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- Kidney Stones in Dogs
Though dogs aren’t as likely to suffer the condition as they are likely to suffer bladder stones, it’s still a relatively common condition, but more common in toy breeds like Miniature Schnauzers and Shih Tzus than in larger dogs.
- How to spot the signs of kidney stones
- The importance of giving your dog regular water
- When kidney stones require surgery
- Why you should pay attention when your dog licks its genitals more often than normal
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- Frequent attempts to urinate with dribbling
- Less or more urine than normal
- Fever
- Weight loss and lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Abdominal pain
- Urinating in strange places
- Licking at genitals
Kidney stones are just one of many potential health problems your dog may encounter. Make sure they’re covered for these complications by comparing top-rated pet insurance plans in seconds
The causes of kidney stone formation can include one or more of the following:
- Increased mineral salt concentration in the urine (can result from diet or urinary tract infection).
- Increased water reabsorption by the kidneys
- Changes in urine pH (can result from diet or urinary tract infection)
- Urinary tract infection – bacteria produce urease, an enzyme that breaks down urea in dog urine resulting in a more alkaline urine pH.
- Long term use of diuretics
- Dehydration
- Genetic predisposition - breeds include (but are not limited to) the bichon fries, lhasa apso, miniature schnauzer, and Yorkshire terrier.
The causes for this can include:
- Your dog might be reabsorbing too much water in its kidneys
- Dehydration
- Urine may have more than the normal concentration of salt
- Recovery from a bacterial infection in the bladder or kidneys;
- A urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Food with too much calcium in it
- Your dog may have been using diuretics for a substantial period of time
- A genetic predisposition to kidney stones
- Lean protein
- Natural fats
- Carbohydrates
- Access to lots of water to drink
Preventing Kidney Stones in Dogs
It’s a great idea to consider a vitamin C supplement as well, as it will boost your dog’s immune system and act as both an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.
On the day of the appointment with your vet, if you can, do your best to collect a urine sample directly from the stream of your dog’s urine. The longer the sample has been around, the less useful the sample is — samples over 24 hours old may not be useful for analysis, so try to collect a sample first thing in the morning.
A guess as to the type of stone can be made based on microscopic observation of urine, however detecting the true makeup is through submission of a stone or stone fragment to the laboratory for analysis.
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