These stones were taken from a female dog who came in to see us because she was straining to urinate and had blood in her urine. We checked her bladder with our in-house ultrasound scanner which confirmed that she had bladder stones. Bladder stones form when minerals in urine crystallise and unite to form bigger masses. As the condition doesn’t resolve itself, we needed to removed the stones surgically. Comfort restored and normal peeing resumed!
Did you know that if a pet cannot urinate, this classifies as a medical emergency? Male dogs (and cats) can suffer from completely blocked bladders as stones can lodge in the urethra, stopping the passage of urine. Whilst females won’t ordinarily completely lose the ability to urine, bladder stones are extremely uncomfortable, hence the frequent straining to try and wee and the presence of blood. If you notice your pet straining to go to the loo, it may not be bladder stones, but it definitely needs a call to the vet!