Bladder Stones in Dogs – How Quickly Do They Form?

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Just like humans, dogs can experience bladder stones. Bladder stones are a rock-like mineral deposit that forms in the urinary bladder. They can be in the form of many small stones or a few large stones.

Some dogs with bladder stones do not show any signs and symptoms are only seen incidentally.  However, some changes in your dog might make vets test for stones.

What Signs and Symptoms Should I Look Out For

Usually, bladder stones in dogs begin small but get larger with time. As stated earlier, your dog can have a single large stone or have several small stones. Here are some of the common signs and symptoms to look out for when your dog is affected by kidney stones:

  • Dysuria (Straining to Urinate): This comes when the urethra or bladder walls swell or become inflamed due to muscle spasms or because the stones are obstructing the flow of urine.
  • Hematuria (blood in the urine): This happens when the stones irritate the lining of the bladder, leading to bleeding.
  • Polyuria (increase in urination frequency): This occurs due to swelling and pain due to irritation of the bladder walls by the stones.

You should call your vet if your dog is straining to urinate, producing discolored urine, or experiencing regular accidents.

Why Do Bladder Stones Form?

Many theories explain the formation of bladder stones. The most common theory is the Precipitation-Crystallization Theory. According to this theory, one or more crystalline compounds involved in forming stones are found in increased levels in the dog’s urine. This can be caused by dietary factors or previous bladder diseases, especially a bacterial infection. Sometimes your dog can have this condition if it has a problem in the body’s metabolism.

If this compound exceeds the required level, your dog’s urine will be saturated and cannot hold any more compounds. The level of saturation depends on the minerals present and the acidity level of the urine.

The excess compounds then precipitate out of solution forming tiny crystals. The sharp crystals irritate the bladder lining, resulting in mucus production. The mucus and crystals stick together to form clusters that enlarge and harden into stones over time.

How Fast Do Bladder Stones Develop?

Depending on the degree of infection and the quality of crystalline material present, bladder stones might develop in weeks or even months. While it may take several months for large stones to form, some tiny stones can develop within two weeks.

How to Diagnose Bladder Stones?

If your dog has bladder infections, it does not mean that it has bladder stones. A dog with a bladder infection will also strain when urinating, and have blood in the urine, the same as a dog with bladder stones. Therefore, the diagnosis of bladder stones is not made based on these signs only.

Sometimes bladder stones can be felt with fingers through the abdominal wall. However, if you don’t palpate them in your dog, it does not mean they are not there.

Your vet will perform an ultrasound or x-ray if they suspect that your dog has bladder stones. This includes signs such as recurrent dysuria and hematuria, unusual pain when palpated in the bladder, or if your dog experiences repeated bacterial bladder infections.

Some bladder stones, however, are not seen on radiographs. They are radiolucent, meaning mineral composition cannot reflect the x-ray beam. Your doctor will use a specialized radiograph to examine these stones.

How to Treat Bladder Stones in Dogs

Your vet might decide to perform an abdominal incision to remove the bladder stones. Most patients usually show improvement two to four days after the surgery. However, haematuria will continue for some days before the wound of surgery heals completely.

If your dog has other health problems, your doctor may not recommend surgery. In that case, you may consider treating bladder stones with Ursodiol or other pet medications for bladder stones in dogs. But if your dog has a urethral obstruction, an operation will be necessary as soon as possible to avoid other complications.

Some people also use a special diet to treat some types of bladder stones. However, this has the following disadvantages:  

  • It is not effective for all types of bladder stones. You’ll need to conduct a stone analysis to determine whether it can be resolved successfully using a special diet.
  • Some dogs will not eat a special diet, and it won’t work if not fed the exclusive diet.
  • It is slow. It may take many months before dissolving a large stone, and so your dog may continue experiencing dysuria, hematuria and repeated infections when taking a special diet. Your dog will also be at risk of urethral obstruction during this time.   

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