What is urolithiasis (urinary stones) in dogs?
Urolithiasis (urolith – urinary stone, -iasis – disease of) is a condition in which crystals in the urine combine to form stones, also called calculi or uroliths. These can be found anywhere in the urinary tract of dogs, where they cause irritation and secondary infection. Most end up in the bladder or urethra. Dalmatians have a defect in the pathway that normally leads to the breakdown of urates, which are a by-product of protein digestion. This results in increased urate excretion in the urine (4 to 8 times that of other breeds) and predisposes the breed to the formation of urate crystals and, eventually, stones. Other dog breeds predisposed to urolithiasis include Cocker Spaniels, Bichon Frise (Bichons), and Miniature Schnauzers (struvite stones – caused by magnesium ammonium phosphate); English Bulldogs (urate and/or cystine stones); Lhasa Apsos, Miniature Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, and Yorkshire Terriers (calcium oxalate stones); English Bulldogs, Dachshunds, Newfoundlands, Ir
