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I have a small senior dog. He is 10 lbs and 14 years old and around 3 months ago he was diagnosed with a bladder stone. The vet put him on Hills prescription diet to see if it would dissolve because they weren't sure what type of stone it was. I just took him back to the vet earlier this week and was told the stone is the exact same size and the food won't dissolve it so they know it's not a struvite stone. My vet said the stone is too big to cause a blockage for him and his professional opinion was to leave it alone and not do surgery. He said this is because of the age of my dog and his spine is fusing together and that he would have to be on the table on his back for a while for him to perform surgery which would be painful. My dog does also have arthritis and cataracts and on his hind legs he has patellar luxation (none of these issues have caused any major problems). Other than that, he is pretty spunky and doesn't seem to be in pain. He is on carprofen and will continue to be on it probably for life. The vet told me to continue feeding the urinary rx food so the stone doesn't get any bigger. Has anyone had a vet advise you to simply leave a bladder stone alone? I am worried about it because I know it does cause him to feel like he has to urinate more often. He used to sleep in our bedroom but due to the urination issues he is in the bathroom at night with puppy pads. I don't know long term if I think it's the best thing for him to not get it removed. If anyone has experience with this I would appreciate any input.
I have a small senior dog. He is 10 lbs and 14 years old and around 3 months ago he was diagnosed with a bladder stone. The vet put him on Hills prescription diet to see if it would dissolve because they weren't sure what type of stone it was. I just took him back to the vet earlier this week and was told the stone is the exact same size and the food won't dissolve it so they know it's not a struvite stone. My vet said the stone is too big to cause a blockage for him and his professional opinion was to leave it alone and not do surgery. He said this is because of the age of my dog and his spine is fusing together and that he would have to be on the table on his back for a while for him to perform surgery which would be painful. My dog does also have arthritis and cataracts and on his hind legs he has patellar luxation (none of these issues have caused any major problems). Other than that, he is pretty spunky and doesn't seem to be in pain. He is on carprofen and will continue to be on it probably for life. The vet told me to continue feeding the urinary rx food so the stone doesn't get any bigger. Has anyone had a vet advise you to simply leave a bladder stone alone? I am worried about it because I know it does cause him to feel like he has to urinate more often. He used to sleep in our bedroom but due to the urination issues he is in the bathroom at night with puppy pads. I don't know long term if I think it's the best thing for him to not get it removed. If anyone has experience with this I would appreciate any input.
The problem with that is that if you are feeding a diet meant to dissolve struvites, and it's not working, that means the stone is calcium oxalate, which can only be eliminated through surgery. Hills s/d (if that is what you are feeding) is meant to acidify an alkaline urinary tract, and too acidic a urinary tract is what causes the oxalate stones to begin with. That's why s/d, or any dissolution diet, is only meant to be fed until the stones are dissolved, at which time you stop feeding it, and start feeding a more species-appropriate diet that will prevent these issues from happening.
Yes, I am aware the stone has to be eliminated through surgery and is probably an oxalate stone. My vet doesn’t want to perform surgery and he thinks it is best to just leave the stone alone in my dog. Has anyone had experience in just letting their log live with a bladder stone instead of surgical removal. I am worried that it may not be the right decision even though my vet thinks it is.
Yes, I am aware the stone has to be eliminated through surgery and is probably an oxalate stone. My vet doesn’t want to perform surgery and he thinks it is best to just leave the stone alone in my dog. Has anyone had experience in just letting their log live with a bladder stone instead of surgical removal. I am worried that it may not be the right decision even though my vet thinks it is.
Your vet doesn't seem to understand how a dissolution diet works, though.
Quote:
The vet put him on Hills prescription diet to see if it would dissolve because they weren't sure what type of stone it was. I just took him back to the vet earlier this week and was told the stone is the exact same size and the food won't dissolve it so they know it's not a struvite stone.
The vet told me to continue feeding the urinary rx food so the stone doesn't get any bigger.
Keeping the dog on a dissolution diet that is not dissolving the stone is only going to make that stone WORSE. Dissolution diets are for treating struvites, not oxalate stones. There is no diet that will dissolve oxalate stones. They form when the urinary tract is too acidic. Dissolution diets help to change the tract from alkaline to more acidic, that's why they can only be fed short-term.
I run a dog rescue and we deal with bladder stones alot. I would not leave a stone in his bladder. We've done this surgery on many 14 year olds - does he have a heart murmer or other complicating factor. I would do the surgery for his comfort. Bladder stones are painful.
I run a dog rescue and we deal with bladder stones alot. I would not leave a stone in his bladder. We've done this surgery on many 14 year olds - does he have a heart murmer or other complicating factor. I would do the surgery for his comfort. Bladder stones are painful.
He does not have any heart issues. He has arthritis, cataracts, skin allergies, patellar luxation, and a spine that is fusing together. He did have periodontal disease and has had one tooth removed. Other than that, he’s healthy. He has plenty of energy and a good appetite. Everything I read on bladder stones said it’s very painful and I don’t want him to live in discomfort.
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