Bladder Stone Surgery In A Dog(Learn About Bladder Stones In A Dog )

A 1 pound bladderstone  removed from a Chow		Bladderstones removed from a dog
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Bladder stones in dogs present an interesting medical and surgical challenge for veterinarians.  One of the most often-encountered health problems of dogs and cats is urinary tract infections.  A fairly large percentage of these infections are caused by or complicated by bladder stones.  Any persistent bladder infection should be carefully screened for bladder stones and if present, bladder stone removal should be considered.

Skippy is wondering when it will be his turn to visit the Surgery Room.Â

	  He’s had bladder irritation for months but wasn’t displaying any unusual signs… until one day he urinated some blood.  Fortunately his people caretakers noticed, took him to the animal hospital for an exam and a thorough analysis of the urine and a decisive X-ray.  You can see what the veterinarian saw on the X-ray film on the top-right image.  The actual stones are seen below the X-ray.  For actual sizes of the stones, click on the image to view a larger rendition in  a new window.Â

After the surgery, the stone was sent to a lab for analysis; knowing the composition of the stones helps in determining which special diet might assist in preventing a reoccurrence of bladder stones.

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The veterinary technician prepares the surgical area for sterile surgery.	The incision is made with a scalpel and the abdominal cavity is entered.	The bladder is located and gently pulled through the incision.	The bladder is incised and the escaping urine and any tiny stones are caught in sterile gauze.
The larger stones are maneuvered to and through the bladder incision.	The stone is secured and saved for analysis.	More stones are grasped by the forceps and removed from the bladder.	After thorough inspection and flushing, the inner lining (called the mucosa) of the bladder is closed with sutures.
Now another row of sutures closes the muscular bladder wall.	The incision is inspected for leaks and suture security.	The abdominal wall is closed in three layers.	Subcutaneous sutures are placed so that no surface sutures are required.

Discussion of Bladder Stones

There are quite a number of possible factors that interact to allow for the formation of bladder stones.  One of the most favorable conditions for mineral formation is urine that is alkaline rather than acidic.  In fact, bacteria seem to grow better in alkaline urine, too.  (That’s why drinking cranberry juice may benefit us humans in preventing infections in the bladder… the cranberry juice promotes a more acidic urine.)  As you can see in the photo and X-ray the stones are of various sizes.  If just the right (or wrong!) size stone passes from the bladder into the urethra leading outside the body, and becomes lodged… we’ve got an emergency situation immediately!  Any dog or cat with a urethral blockage needs veterinary help right now.

In dogs and cats, grain-based diets contribute to alkaline urine; meat-based diets promote a more acid urine.  If a bacterial infection does occur the waste products of those bacteria promote an alkaline urine.  Plus the bacteria may provide a nice little solid object upon which dissolved minerals can precipitate (come out of a solution and become a solid).  Any patient who has had repeat urinary tract infections should always be evaluated for bladder stones.  Kidney stones, fortunately, happen far less often in dogs and cats than bladder stones; but the possibility of kidney stones should always be considered in urinary tract disease.  Certain types of urinary tract stones can be prevented by special dietary changes.  Genetic programming of kidney function and structure plays a role in the formation of bladderstones and certain breeds (Schnauzers, for example) often seem more predisposed to kidney and bladder trouble than some other breeds.  The Dalmatian has a unique physiology and displays a type of stone formation called Urate Stones.   Modern veterinary medicine can be of great assistance to dogs and cats that develop bladder stones.  Good diets and follow-up care can help our dog and cat friends survive and thrive… even after a surgery such as this.

Bladder Stone In Dog?

It’s amazing how dogs and cats shared some similarities with us human. Apart from the daily do’s like eating, drinking and sleeping, they also have some similar diseases, or disease conditions, so to speak. Recently, we had a dog with bladder stone. The owner was quite surprised to know that dogs can have bladder stones. In the mind of the public, you’ll never thought of this to be happened in a dog. Well, yes, it happened. Like they say, SHIT happens.

We had quite a number of urolithiasis (bladder stone) cases in a year. Most dogs were from the pedigree breed. Breed predisposed you might asks? Well, we’re not sure but one thing for sure is that, food does have a role in urolithiasis.

O.K. back to this case. The dog’s name was Lily. It’s a 2 year old female Shih Tzu, weighing around 5.4kg. Lily’s owner noticed blood stain in her urine. She was also getting a bit irritated each time she wanted to release the urine due to pain. Her urination was also becoming more frequent than usual. Sometimes owner may ask a funny question regarding bladder stone. The million dollar question is : “Can my dog gets bladder stone from ingesting stones?”. Well, I leave that to you guys.

Anyway, upon physical examination, Lily was fine, except for the blood in the urine. Sometimes, if the bladder stone was big enough, we could actually palpate the stone if the bladder was not filled with urine. But, in Lily’s case, she was quite fat and palpation of the stone was not possible.

Later, x-ray was done and surely enough, a stone was visible in the x-ray film. I’m sorry I couldn’t post the x-ray here at the moment as I did not take a photo on the x-ray.

So, Lily’s owner had decided to have her operated to remove the bladder stone.

Figure 1 : Lily’s half fulled bladder with 2 stay sutures in placed.

Figure 2 : The bladder stone being removed from Lily’s bladder.

Figure 3 : The urolith, which was removed from Lily’s bladder, was later identified as struvite ( a type of urinary stone in dogs and cats ).

There, you have it. The story of Lily the Shih Tzu. Although the stone has been removed, there’s always a chance of recurrence if the owner do not take care of Lily’s diet and lifestyle.

Bladder Stone Prevention in Dogs

Proper diet and exercise are very important in maintaining the health and welfare of your pet. Canine bladder stones are just as painful and debilitating in your dog as they would be if you had them yourself. It is your responsibility as a pet owner to be sure your animal is healthy and well cared for.

1121. Bladder stone dog goes home - 3 sisters

“Are you the sister who spoke to me by phone about the dog having kidney stones and whether an operation is necessary?” I asked the bigger of two adult ladies who came this afternoon to pick up the 12-year-old male cross-bred that looked so much like a miniature version of a Golden Retriever.

“No,” she said.
“Are you the eldest of the 3 sisters?” I asked.
“No, I am the 2nd sister.”
“Is the other shorter lady the youngest sister?” I asked.
“No, she is the eldest sister.”
“So, the youngest sister is the most intelligent,” I said. “To seek a second opinion.”
“She is the one who loves the dog most,” second sister said. I had talked to her by phone many times to update her of the dog but never saw her.

I put the dog on the exam table and palpated the bladder and prostate for pain. Not a whimper unlike 2 days ago.

“I need a tissue paper to wipe away the blood,” 2nd sister said. The dog was so active and had pounced on her left knee and scratched 4 inches of red rash.”

“This dog needs to be neutered as Vet 1 had done an ultrasound and said that the prostate was much enlarged.”
“Why must he be neutered?” 2nd sister asked.
“The male hormones are produced by the testicles and they make the prostate grow bigger and it had become inflamed and infected. The enlarged prostate caused the urethra to be narrowed, making urination difficult for this dog. Bacteria from the bladder was present and could have infected the prostate. That was why it was painful 2 days ago and earlier. Vet 1 did give an anti-male-hormone injection called Tardak and advised weekly injections. Neutering would have been the alternative. Now, the dog’s prostate is not inflamed or enlarged and so the dog pees normally for the last 2 days.”

The dog did not pee in front of the sisters this afternoon but he had peed a few times freely in the morning.