home All hormones Oxalates in dog urine. Why does this pathology develop? Soft tissue injury

Oxalates in dog urine. Why does this pathology develop? Soft tissue injury

The detection of tripelphosphates in a dog's urine indicates that the animal is suffering from urolithiasis. Triple phosphates also indicate the existing bacterial infection. The stones themselves do not cause pain to the animal, since they have smooth surface. The trouble is that tripel phosphates in an animal can grow to incredible sizes, which interferes with urination. If you do not contact a veterinarian in time and do not start treatment, the dog may die. In this article, we propose to understand the question of what tripel phosphates in urine mean. We will learn about the reasons for the appearance of such stones, about all treatment methods: medicinal and surgical.

Urolithiasis disease

Tripelphosphates in a dog's urine indicate that stones have begun to form and deposit in the urinary system. Today, about 15% of dogs suffer from urolithiasis. Phosphate stones most often form in the structural elements of the kidneys and inside Bladder.

The disease may be hereditary. If one of the dog’s parents had urolithiasis, then with a 30% probability the offspring will also have a predisposition to the deposition of insoluble salts in the urinary system. Most often, older dogs suffer from urolithiasis.

general information

Due to changes in urine balance to the acidic or alkaline side, stones or sand begin to be deposited in the bladder, kidneys, urinary tract or urethra. Salt crystallization in dogs mostly occurs in the bladder and/or urethra. Tripelphosphates in dog urine are formed from microelements. Formed in an alkaline environment.

Stones of this type grow very quickly. If tripelphosphates are found in your dog's urine, the diet prescribed by your veterinarian will slow down the growth of the stones, and they will quickly dissolve and come out. naturally. In this article we will describe the diet, but it is for informational purposes only; only a specialist should diagnose and prescribe treatment. The fact is that tripel phosphates in dogs may not be the only type of stones; the disease can be mixed. Different types stones respond differently to treatment, and one method may get rid of tripelphosphates, but have no effect on other stones.

Why are tripel phosphates dangerous in dog urine?

As already mentioned, stones of this type grow very quickly. A large stone or sand can block the urinary canal, and the animal simply cannot defecate. The urine will literally rot inside the dog, which will cause rapid general intoxication.

If you have urolithiasis, you cannot treat an animal based on the advice of friends and traditional methods, because you may simply not have time to crush the stones, or the method will not help at all. At the first symptoms, you need to contact your veterinarian, who will prescribe a urine test. Tripelphosphates, when detected quickly, respond well to treatment.

Why does urolithiasis appear?

This disease is common not only among people, but also among animals. The disease has been studied closely for a long time, but still much remains unclear to this day. Factors that can influence the oxidation and alkalinization of urine have been identified. The causes of tripel phosphates in dogs may be the following:

Theoretically, any infection can lead to the development of urolithiasis. But this is especially true for infections genitourinary system.
Incorrect feeding: you cannot feed your dog both natural food and dry food, even alternating between each other. You need to choose food and canned food, or always natural food. You cannot feed your dog cereal alone, as this will lead to excess carbohydrates, which will cause alkalinization of the urine. And the reasons for tripel phosphates in the urine are an alkaline environment. Also, you should not feed with proteins (fish and meat), because they load the kidneys, and this can aggravate the course of the disease, if one already exists, or cause the formation of other types of stones.
Lack of fluid in the dog's diet. The pet should have free access to a bowl of water, this is especially important when feeding dry food and in hot weather. Also, you should not give your dog tap water, untreated water, it contains a lot of metals and trace elements that turn into stones and sand.
The shortest and most direct path to the development of urolithiasis is urine crystallization, which occurs when a dog waits a long time before being taken out for a walk. Take your pet out at least 2 times a day when he is young, and at least 3 times when he reaches an advanced age.
Dogs need exercise. If they are deficient, the pet will begin to gain fat, edema and stagnation of urine will appear, and this again leads to urolithiasis.
Congenital pathologies and hereditary predisposition. Pathologies can be in the kidneys, liver, metabolism and much more.
The accumulation of salts in the dog’s body also occurs from improper nutrition. If you feed your pet from your table with soups, cereals, salted fish, cutlets and anything that contains salt, the risk of developing the disease is very high!

