A High Commitment Team Dedicated to Caring for Your Pet
CASE #1
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Annie
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Annie is a 3-year-old Cairn terrier. In May, her owner began to notice
that she was having some difficulty urinating and brought her to Lexington
Blvd. Animal Hospital. An in-house urinalysis quickly determined that
she was suffering from a urinary tract infection. Signs of infection
include dribbling urine, urinating in the house, and blood in the
urine. While many of these infections respond well to antibiotics,
Annie relapsed soon after discontinuing the medication. On a follow-up
exam, x-rays were taken to evaluate her bladder and to look for urinary
stones (uroliths). These x-rays confirmed that there were several
stones in her bladder. Stones pose a life-threatening risk, because
they may obstruct the opening to the urinary bladder. As a result,
Annie would need surgery. A young healthy dog, Annie recovered quickly
from surgery and went home the next morning. The urinary stones were
sent to a laboratory for analysis. Urinary stones are a common cause of urination difficulty in dogs. The stones are composed of various minerals that the body normally excretes in urine as waste products. The acidic pH of normal urine will prevent these minerals from crystallizing into a stone. A urinary tract infection can cause the pH to rise, contributing to one type of stone formation. Another type of urinary stone is common in Dalmatians because of a difference in the way they metabolize waste products. By retrieving and analyzing the stone, we can best determine how to prevent future stone formation. In Annie's case, the stones were composed of struvite (or triple phosphate) crystals. There are many prescription diets available for dogs. Several of these specifically address the needs of dogs with urinary stones. Annie has now adjusted to her new diet (Hill's c/d) and has had no further urinary problems. While most dogs never develop urinary stones, urinary infections must be taken seriously. By diagnosing and treating the infection early in its course, we can lessen the chance that your pet will require surgery or suffer life-threatening consequences. |
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2627 Cordes Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77479 24-Hour Emergency Care for Our Clients Phone:(281) 980-3737 Fax: (281) 265-5584 Email:info@lexingtonpethospital.com |
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