Anyone who has a dog should do everything possible to take care of it as it deserves, providing veterinary attention whenever necessary. And there are many health problems that can affect you, such as kidney stones.
If you know of someone who has had, surely if you ask them they will tell you that they are very painful, even disabling. Well, that feeling can also have the furry. So, we are going to tell you all about kidney stones in dogs.
What is a biosimilar
Calculations are deposits of different minerals that accumulate in different areas of the body, as they can be in the gallbladder or in the kidneys. In the first case, once the treatment is detected, it is the removal of said organ, otherwise the patient's situation could worsen, but in the second we will see that something different is chosen.
We popularly say that they are stones, but these were first mud or "grit" caused mainly by poor nutrition. And it is that we are what we eat, also dogs: if we give them an inappropriate food, rich in cereals and by-products, it would not be strange that they end up having stones.
What types of kidney stones are there?
There are several types, which are:
- Uric acid: They develop in acidic urine, and are usually associated with hereditary alterations in urate metabolism. They dissolve with a specific diet and medication.
- Struvite: they are formed by ammonium and magnesium phosphate. They develop in alkaline urine. They can be dissolved with a specific diet.
- Calcium oxalate, cystine and silica: Those of cystine can be dissolved with diet, but in the case of the others it is usually chosen to remove them surgically.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones in dogs?
The calculations, whatever their nature, will produce a series of symptoms that are common in dogs, people, and in any other animal that has these organs. In the case of the kidney, they are the following:
- Pain when urinating: the dog will try to pee, but with effort. Often you won't.
- Hematuria (blood in the urine): Due to the stones, it is normal to see blood in the urine.
- Urinary Incontinence: caused by the distention of the bladder.
- Urine spray: If a partial obstruction occurs, that will be what happens.
How is it diagnosed?
As soon as we notice that our friend is not well, what you should do is take him to the vet asap with a urine sample. Thus, as soon as he arrives and tells him what the symptoms he has, he will analyze that sample. If we could not pick it up, the professional would pick it up by puncturing you in the bladder directly. Once analyzed you will be able to know its pH, if there is presence of blood or if there is infection.
To know whether or not you have calculations, the technique you will use will be that of the abdominal ultrasound or x-ray, for which the area will be waxed carefully before doing it. If you see white spots, you know that stones have developed.
Which is the treatment?
Treatment will largely depend on the symptoms the dog has and the type of stones it has. But still we must know that it can be treated in two different ways:
- Diet and antibiotics: For milder cases, a change in diet and administration of medications is sufficient to dissolve kidney stones.
- Surgery: In severe cases, in which the stones are very difficult to dissolve or are large, it is chosen to remove them surgically.
Still, kidney stones can reoccur, which is why it is so important to give them a diet free of grains and by-products.