There may be several causes of tripel phosphates in a dog. For example, a pet is genetically predisposed, and the owner feeds it incorrectly, gives it tap water and walks it once a day. With this lifestyle, even a genetically pure pet will certainly suffer from urolithiasis.

Early symptoms

The first symptoms of the early stages are almost impossible to notice. The dog's urine becomes cloudy, smells unpleasant, and the amount of urine will be less than usual. When urinating, the animal will feel discomfort and cutting pains, but their pain threshold is high, and the animal may not even show that it is unpleasant.

Tripelphosphates in urine, photos of which can be seen in this publication, are formed over the years, during which the pet can feel excellent. It seems to the owner that the animal suddenly falls ill, but in reality this is not the case. That is why it is important to visit the veterinarian once a year to undergo diagnostics: take blood and urine tests. Early detection urolithiasis increases the chances of recovery significantly, and the dog will not suffer from late stages.

Late symptoms

In most cases, the owner notices the dog’s ailments already in the later stages of the disease, when the signs become obvious. You can tell if your pet is suffering from urolithiasis by the following symptoms:

Urination occurs frequently and in small portions. Many dogs, especially older ones, begin to pee at home before being taken out for a walk. If this starts to happen, then do not scold the dog under any circumstances; he is already under stress because he has messed up at home.
The urine becomes a different color, cloudy, and may even turn pink. It is not uncommon for urine to drip when the dog is simply walking.
The dog is experiencing painful sensations trembles and whines when urinating. Males sit down to pee rather than lift their paws, and bitches sit down more often than usual, but urine does not always come out, or there is very little of it.

If all these symptoms are left unattended, blockage of the urinary tract may occur. The symptoms are the same, but more pronounced. You can find out that a dog is suffering from blockage of paths with stones or sand by the following signs:

It is painful for the dog to defecate, and she whines a lot.
The peritoneum becomes tight and swollen, and the dog does not allow it to be touched.
Appetite decreases and thirst increases.
The temperature rises.

When there is a blockage, every hour is important, because the animal’s body is exposed to intoxication. If such symptoms appear, you cannot delay or put off a visit to the veterinarian “until tomorrow”, because this tomorrow may not exist for the dog. Immediately call a specialist at home or take him to the nearest clinic.

Diagnostics

To determine the presence of stones and their type, it is necessary first of all to conduct urine tests. Sometimes only an analysis is enough to identify tripelphosphates in a dog, treatment of which is prescribed only by a veterinarian. But often the veterinarian prescribes an additional test - an ultrasound - to accurately determine the location of the stones.

It happens that ultrasound cannot find stones, then there is another diagnostic option - x-ray.

Without these three methods of recognizing stones, it is impossible to identify pathology and prescribe relevant treatment. If these measures were not carried out, and the doctor made a diagnosis and prescribed medications at random, then you should not trust this specialist, it is better to find another clinic.

An experienced specialist will also take other tests: urine for biochemistry, smear for microflora, blood. This will allow you to assess the general condition of the animal, as well as exclude or identify the presence of infectious disease, which will also need to be eliminated.

Do not trust a veterinarian who is not convinced of the correct diagnosis and has prescribed a lot of medications. Incorrectly selected drugs can not only not help in treatment, but also aggravate the situation.

Tripelphosphates in dogs: treatment

For an obstruction (blockage in the urinary tract), the first thing your veterinarian will do is insert a catheter into your dog's urethra to remove decaying urine from the bladder. Next, the doctor must prescribe medications that will eliminate the consequences of the blockage, these are painkillers, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and anti-spasm medications.

