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Kidney Stones in Dogs
Written By Ralph Jones
Published: 09/30/2015Updated: 03/13/2024
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What are Kidney Stones?
Can dogs get kidney stones? Absolutely they can. Nephrolithiasis is the medical term for kidney stones (the millions of microscopic structures within the kidneys are called nephrons).
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.
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.
The stones themselves are crystal formations caused by the concentration — and calcification — of mineral salts in the urine. It’s a condition sufficiently serious that you should call your vet if you’re worried that your dog has it.
In this comprehensive guide to kidney stones in dogs, you’ll learn:
- 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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Average Cost
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Symptoms of Kidney Stones in Dogs
The symptoms of kidney stones in dogs will, like the symptoms of many conditions, vary from dog to dog, and your pet displaying one of these symptoms certainly doesn’t mean that it definitely has kidney stones. Sometimes vets only notice kidney stones when they’re examining the dog for an unrelated issue.
The two most common characteristics of kidney stones are blood in the urine and pain during urinating. But if your dog is experiencing any of the following, it’s also worth being on high alert for kidney stones:
- 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
If your dog is displaying some of these symptoms and you’re worried, book an appointment with your vet.
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
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
Causes of Kidney Stones in Dogs
The normal urine of a dog is slightly acidic and contains dissolved mineral products. As long as the urine remains dilute and at the correct pH, mineral salts remain in solution. If the pH of the urine becomes too acidic or alkaline or the urine becomes too concentrated, crystals of salt will precipitate out and form stones.
The causes of kidney stone formation can include one or more of the following:
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.
If you’re wondering what causes kidney stones in dogs, you’ve come to the right place.
As in the human body, a dog’s kidneys help balance its nutrients, removing waste products from the blood. Imbalances in a dog’s urine or blood can lead to a build-up of crystalline structures, which later become stones.
The causes for this can include:
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
Your dog’s diet is by far the most important factor in whether or not it’s unfortunate enough to get kidney stones. You can’t go wrong if you’re giving your dog a diet that includes:
- Lean protein
- Natural fats
- Carbohydrates
- Access to lots of water to drink
Preventing Kidney Stones in Dogs
Probiotics will help both your dog’s digestion and fight against bacteria in the urinary tract system. While eating cranberries won’t help once you’ve got a urinary problem, they act as a preventative measure, and they keep bacteria down to a minimum.
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.
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.
In order to give your dog the healthiest possible diet and do your utmost to prevent it from getting any kidney stones, we recommend heading over to our trusty friends at Dog Food Advisor, where you can make use of tons of advice and guidance about your pet’s nutrition and research the best dog food for dogs with kidney stones.
Diagnosis of Kidney Stones in Dogs
It’s always wise to call your vet if you’re worried about anything regarding your dog’s health. Nine times out of ten, dogs can pass kidney stones on their own and the problem doesn’t become serious.
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.
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 history of symptoms will be noted. A complete physical examination can detect an obstructed bladder and/or abdominal pain. The definitive diagnosis of kidney stones is made using abdominal x-ray or ultrasound.
If you are not able to collect a sample of urine from home, the veterinarian can collect one at the clinic. A urinalysis can detect the presence of blood in the urine, abnormal pH and the presence of crystals.
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.
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.
Treatment of Kidney Stones in Dogs
You’ll be pleased to hear that there are a fairly wide range of options when it comes to trying to tackle your dog’s kidney stones.
Diet change
As we’ve established, your dog’s diet is completely crucial when it comes to kidney stones and their causes. It’s therefore almost as important when it comes to their treatment. Depending on your dog’s individual circumstances, a vet may prescribe a new diet that dilutes, or raises the pH in, your dog’s urine.
In terms of the best dog food for kidney stones, a vet will probably be looking to prescribe something that is low in magnesium, phosphorus and protein. After this, and if it’s gone well, your vet may tell you that your dog ought to change its diet permanently.
Urohydropulsion
If your vet is sure your dog can pass the kidney stones through its urethra, they may opt for something called urohydropropulsion: this involves inserting a catheter and filling your dog’s bladder with saline (a mixture of salt and water), which flushes out the smallest stones.
ESWL
Another way to get rid of the stones is through a technique called ESWL, or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. ESWL involves high-energy sound waves breaking up the stones into pieces that become small enough to be flushed out of the dog’s urinary tract with no fuss.
Drugs
Various medications may also help your dog. These can acidify the animal’s urine, helping to dissolve the stones. If your furry friend is dehydrated, water intake can be increased with the help of medication. This will dilute the mineral salts in your dog’s urine. If your dog has (or risks getting) a urinary tract infection, antibiotics may be prescribed. Last but not least, if your dog is clearly in pain, a vet is quite likely to prescribe some pain medication.
