Dog Bladder Stone – Your Responsibility as an Owner By Tess Thompson The urinary bladder is the one of the most frequently affected organs in a dog’s body. Stones in the bladder can actually cause other related urinary bladder conditions as well. Urinary tract infection in dogs can be traced to the presence of bladder stones. Cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder, is another condition that is often caused due to the irritation that bladder stones cause to linings. Bladder stones are formed when excess minerals in food are not taken up by the digestive system. These minerals bind together to form crystals in the urine, which in turn bind together to form stones. Since the formation of stones is linked with internal metabolic processes, the recurrence of bladder stones is a strong possibility even after successful treatments. The pain that accompanies canine and feline urinary incontinence is one of the most prominent symptoms of bladder stones. This pain can be excruciating at times. Bladder stones tend to move and can potentially obstruct the urinary passage leading to complete blockage of urine and eventually, death. As a concerned pet owner you should try to identify a problem as soon as possible, treat it and thereafter prevent bladder stones from forming again. Surgical removal is the only treatment available for certain rare types of stones. Some of the other common types like struvite can be treated by modifying the diet of the dog. Similarly, once the type of stone that your pet is prone to develop is established, it can be prevented with similar dietary modifications. The first goal is to prevent urinary tract infection in your dog. Make sure that your dog has a balanced diet that comprises of raw and unprocessed foods. Keep your dog away from toxins and chemicals. Even passive smoking can be injurious to your dog’s health. Diet plays an important role in disturbing urine pH. The pH of urine plays an important role in the formation of struvite crystals. It is also one of the main causes of urinary tract infection in cats. Ensure that the diet you feed to your pet has the recommended levels of magnesium, phosphate and aluminum. This will go a long way in reducing the risk of UTI as well as bladder stones. A diet that has high protein content can also contribute to formation of bladder stones. Ensure that your dog has easy access to clean and fresh water all the time. Take your dog out for a walk at least twice a day to allow him to empty his bladder. Commercial diets often contain preservatives, additives and filers. It is better to consult a veterinarian to decide on a balanced diet for your pet and try to feed your dog with home cooked natural foods as much as possible. Certain breeds of dogs are genetically predisposed to bladder stones. However, it is the pH imbalance that really triggers of the formation of crystals followed by stones. These changes, are more often than not, driven by an unbalanced diet. Therapeutic diets can accomplish a pH shift and prevent recurrence of bladder stones but should be used as an adjunct or preventive measure and not as an alternative to treatment of infections.
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