How are bladder stones treated?
There are two options for treatment. The fastest way is to remove them surgically. This requires major surgery in which the abdomen and bladder are opened. Following two to four days of recovery, the dog is relieved of pain and dysuria. The hematuria will often persist for a few days after surgery before resolving. Pets with urethral obstruction should have surgery as soon as possible unless there are other health conditions that prohibit surgery. The second option is to attempt to dissolve certain types of bladder stones with a special diet. This avoids surgery and can be a very good choice for some dogs. However, it has three disadvantages: 1. It is not successful for all types of stones. Stone analysis is necessary to determine if it is the type of stone that can be successfully dissolved. 2. It is slow. It may take several weeks or a few months to dissolve a large stone so the dog may continue to have hematuria and dysuria during that time. The risk of urethral obstruction remains
