Dogs of any age size and breed can suffer from urinary crystals.
Canine urine crystals.
Crystals in dog urine can also be an indication of bladder or kidney infection.
Certain kinds of crystals in cat urine or dog urine may eventually lead to stone formation.
The cause of crystals in cats and dogs depend on the kind of crystal your veterinarian finds.
A diet of highly processed dog food and or foods high in grains and other fillers.
In dogs they often are of no clinical significance healthy dogs can have low but detectable bilirubin levels in urine.
The crystals are painful and uncomfortable dangerously blocking the flow of urine.
If enough crystals build up in your dog s bladder they form a bladder stone which may.
As the building blocks for kidney stones renal stones urine crystals can over time join to form small grains that look like sand in the kidneys ureter bladder or urethra.
Urinary crystals form slowly as mineral deposits build up in the bladder.
You can be prepared for it.
They are less common in urine of other species.
These crystals can be found in the urine of an estimated 40 to 44 percent of all healthy dogs and are not a cause for issue unless accompanied by signs of a urinary tract infection.
Treatment for dog urine crystals.
Crystalluria in individuals with anatomically and functionally normal urinary tracts may be harmless because the crystals are eliminated before they grow large enough to interfere with normal urinary function.
According to the whole dog journal crystals in dog s urine are a common finding affecting as much as 40 44 percent of all health pooches.
Crystals in dog s urine may be caused by one of the following.
For instance a sample taken after a meal may have higher concentrations than a sample taken during fasting.
Depending on the mineral makeup of the stones a calculoytic diet is recommended by veterinarians to dissolve and or prevent recurrence of certain types of crystals and bladder stones.
In general crystals are found when an abundance of certain compounds are excreted by the kidneys.
Inning accordance with the merck veterinary manual 2005 struvite crystals are commonly observed in canine and feline urine.
This can include any foul or fishy urine smell or even your dog smelling like urine.
Now you know what causes crystals in dog urine.
Timing of sample collection.
You will be asked to feed the dog a special diet that will assist in dissolving the crystals.
After the vet has determined the type and number of stones or crystals that are present treatment will commence.
Bilirubin crystals are seen most commonly in canine urine especially in highly concentrated specimens.
Urine crystals and stones aren t always related.
