Dogs are very prone to developing bladder stones. This disease in dogs is very much like the bladder stones that are suffered by humans. In dogs, certain minerals block the flow of urine in the urethra, causing pained exertion of liquid wastes. These solidified minerals are alternatively called uroliths, stones, or calculi.
Dogs with bladder stones may develop cystitis, a condition wherein their urinary bladder gets inflamed, all because of the small stones present in the dog s urinary tract. These small stones can be made up of calcium oxalate, struvite, cystine calculi, and ammonium urate.
Once these small stones form in the urinary tract of your dog, your pet would show the symptoms of the disease. Such symptoms are frequent urination, decreased amount of urine, and straining. You may also see blood in your pet s urine every now and then. Male dogs are more likely to be affected by bladder stones because of their narrow urethras.
There are different ways to treat bladder stones in dogs. However, the proper treatment is carried out only after the veterinarian had found out what type of stones had formed in your dog s urinary tract. As stated earlier, there are many types of stones that could possibly form. And each of those stones requires a different set of treatment strategy.
Bladder stones can be treated with the right diet. Veterinarians may prescribe an acidic diet so that the dog s urine would have a higher pH level. At that state, the bladder stones would get dissolved and the dog would be cured eventually.
There are also certain dog foods that are especially created to treat bladder stones in dogs. Your veterinarian would know if these foods are going to be helpful to your pet or not. It is very hard to give dogs acidic juices or the fresh juices of fruits. But if the foods are scientifically prepared to contain the needed acids, it becomes much easier to feed them to your pet. Of course, it is also important to give your dog the proteins and the nutrients it needs to sustain life.
However, the treatment of bladder stones through diet is only effective for struvite uroliths. These are the type of stones that can easily be dissolved with acids. But even so, it would take several weeks to more than two months before the diet would prove to be effective and potentially treat your dog. Surgery is still the best way to treat bladder stones in dogs. Ask the help of a qualified veterinarian to determine whether this treatment process is the best one for your pet. Otherwise, you have to submit your pet to other treatment procedures that would remove the stones in its bladder in the shortest time possible.
Dogs with bladder stones tend to become irritated, excrete less amount of urine but do it very frequently, and exhibit pain while urinating. If you observe your dog to be suffering from these symptoms, it is best that you take your pet to the veterinarian right away for proper diagnosis.