Surgery
At their most serious, unfortunately, kidney stones can risk blocking your dog’s urethra. In these potentially life-threatening cases, a vet will have no option but to perform surgery to remove the stones.
You need to look after your dog so that the chances of them ever contracting kidney stones is as low as possible. Feed them well, stay on the alert, and call a vet if you have any concerns.
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Recovery of Kidney Stones in Dogs
If your dog has undergone surgery to remove kidney stones, your vet will probably advise restricted exercise for a couple of weeks to allow the wound to heal.
You should schedule follow up appointments for urinalysis and/or abdominal x-rays every 4-6 weeks after treatment starts to ensure stones are dissolving and new ones aren’t forming. Pets with recurrent kidney stone issues may need to be examined by x-ray or urinalysis every 3-6 months long-term.
You can also introduce measures to try to prevent kidney stones developing again. That includes reviewing your dog’s diet — a therapeutic diet may need to be fed for life depending on the stone type and predisposition to urinary tract infections and stone formation.
Ensuring your dog has access to plenty of fresh drinking water is another simple but effective step. Water helps to keep your dog’s kidneys functioning smoothly.
Why not consider signing up for a wellness plan, which will cover the cost of routine vet treatment and checks? You can also compare pet insurance plans from leading providers here.
Kidney Stones Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $800 - $7,500
Average Cost
$3,500
Top
Kidney Stones Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Pit bull
Rockco
12 Years
44 found this helpful
44 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting,Bleeding
Vomiting,Bleeding Not Able To Pee
My Dog Rocko 12 years old was diagnosed with kidney stone on Aug 10 2018 . The vet don’t know what kind of stones it is cause they needed to send them to the lab, they provided me with a medication call ciprofloxacin 750pomg half tablet twice a day to give to Rocko for 14 days. What do this med suppose to do? When I look it up it just say for dogs. When we was at the vet they was able to drain some of the stones through a tube that place in his private part cause he wasn’t able urinate . The Vet also gave me some light tan stone in a container to keep. Rockco been on the med for 3 days so far, but He still having problems urinating. Sunday we stayed outside almost the whole day hoping he will be able to pee, but nothing came out until 11:30pm and when it came out it was everywhere. It look like it was more blood then anything, is that suppose to happen? After he let it out he was able to pee and sleep, Now on the fourth day I took him out he not doing anything but a drip here and there. He do not seemed like His under any discomfort as of now. How long do I suppose to wait before I know if the stones are going to pass or not? If he keep bleeding will he bleed to death?
Aug. 13, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
44 Recommendations
Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic for possible urinary tract infection, which often leads to stones. A blockage with a stone can be a life threatening problem for him, and he should most likely be having surgery to get rid of those bladder stones. An x-ray will show if the stones have passed, but if he is still having problems, they are likely still there. If your veterinarian is not comfortable performing that procedure, it might be a good idea to get a second opinion, as this problem must be very painful for him.
Aug. 13, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Shih Tzu
Clyde
2 Years
10 found this helpful
10 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood In Urine
Struvite Crystal
Ehrlichia
I have a 2 year old shih tzu that was diagnosed with an early stage of Ehrlichia. He was given Doxycycline 2 times a day to treat his Ehrlichia. However, I observed that he begun to have thick blood in his urine and small drops of blood keeps on dripping from his penis. I brought him back to the vet and they performed CBC, Ehrlichia test, Xray, and urinalysis. He was diagnosed with a scale 3 Ehrlichia and no bladder stones, but he does have struvites crystals from his urine. They prescribed to change his diet into Royal Canin Urinary S/O diet, Rowatinex (2 times a day for 2 weeks), and Co amoxiclav (2 times a day for 2 weeks) for the struvite crystals. For his Erhlichia, they still continued to give him Doxycycline (2 times a day for 28 days) and Nefrotec-DS (2 times a day for 1 month). Would it be ok for my dog to intake all this medicines 2 times a day? Would there be any side effects after intaking almost 4 medicines every 12 hours? I hope you could help me. I am very worried of Clyde. :(
July 31, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
10 Recommendations
It seems that Clyde does need those medications to treat his current conditions, and if they are prescribed every 12 hours, that is when they should be given. If he has any stomach upset, you may need to split them up, but those medications are safe to give together.
July 31, 2018
That's great to know! Were the meds given to him could really help in his condition?
Aug. 2, 2018
Ameera C.
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Kidney Stones Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $800 - $7,500
Average Cost
$3,500
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Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