A course of combining “Cantaren” and “Furagin” will help quickly eliminate the consequences. The first medicine is from the list of veterinary drugs, the second is from human drugs. But still, only a veterinarian can prescribe treatment; consult him about the medications you choose. If the doctor determines something different, then you cannot contradict him, you need to take a course of prescribed medications.

After the symptoms of the complication have been relieved, the veterinarian will prescribe long-term therapy if tripelphosphates are detected in the urine. Treatment will take a lot of effort and time, but urolithiasis is a chronic disease, and once noticeable improvements occur, the dog will need to be supported throughout its life.

After eliminating the consequences of the blockage, you will need to act on tripelphosphates in such a way as to dissolve them, crush them, and gently remove them naturally. The doctor will prescribe not only medications, but also a diet. Tripelphosphates are dangerous for dogs, so you will need to acidify the alkaline environment of the body with food. The veterinarian may advise you to completely abandon natural food and switch to balanced medicinal food. Many leading manufacturers have developed food for dogs with urolithiasis, including:

Royal Canin;
Purina;
Eukanuba;
Hills.

Until significant improvements, it will be necessary to take urine samples for analysis once a month, then once every six months. Tests should not be skipped, as they help determine improvements and deteriorations.

When is surgery necessary?

In case drug treatment did not give the desired result, the stones could not be dissolved and removed, an operation was prescribed. Surgery is also necessary when the stone big size blocked the urinary canal.

If obstructions occur regularly, even with effective treatment, then the veterinarian will need to dilate the urethra by surgical intervention or even create a new urinary tract.

Often male dogs have to have their penis removed so that the urinary tract is not blocked by stones or fine sand. But still further treatment after surgery is necessary, because new stones will form regularly.

How to choose a clinic and specialist?

Urolithiasis is insidious, and it is not always possible to find the optimal treatment the first time. If at first you cannot overcome the disease, then you should not change the veterinarian who is highly qualified. He will select medications and treatment structure, achieve long-term remissions and notice even the slightest deterioration.

You need to choose a doctor so that he can care for your dog for many years. First of all, find a clinic, read reviews about it on the Internet, find recommendations from breeders and ordinary animal lovers.

When a clinic is selected, visit it in person, pay attention to the sanitary and hygienic conditions and the attitude of the staff towards visitors. If you are not satisfied even with the availability unpleasant odor or lack of good repairs, you can always visit another hospital that will suit you.

If the clinic you don’t like has the right specialist working (recommended by friends, liked the reviews on the Internet, have already met him in person), then ask if he can come to the sick animal’s home. Clinics usually have this service.

Do not trust the health of your pet to a private practicing veterinarian; in most cases, they do not have the proper qualifications, or they have been suspended from work.

Dog diet

If tripelphosphates are found in the urine, a diet is simply necessary. It would be best to switch your dog from natural food to balanced food that is designed specifically for dogs with urolithiasis.

If you do not want to switch your pet to dry food, then you will need to slightly acidify the body’s environment, including necessary products and removing everything harmful to the dog. First of all, let's look at what you should feed your pet with tripelphosphates:

Buckwheat, baked beans, white rice, hominy, corn, rye, white bread (not recommended for feeding dogs, but it happens that owners feed their pet porridge or soup, adding bread), barley grits, barley.
Add to porridge butter, at least a small piece.
Boiled eggs whole or just the white.
Choose from meat: chicken, game, turkey, lamb, beef and beef liver, chicken meat, any fish and seafood.

Also, in order for your dog to recover faster and tripelphosphates to form more slowly, give your pet more water. But before you pour the water into the bowl, run the liquid through a filter. If it is not possible to filter, you can always keep settled water and pour it carefully only with top level without spilling from the bottom.

It needs to be removed from the diet to cope with tripel phosphates. The diet for dogs must be complete; it is not enough to simply add acidifying foods. Look at what should not be given to your pet, or the amount of which should be reduced to a minimum.

