Dogs, like humans, can get bladder stones. These are often painful for the dog and must be treated. Before treatment begins, it is important to determine what type of bladder stone your dog has.
Which breeds of dogs are particularly prone to bladder stones?
There are different variants. Once the type of urinary stone has been diagnosed, there are various ways in which a dog can be treated. There are some breeds that suffer from bladder stones due to their genetics. This includes:
- Dalmatian
- French bulldog
- Pug
- Boston terrier
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Yorkshire terriers
- Siberian husky
What are bladder stones?
Bladder stones (urolthiasis) are small crystals in the dog’s urine. They are formed from various substances that are excreted in the urine. These small crystals are called calculi. In rare cases, they can arise in the kidneys.
How do you recognize bladder stones in dogs?
Your dog often only urinates in small amounts. In most cases, the urine does not flow, but trickles and even contains blood. The dog is in pain due to the bladder not being emptied and the constant irritation of the urethra by the small crystals.
What are the causes of cystitis?
There can be a variety of reasons why your dog gets bladder stones. Improper diet, genetics, or certain medical conditions such as a bladder infection or liver dysfunction can cause your dog to develop this problem.
If there are too many urinary stone-forming substances in the feed, small crystals may form. Furthermore, the wrong food can have a negative impact on the PH value of the dog’s urine. Dogs don’t drink enough, which can lead to stones in the bladder. The kidneys have to extract too much liquid from the urine in order to supply it to the organism. The urine becomes too concentrated and small crystals can form.
How do bladder stones form in dogs?
There can be a variety of reasons why your dog gets bladder stones. Improper diet, genetics, or certain medical conditions such as a bladder infection or liver dysfunction can cause your dog to develop this problem.
How do I know if my dog ​​has bladder stones?
If you notice that your dog is only passing small amounts of urine frequently, it could be a symptom of bladder stones. In most cases, the urine does not flow, but trickles and even contains blood. The dog is in pain due to the bladder not being emptied and the constant irritation of the urethra by the small crystals. This can lead to bladder stones blocking the urinary tract, causing urine to flow back into the kidneys. If the dog’s abdomen is hard when palpated and causes severe pain, the dog must be taken to the vet immediately. The irritated mucous membranes of the urethra can easily accumulate bacteria and promote cystitis.
Bladder stones in dogs – treatment and therapy
There are three treatment options for treating bladder stones in dogs:
- diet change
- surgery
- medication
The first thing to do is determine what type of bladder stone the dog has. Then the treatment follows. Adjusting the nutrition plan is not only for therapy, but also for prevention.
What to do with bladder stones in dogs?
There are three treatment options for treating bladder stones in dogs: a change in diet, surgery or medication. Treatment depends on the type of bladder stone.
What happens during an operation?
During a surgical procedure, a catheter is placed in the dog’s bladder to flush out the small crystals. If the stones are too large, they must be surgically removed. Medications are useful for some types of bladder stones because they change the pH of the urine, causing the stones to dissolve.
How can I control the treatment of urinary stones through diet?
When changing the diet, it is important that the urinary stone-forming substances are reduced. The first thing to do is increase fluid intake. Unfortunately, dogs cannot be told to drink more. You can feed them wet food or add water to dry food. A little tip: you can add some broth to the water to make it more palatable for the dog to drink. Otherwise, you can feed the dog food that is higher in sodium so that the dog drinks more.
What to feed dogs with bladder stones?
When changing the diet, it is important that the urinary stone-forming substances are reduced. The first thing to do is increase fluid intake. You can feed them wet food or add water to dry food. Otherwise, you can feed the dog food that is higher in sodium so that the dog drinks more.
The different types of bladder stones
Let’s move on to the different types of bladder stones. Depending on the type of stones, a special therapy is carried out.
Struvite
With struvite stones, the proportion of magnesium, phosphorus and ammonium from which the stones are made is too high. Therefore, the intake of magnesium and phosphorus should be reduced. Ammonium is formed during protein metabolism. The protein content of the food should therefore be tailored to the dog’s actual needs.
Calcium oxalate
This is a salt of oxalic acid. If there is an oversupply, calcium and vitamin D in the dog’s food should be reduced. Oxalic acid is found in food sources such as vegetables and should be avoided in the diet. Slaughterhouse offal can also produce oxalates when metabolized. After an analysis of the dog’s protein requirements, one should fall back on high-quality protein sources. This can counteract the formation of urinary stones.
Cystine stones
These urinary stones are formed due to genetic predisposition. In most cases, surgery is required. Care should be taken to avoid certain cystine-rich protein sources. Cystine is found in eggs, for example.
Urate
Urates are also salts that result from reactions of uric acid and other substances. In this case, there is too much uric acid in the urine, which can lead to the formation of urinary stones. Uric acid is a product of the purine metabolism. You should ensure that your dog is fed a low-purine diet to reduce the formation of urinary stones. Sources of protein rich in purines are found in fish and offal, for example. For this you should supply more proteins through milk and egg products. Dalmatians tend to get urate stones.
Silicate
Silicates are also salts and are found in silica. Silicic acid-containing feeds such as vegetables, rice or soy should be avoided.
Diet plays an important role. If your dog belongs to one of the breeds prone to bladder stones, you can avoid illness by eating the right food.
