Hills Prescription Diet Canine Ud Urinary Care Canned 12 X 370g Pet: Dog Category: Dog Supplies Size: 5.2kg
Rich Description: Bladder stones are formed when mineral crystals in the urine combine to form stone like structures that sit in the bladder. They can come in many different mineral compositions the most common nonstruvite stones are uric acid and oxalate.
Uric acid
Uric acid Crystals form when there is abnormal metabolism of substances known as purines which are both present in the diet and produced by normal biochemical processes in the body. In normal animals purines are degraded by enzymes to uric acid. Uric acid is then converted by liver cells to a substance known as allantoin which is highly water soluble and excreted in the urine. Dalmatian dogs have a genetic abnormality that prevents the liver cells from converting uric acid to allantoin resulting in the uric acid being excreted straight into the urine. Uric acid is not very water soluble and so uric acid crystals form in the urine. These crystals can then combine to form stones. Uric acid stones may also be found in dogs with congenital liver shunts and liver disease. Some other breeds of dogs may also carry the same genetic abnormality as dalmatians but it is very rare. Acidic urine from supplements containing vitamin C and high protein foods in the diet can predispose at risk dogs to developing uric acid stones.
Oxalate
Oxalate crystals are composed of cystine and can form for a number of reasons. Some dogs may have a hereditary predisposition to forming stones due to the absence of a substance called nephrocalcin in their urine. Another risk factor for oxalate stone formation in dogs is an excess of calcium or oxalate in the diet generally from feeding human foods. Some metabolic conditions may also result in the formation of cystine for example Cushings Disease which causes increased amounts of calcium to be excreted in the urine. Breeds predisposed to cystine include Schnauzers Lhasa Apsos Yorkshire Terriers Miniature Poodles Shih Tzus and Bichon Frises. Male dogs represent over 70 of dogs affected.
Signs of bladder stones in dogs include
