kidney stones

[daisybee]

I took my dog to the vet yesterday because he was piddling on the livingroom
carpet a lot, which usually means his glucose level is high (he's diabetic) I
figured they would check his level and if need be they would up his insulin,
boy did I get a surprise. the vet told me to hope for an infection, if not he
would probably need surgery. Well,needless to say he has stones and needs
surgery. They showed me his x-ray and i saw about six stones, Anyway, long
story short, has anybody been through this surgery? and if so can you tell me
if its hard on the dog, if the stones come back, and anything else about the
surgery

[SWHouston]

Understand, I've never had an animal with Stones, but this is what I know of it generally.

Anesthesia will be necessary, that's always risky.
Now a days, they'll probably use a Endoscopic procedure to remove the Stones. That's better, smaller incision.
Is done reasonably frequently, and recovery is short, usually.

I don't think there is a cure for this, however...
The condition can be considerably reduced, or for all general purposes eliminated with (continuing) proper meds.

You should expect to have subsequent (annual-extended period) X-Rays done to checkup.

Hope this helps.

PS (I forgot to mention):
Calculated changes in it's Diet, can also be expected, and "may" preclude the need of meds.

[Freedom]

I've known of several dogs who got bladder stones; never heard of kidney stones in a dog, though.

Best wishes for the surgery!

[Jessika]

Bladder stones aren't that uncommon in dogs. It is genetic, but diet very much has a lot to do with it. Surgery is not that hard on them, and depending on how big the stones are, very necessary (after a certain size [larger than a grain of sand, in most cases], they can not be dissolved by diet alone and require surgical extraction). After surgery I HIGHLY recommend sending the stones off to a lab to determine what type of stones they are, and when those results come back in, consult with your vet about an appropriate diet to prevent them from forming again. Diet is VERY important with stone formation. Many owners will stray from the diet because it's too expensive, or its just too much work for them to come to the clinic to buy it, etc, and the pet forms stones again and has to have surgery again.

The surgery we perform at my clinic is called a cystotomy, where you enter the abdomen and make an incision into the bladder, remove the stones, then close everything back up. Recovery time is the same as with any other abdominal surgery (ie, spays). You may see blood and/or clots in the urine for a few days following the surgery, this is normal.

Again, the stones can reform again unless you stick to an appropriate diet that helps keep the urine at a specific pH. Different stones form in different pH, so determining which stones he's formed will determine the diet you will need to keep him on. Also, I forgot to add, water consumption can be helpful in these cases too, making sure to keep a full water bowl and letting him out to urinate frequently. This keeps the urine "moving" so it doesn't sit in the bladder and can help reduce the chance of forming stones.

Good luck!

[daisybee]

Bailey had surgery yesterday and as of late in the afternoon, he was doing well,
The vet said he had about 20 stones. Bailey is a small dog, I don't know where
he put 20 stones, his kidney must have been pretty full. Anyway I'm supposed
to pick him up this morning. I don't know what to expect. I don't know if he'll
be in a lot of pain or if he'll be pretty much like he normally is. Either way, I'll be
happy to have him home. Its amazing to me how many things I noticed were
different because Bailey wasn't here. Not all good things, but you have to take
the good with the bad right

[SWHouston]

It's often said "we are their world".

More often times, the reverse of that is as well true.

I wish Bailey a quick recovery, and...

Thank You for being a responsible owner.

S.W. Houston

[Jessika]

Glad to hear you went through with the surgery. Did you send the stones off for analysis? Please continue to keep us posted.

[Freedom]

Holy moly, so glad the surgery went well, but 20?! OUCH!!!

He is going to feel SO much better and once he is home with you, you will too.

Do please keep us apprised of his recovery! Prayers for healing from RI.

[mrspunkysmom]

Glad they caught the problem and hope he heals quickly