Bladder Stones In Dogs: The Things You Need To Know

Your dog developing bladder stones is no joke. Some bladder stones get severe that dogs die from it. The intention is never to alarm dog owners. However, dog owners must be aware of the fact that the occurrence of bladder stone in dogs is something that should never be ignored.

Bladder stone develops if excess minerals and other waste products crystallize in the bladder area. This disease has different symptoms. The most common of which is the intense pain that dogs experience when urinating.

You'll know if your dog suffers from this disease if it wants to urinate frequently. Dogs with bladder stone problems also have other observable abnormalities when they urinate. For starters, there's blood in their urine. Your dog may also excrete smaller amounts of urine than usual. Other than those, dogs may also suffer from general weakness and loss of appetite.

If you think that your dog is suffering from bladder stones, take it to the veterinarian right away. The vet would perform any of these tests: urinalysis, urine culture, sensitivity tests, radiography, and ultrasound. These medical procedures are necessary so that the vet would be able to assess the extent of your pet's illness.

After the cause and the status of the disease were determined, the vet would be ready to prescribe the right course of treatment. The treatment of bladder stones depends upon the stone's chemical composition. Calcium oxalate and struvite stones are the most common ones. However, the dogs suffering from calcium oxalate and struvite stones require medications that are different from those with urate, calcium phosphate, or silicate stones.

The medicines for dogs with bladder stones consist of antibiotics and stone-dissolving chemicals. The observance of proper diet is also important. The vet would provide detailed instructions to pet owners on what to feed, how to feed, and when to feed their pets.

There are also home remedies for bladder stones in dogs. Such home remedies are the perfect complements for the medicines prescribed by your veterinarian. They are barberry root, sarsaparilla, goldenseal, and aconite, among many others. When taken along with the medicines given by the vet, faster and more effective healing is expected.

If not treated right away, bladder stones may develop into other much severe complications. You don't want your own pet suffering from this disease if you could have it treated right away in the first place. The complications include bladder cancer, tumors, and even death. There are many cases wherein dogs with bladder problems are put to sleep because even surgery can't help them anymore.

Dogs are considered a part of the family. As such, they deserve the best medical attention as anyone else. Bladder stone is one of the most common diseases suffered by dogs. Early diagnosis of the disease is very important. Regular visits to the vet is going to help a lot in maintaining the perfect health of your pet and keep them away from serious diseases.