Bladder Stones in Dogs

Some of the most dramatic X-rays shown to clients are those that reveal the presence of large stones in their dog’s bladder. Until they see the X-rays, many of these folks are a little annoyed at their dog. This isn’t unreasonable, considering the dog often has accidents in the house or needs to go outside on an hourly basis. However, after seeing the X-rays, most owners are shocked that their dog hasn’t been acting even sicker.

What are the Signs of Bladder Stones in Dogs?

Bladder stones start out small but over time can grow in number and/or size. Dogs with bladder stones typically have some or all of the following symptoms:

• Urinary accidents

• Frequent attempts to urinate without producing much urine

• Straining to urinate

• Discolored urine

• Licking around the urinary opening

These clinical signs can be seen with other diseases affecting the urinary tract (infections or tumors, for example), so the diagnosis of bladder stones has to be confirmed with either an X-ray or ultrasound.

How are Bladder Stones Formed and Treated?

Bladder stones are a collection of minerals and other materials. Most bladder stones in dogs are made from struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, or cystine crystals. In many cases, the specific type of crystal involved can be seen in a sample of urine viewed under the microscope.

If struvite is the diagnosis, a veterinarian will treat the underlying cause (e.g., antibiotics for urinary tract infections) and may recommend a therapeutic diet that will dissolve the stones and crystals. Dogs prescribed antibiotics will typically use the drugs while consuming the therapeutic dog food, and possibly longer if needed. Surgery or other procedures like lithotripsy (breaking up the stones with ultrasonic shock waves) will be necessary to get the stones out of the bladder. The therapeutic diet for dissolving struvite stones, however, must be given under a veterinarian’s supervision. This is because they are formulated to make the dog produce more acidic urine than they would otherwise in order to break down the stone. If urinary acidification is taken too far, calcium oxalate stones can be the result.

 
What’s the Best Way to Prevent Bladder Stones in Dogs?

Once the stones are gone, diet plays an important role in preventing their return. Manufacturers have formulated special foods that deter the formation of struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, and cystine crystals. Encouraging water intake is also important since crystals are less likely to form in diluted urine. For this reason, many veterinarians recommend the canned versions of these foods over the dry.

Because diets designed to prevent bladder stones have to be fed over the long term, they must be nutritionally balanced. Your pet’s doctor is in the best position to recommend a nutritionally complete, well-balanced food that will help keep your pet healthy.

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered straight to your e-mail inbox.

Related Articles:

The Life Threatening Emergency of Urinary Obstruction (and Bladder Stones) in Pets

Related Categories:

dog health

The Dangers of Online Pet Pharmacies

Pet pharmacies are on the rise as pet parents are on the hunt for lower prices on medications. The advantage of this market is that the consumer receives a reduced price and there is the convenience of home delivery, instead of visiting their local veterinarian to fill or refill prescriptions. Their disadvantages, however, include the risk of being counterfeit, expired, or nearing expiration date and being improperly stored, which is damaging to the drug, thus reducing effectiveness and safety.

Counterfeiting in online pharma

Counterfeiting can range from brand name to generic products. These counterfeit drugs may be contaminated or worthless, thus may not help the condition or disease the medicine is intended for. They also run a great risk of being poisonous and cause dangerous side effects. They may even contain the wrong active ingredient or no active ingredient at all. Packaged in phony packaging that looks legitimate, why question it? These are the proverbial inexpensive phony Prada bags sold on street corners (of the internet).

Quality control is key

Reputable manufacturers will not and legally can not currently sell their products to online pharmacies. One of the main reasons why the veterinary pharmaceutical companies want their drugs distributed by a veterinarian and not a third party is to ensure that a proper veterinary-patient relationship is intact so that their products are not misused and/or prescribed inappropriately. In addition, quality control is maintained as the veterinarian is much more likely to store the medications properly and turn over their inventory on a regular basis to avoid buying in bulk and prescribing expired or soon to be expired medications.

