine. This causes the compounds to crystallize into stones which causes bladder irritation.

This may be a result of bacterial infection, metabolism issues, and sometimes dietary factors. Note that bladder stones are not contagious, however, the conditions which cause them may be.

Male dogs are more susceptible to bladder stones since they have longer, narrower urethras.

Treatment

Bladder stones are usually an easy fix for vets. If the cause is a bacterial infection, the treatment is usually a course of antibiotics. Other treatments include Uro hydro propulsion which insides flushing out bladder stones, and surgically removing them.