El kidney stone It is a condition that not only haunts the lives of people, but also of many animals.
Such is the case of dogs, who can also suffer from this condition and in this sense, from require medical assistance. Thus, the appearance of calculus can generate an unpleasant experience, therefore here we present some useful considerations about such a condition in dogs.
What should we know about kidney stones in dogs?
As in the case of humans, talking about kidney stones in dogs translates into talking about stones and you should know that its size and location in the urinary system varies depending on the case.
This issue needs all the necessary attention regardless of the magnitude of the case, since as mentioned above, stones can vary in size and it is that we can get to speak of sand to stones that exceed one centimeter. The latter will be strongly related to the level of pain that the dog may feel.
The calculations are described as deposits of different minerals that accumulate progressively in the body. In this way, hydration and diet will play an important role in stone formation.
For its part, hydration will be essential in the elimination of waste through urine, which will prevent the accumulation of calculus in the body. Meanwhile, a balanced diet will save us from ingesting minerals and other components in unnecessary quantities.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones in dogs?
Like any type of condition, calculations can give rise to various symptoms that our dog's body will generate, such as indicator of having a kidney stone, the most frequent being:
Urinary Incontinence
This is the inability to control urination, which causes the dog to urinate anywhere and at any time.
hematuria
Due to the micro lesions that can occur in the urinary system, we can distinguish bleeding in urine. Sometimes bleeding without urine can also occur.
Urine spray
In other words, it's about the obstruction of the passage of urine, which generates a strong swelling in the urinary tract.
Pain when urinating
Es one of the most common symptoms that can occur during kidney stone disease. In dogs, this tends to inhibit urination on many occasions.
Discovery
First, it will be necessary to obtain a urine sample from our dog. For it, cases vary in ease of acquisition, because in some cases the owner manages to get hold of it, concentrate it in a sterile container, and then refrigerate it and thus take it to the laboratory.
At other times, the vet is the one who should be done with this, either by pricking the bladder or by pressing it.
Radiography is also often another method used to determine the existence of a kidney stone. For this, a waxing will be enough, leaving nothing more than apply radiography.
Treatment
Surgery
The most serious cases are usually treated by this method. This is due to the size that many stones can acquire, since these may be compromising the urinary tract, generating obstruction.
Subsistence
When the cases are not so serious, the diet tends to attend temporary treatments, in which it is possible to undo the calculation in prudent periods of time. Diets can have positive results in a matter of months.
Types of kidney stones in dogs
Calcium oxalate, silica and cystine
They can be treated through medication, in some cases through the same diet, although this is not the case oxalate and silica.
Uric acid
They are generally consequence of alterations present in the inheritance of urate metabolism. They appear in acidic urine.
Struvite
They are usually treated with precise diets. They generally come from the urine infection and are formed from alkaline urine.