Bladder Stones MAY be a life threatening emergency!  

                                     Knowing what to look for and what to do can save your pet's life.

 

                                           Take your dog or cat to the vet immediately if....

your pet produces only a few drops of urine -- or none -- when he or she tries to urinate. Being unable to urinate can quickly result in serious illness for your dog or even death  Signs that your pet is in pain when passing urine include:

 

                Straining

                Vocalizing while trying to urinate

                Avoiding your touch

                Peeing more often while producing only a little urine

                Urine with blood or mucus in it

 

                                                       Bladder Crystals and Bladder Stones

 

Sometimes the naturally occurring minerals in your dog's urine can clump together, forming crystals or stones. Many things can cause the minerals to clump, including an infection, medication, genetics, diet, how often your dog urinates, and how much water he drinks.

 

      Treatment:  Sometimes catheterization , followed by change in diet is enough to resolve the problem.

                                      Often Surgery to remove stones is the only life saving solution.

 

Surgery to remove bladder stones in both dogs and cats is a common procedure performed at almost any hospital or clinic. Unfortunately, most people become 'aware' of the problem on a holiday or a weekend and end up going to a corporate owned emergency hospital.  There the costs are two to four times the amount of a private practice hospital. If the pet can be stabilized at the 'ER,' you can always call your regular vet the next day to see if they will do the surgery themselves. 

 

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