Urolithiasis (bladder stones) causes significant pain and urinary obstruction in dogs. Treatment depends on stone type; prevention through diet significantly reduces recurrence.
Bladder stones cause significant welfare harm through multiple mechanisms. Rough stone surfaces irritate the bladder lining, causing chronic pain and inflammation. Partial obstruction creates dysuria — the painful urge to urinate with inability to void completely. Complete urethral obstruction is rapidly life-threatening and exquisitely painful, requiring emergency decompression.
Stone analysis guides treatment and prevention. Struvite stones can be dissolved medically with prescription urinary diets over 4-12 weeks, avoiding surgery. Calcium oxalate stones require physical removal but respond well to dietary management for prevention. Accurate stone type identification — through radiography, ultrasound, and ideally stone analysis after voiding or surgery — is essential for welfare-appropriate treatment.
Prevention dramatically reduces recurrence and the associated welfare burden. Increased water intake — through wet food, water fountains, or salt supplementation (for appropriate stone types) — dilutes urine and reduces crystallization. Stone-specific prescription diets modify urine pH and mineral content to prevent recurrence. Regular monitoring (urinalysis, imaging) detects early recurrence before clinical signs develop.