Maintaining distribution of an effective, quality product is not only important for your pet, it is important for the reputation of the company for its products to be seen as safe and effective when utilized in a proper manner. It is not about maintaining higher prices for their products

How to spot the fakes

Recently, CEO of Action Packing and Design, Paul S. Rodriguez Jr, plead guilty to intentionally trafficking in counterfeit labels and packaging for anti-parasite products and veterinary medicines between July 2015 and December 2016. His operation produced counterfeit artwork for flea control products Frontline and Frontline Plus, sold by Merial. He also trafficked in counterfeit trademarked Rimadyl labels (a veterinary painkiller marketed by Zoetis).

Merial provides the following to help consumers to check whether their Frontline products are genuine:

1. Check the lot number/expiration date on the retail carton matches the lot number on the applicator package and/or the individual applicators.

2. Determine whether the instruction leaflet is included. It provides the following information: first aid statements, including emergency US or related merial branch telephone numbers; precautionary statements for humans and pets; directions for use; Frontline Plus from Merial usually has an adhesive calendar sticker with instructions for use and phone number. Treatment frequency is printed on the front panel. Visual aids and instructions are also included.

3. The pesticide is contained in an applicator package, which is child resistant.

4. Text on the package is in English only. There should be no stickers on the package. Related country’s approval numbers and phone numbers are printed on the box.

5. Once you open the applicator package, each individual applicator has a label that includes the registrant’s name “Merial;” the product name; “CAUTION”, “Keep out of reach of children”, “For animal treatment only”; Composition of active ingredient(s) (fipronil for Frontline Top Spot products; and fipronil and (S)-methoprene for Frontline Plus products). Text is in English. Note that for Merial Frontline Plus*: Applicator itself has the lot number and expiration date printed in the front.

The safest place to obtain pharmaceuticals is from your veterinarian. They are the only healthcare provider trained in the proper application and administration of animal products and is knowledgeable in the side effects and their interactions with other drugs.

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered to your inbox (here). Or, you can keep up to date by liking and following our Facebook page (here). We also have additional helpful articles under our tips category (here).

Tick Season Preparedness: How to prevent and treat tick bites on dogs

Caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time and your dog can be bitten by dozens of ticks.

Types of ticks

Where to look for ticks

Because ticks are small and their bites don’t itch, they are easily overlooked — especially adult deer ticks and the nymphs of any species. Ticks prefer warm, moist conditions, so double-check under collars and around ears. If you aren’t sure what a lump or bump is, inspect it with a magnifying glass. Warts, similar skin growths, and nipples can feel like feeding ticks.

How to remove ticks on dogs

Be careful and cautious when removing a tick. Grasp it with tweezers firmly at the head, or as close to the dog’s skin as possible, and slowly pull straight back. Never twist, press, burn, or apply irritating substances like kerosene to an attached tick because doing so can cause the parasite to expel the contents of its digestive tract, creating an unwanted hypodermic effect.

Disinfecting the area

Keep in mind that any contact with the tick’s blood can potentially transmit an infection to your dog or even you. Treat the area with three-percent hydrogen peroxide, the common disinfectant. It is recommended for tick bites because the oxygen it contains destroys the Lyme disease bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide can be liberally poured over bites on light-haired dogs (keep away from eyes and apply directly to skin!), but because it is bleach, this method is not recommended for black or dark-haired dogs. Using an eye dropper to apply hydrogen peroxide directly to the bite helps prevent unwanted bleaching.

Prevention is key

Make an appointment today to learn what is the right flea and tick prevention treatment for your dog. To learn more about which tick-borne disease have been confirmed in your neighborhood, visit the map over at dogsandticks.com along with a detailed look at each disease by us here at River Landings Animal Clinic.

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered to your inbox (here). Or, you can keep up to date by liking and following our Facebook page (here). We also have additional helpful articles under our tips category (here).