Bladder stones (uroliths) are a common and painful condition in dogs, causing urinary obstruction, discomfort, and potentially life-threatening emergencies when stones block the urethra.
Bladder stones cause persistent lower urinary tract discomfort - the equivalent of chronic cystitis. The stone surface irritates the bladder mucosa, causing inflammation and the sensation of needing to urinate even when the bladder is empty or nearly so. Blood in the urine from mucosal irritation indicates ongoing tissue damage. The emergency of urethral obstruction - when a stone lodges in the narrow male urethra - causes rapid, extreme pain and distress as the dog strains repeatedly and unsuccessfully to urinate. Without emergency treatment, urethral obstruction is fatal within 24-48 hours. Even non-emergency bladder stone disease represents weeks to months of chronic discomfort before diagnosis and treatment are completed.