What are canine urinary tract stones

Any stone deposits in the canine urinary system such as the kidneys, ureters or bladder are called urinary tract stones.

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The kidneys are shaped like broad beans and are located above the dog's waist, near the back. Ways of urine transportation: The kidneys produce urine, and then transport the urine to the bladder through the ureters. The bladder can store urine to a certain amount and then excrete it from the body through the urethra.

Causes of canine urinary tract stones

Several common canine stones are calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, cystine, magnesium ammonium phosphate and uric acid stones. Each type of stone forms for different reasons.

1. Calcium oxalate: Generally speaking, it can be divided into 4 reasons. Excess calcium in the urine, excess oxalate in the urine, excess citrate in the urine, and crystallostatin deficiency. There are factors that inhibit crystal formation in normal urine, which can reduce the production of crystals and stones in urine.

2. Calcium phosphate: Hyperparathyroidism, abnormal renal filtration function, excessive vitamin D intake and nephritis may all lead to the occurrence of this stone.

3. Cystine: Normal blood contains low concentrations of cystine. Cystine can be dissolved in alkaline urine but not in acidic urine.

4. Magnesium ammonium phosphate: It can be divided into two causes: infectious and non-infectious. When the urethra is infected, magnesium ammonium phosphate is easily produced in the urine through various chemical mechanisms: non-infectious diseases are caused by dietary or metabolic abnormalities, leading to the formation of such stones.

5. Urate: The normal body can convert uric acid into allantoin. However, if the concentration of uric acid in the blood or feces is too high, the body cannot completely convert it, and it is easy to produce urate. In addition, if a dog suffers from congenital hepatic vascular shunting, such stones are also prone to occur due to poor liver function.

Clinical symptoms of urinary tract stones in dogs

1. There are different clinical symptoms depending on the location of urinary tract stones in dogs. Some may experience dribbling, prolonged urination, hematuria, and urinary incontinence.

2. Long-term urinary excretion disorders will further cause problems such as vomiting, loss of appetite and decreased activity in dogs.

Diagnostic methods for canine urinary tract stones

1. Detailed blood red and white blood cell test, urine test, urine residue test, urinary tract X-ray test and ultrasound test are generally common test methods;

2. Further tests include intravenous injection of renal pelvis photography, etc. The collected stones or stones in the urine residue can be analyzed in the laboratory to understand the composition.

Treatment methods for canine urinary tract stones

1. Treatment needs to be based onThe treatment method depends on the location and type of the stone. Medical therapy and surgery are the two most common methods.

2. Before medical treatment, you should first understand the possible types of stones through urine residue testing, and then decide on the choice of drugs.

3. Surgery is usually used when there is severe obstruction or when the dog has severe difficulty urinating.

Situation after treatment

1. Postoperative stone analysis is more important, because this is an important basis for selecting subsequent treatment. Based on the analysis of the types of stones, we can understand various preventive and treatment methods based on their causes. If your dog suffers from stones and the real cause is not understood, the risk of recurrence of stones is quite high.

2. In addition, if a certain prescription feed is used without stone analysis, it will often cause serious consequences. Therefore, before choosing to use a prescription feed, the selection should be based on the stone analysis results.