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Bladder stones - Urolithiasis | |||||||||
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What is Urolithiasis - bladder stones? Symptoms and Diagnosis | Treatment | Prognosis | Dictionary of Terms Definition: Urolithiasis is by definition the formation of stones in the bladder. Bladder stones are sometimes called uroliths or calculi. Stones form in the bladder after crystalluria has occurred. If you have questions on crystalluria please consult our handout entitled crystalluria. There are many types of stones. The two most common are struvite and calcium oxalate. Because there are so many types of stones, we will concentrate on these two most common types. Why do they form? Stone formation is due to many reasons:
Are they genetic?
While there is no known genetic link to calcium oxalate formation, we do see an increased incidence of struvite crystals in some breeds, especially miniature schnauzers and English cocker spaniels. Some breeds are more prone to stone formation although the
Any age of dog or cat can be affected by crystals and therefore affected by stone formation. The predominance of struvite crystals appear to be more common in females(85%), while calcium oxalate crystals appear to be more common in males. (male dogs-73% and male cats-55%) Because stones take time to form, it is uncommon to find stones in young dogs, however, stones can form in as little as 2 weeks. The older the pet, the more likely it is to form stones. Common symptoms of stone formation include bladder infection, straining to urinate, discomfort on urination, and blood in the urine. Male dogs and cats can actually become obstructed and unable to urinate. This is because the male's urethra is much more narrow than a females. This can be life-threatening. On some occasions stones can form without symptoms. How are bladder stones diagnosed? On physical examination, in some cases, stones can be palpated. Unfortunately, many times the stones are either very small or only a few in number, and difficult to palpate. Even a few stones can cause severe symptoms for your pet.
X-ray is sometimes also required for stone diagnosis. Struvite uroliths are radiodense and may be detected by survey radiography.This is Once stones have formed we often need to remove them. Stone analysis will be performed on the removed stones to give us an exact diagnosis of which type of stone type your pet has. How are bladder stones treated?
After the stones have formed, it is difficult to treat them without surgically removing them. In rare cases of struvite stones - special diets can be tried. Unfortunately, it is uncommon for diet to adequately remove the stones. While the pet is on a special diet for stone dissolution, it is necessary to continue antibiotics. It is not uncommon for special diets to require more than six months and up to a year to dissolve stones. During that time your pet will continue to be uncomfortable and have blood in the urine. For that reason surgery is generally recommended. After stone removal, a special diet will be needed to prevent further formation of stones. Most special diets are prescription diets. It is very important to feed strictly the diet - without any treats or snacks. If you have questions about the special diet, please consult your veterinarian. It is very common for stones to cause bacterial infections; therefore, antibiotics are also commonly used to clear up any bacterial infection that is present. Sometimes a culture and sensitivity is needed to select the correct antibiotic. This test is the growing of the bacteria in the urine. Antibiotics are then tested on the culture to select the one that works best. The calcium oxalate stones tend to be difficult to dissolve and keep from reforming. New research shows that some medications may be beneficial in this. Many medications are purely experimental at this stage, though they have been shown to be helpful. Your veterinarian will consult with you if your pet needs a special medication. Are there any complicating factors? As mentioned before, some complications can occur due to stones which cause obstruction of the urinary tract. This is called a blockage, and is life threatening. If your pet has been blocked, special blood work will also be needed. Blockages often lead to renal failure (kidney disease). Renal failure can lead to permanent, lifelong debilitation. The male cat is particularly prone to blockage (inability to urinate). If you see your cat straining in the litter box to urinate, check to be sure urine is coming out. If not, this should be considered an emergency and treated immediately. If you ever have doubts as to whether or not your pet can urinate properly, please contact us immediately for an examination. If your pet is blocked (meaning that there is a stone or crystal lodged in the urethra), anesthesia and catheterization will be needed to relieve the obstruction. Once the obstruction is relieved, we still need to treat the underlying cause. Surgery, medication and diet changes may be necessary. In cats especially, if diet and medication cannot control the recurrence of blockage, a special surgery called perineal urethrostomy (P.U.) will be recommended. More information about the surgeries is available from the veterinarian and in the form of handouts online. Some commonly asked questions. Can my pet have snacks after we have removed the stones? If my pet has to have surgery, what is the recovery time? Antibiotics will be administered during this time to avoid infection. Pain medication will also be sent home with you. We will also be awaiting the results of the stone analysis. We may change the diet at the time of surgery, or we may wait for the stone analysis to be sure that we select the correct one. You'll return to our office ten days after surgery for suture removal. This will be a quick appointment as all we need to do is remove the stitches and check the incision. I have a cat who has blocked several times, what can be done to stop blockage? If I have a P.U. surgery on my cat, do I still have to feed a special diet? Why can't you do lithotripsy? In people they just bash them up with ultrasound waves. The following link is to a series of photos taken during a Cystotomy Surgery. Viewer discretion is advised. The explanations on the left side of the page are linked to photos that will appear on the right as you click on each photo link. cystotomy photos and explanation | Cystotomy w/o frames If we have recommended futher testing, or if you have any questions on this topic please do not hesitate to contact us at 309-685-4707 We will be happy to answer all of your questions or concerns about Bladder Stones. |
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heritability is not known. In the case of struvite crystals, commonly affected breeds are the
During surgery, the doctor will surgically remove the stones from the bladder. The stones will then be sent off for analysis. The surgery for stone removal is called 
It is important to treat crystalluria and urolithiasis early in order to prevent these complications.