Jessie was brought to our hospital after her owner noticed she was urinating much more frequently than usual and that she was only able to urinate small volumes each time. Jessie had to receive surgery to have a large volume of stones removed from her bladder. This is one of the most severe cases we have seen. She recovered well after her surgery and has subsequently been sent home. She will however need to stay on an antibiotic course for a while and return for follow up radiographs in a few weeks. Her diet also needs to be changed to reduce the risk of any potential stone formation in future.
Last week we did not tend to only one but we had three individual patients with this exact same condition.
There are a variety of stones that can potentially form within the canine bladder but these particular stones are called struvite stones.
In almost all dogs, struvite stones form as a consequence of a urinary tract infections (UTI). These stones form slowly and often owners are unaware of any abnormality until the dog’s ability to urinate becomes affected. Female patients are at a higher risk for developing bladder infections thus these stones most commonly form in older, small breed female dogs.
It is very important to consult your Veterinarian if you notice any symptoms of a urinary tract infection. This includes: urinating small volumes frequently, discomfort upon urination, urinary incontinence, discolouration and malodourous urine.
Thank you for supporting the AACL and allowing us to help patients like Jessie.