If a dog loves apples and other fruits, watermelons, berries (and this often happens), then it is better to remove them from the diet or spoil the dog very rarely.
Broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets - many dogs love all of this, but all of this greatly alkalizes the body.
Oatmeal and millet.
Pork lard.
Everything is spicy and salty, including sausage.

There are not many foods to eliminate, and leaving them out of your diet won’t hurt. When refusing vegetables and fruits, do not forget to buy your dog additional vitamins, which are available in specialized stores!

Further lifestyle of a dog with urolithiasis

This is a chronic disease in which it is necessary to maintain a special lifestyle that will help prolong the improvements and reduce the number of relapses:

The water in your pet's bowl should always be fresh; change it twice a day. The fact is that bacteria quickly develop in the bowl, which cause bacterial infections, and those cause the formation of sand and stones.
In hot weather, always take clean bottled water when walking your dog.
Following a diet designed for your dog by a veterinarian is the key to success.
Walk the dog three times a day. The first and last walks last half an hour, and the middle one lasts an hour.
Adequate loads. A dog should not sit at home all day, but obstacle racing is also contraindicated. The best option is hiking and jogging on flat terrain.
It is mandatory to have your urine tested every six months.

Urolithiasis is a treatable disease if it is properly diagnosed and treated. It is worth understanding that if you do not feed your dog properly when it has urolithiasis, no medications will help. A properly selected diet is an integral part of treatment.

The dog will become healthy much faster if its diet helps dissolve stones (uroliths). Proper feeding is the most important part of therapy, even if the dog had to undergo surgery, since a weakened body can lead to a relapse of the disease.

Rocks and sand never just form, and as you can imagine, they won't magically dissolve. The diet is designed in such a way as to create a deficiency of certain mineral compounds that the body will take from the stones. Simply put, the urine should not have enough of the substance that makes up sand or stones. If there are errors in choosing a diet and the urine is oversaturated with components, the stones will grow and the disease will progress.

In addition to diet, the composition of urine is changed using drug therapy. Dissolution of the stone will not occur if measures are applied temporarily, the diet is disrupted or treatment is interrupted. According to the experience of doctors, stones in the bladder are eliminated faster because they are constantly in a deficient environment. Kidney stones and sand can also be dissolved if the kidneys are functioning at a normal pace, but it will take longer.

With proper treatment and strict adherence diets, bladder stones dissolve in 2–6 months.

Regarding stones that are located in the ureters or urethra, there are several nuances. They will not dissolve, but when proper diet and will not increase. The best option is if the stones descend into the bladder under the stimulation of drugs or naturally. When in the urethra, the stone seems to be pushed up into the bladder, but it can descend again, having only partially dissolved.

In addition to the natural dissolution of urates, struvites, oxalates and sand, there are medical techniques that include a wide range of techniques. Before starting treatment, a urine test is required, because if the doctor does not know which element is the basis of stones or sand, he will not be able to select an adequate treatment.

Experience shows that random treatment wastes valuable time., and sometimes to an increase in stones. By the way, the stone does not necessarily consist of only one main trace element, that is, the diet is selected to create a deficiency of several minerals.

During treatment, the dog is regularly examined to track the dynamics. If the stones do not decrease within 2 months, another attempt is made to correct the diet. The third attempt was not given and the quadruped was operated on. In acute conditions, when the dog is unable to urinate or is in serious condition, surgery is performed immediately.

Every 1–3 weeks or as determined by the attending physician, the dog must visit the clinic for the following procedures:

General blood test with biochemistry.
General analysis and urine culture.
According to the clinic's capabilities, an image or ultrasound examination abdominal cavity.

It is worth understanding that methods for the treatment and prevention of urolithiasis are strictly individual for each dog. If there is a need for surgery, the doctor must take into account the animal's age, gender, body type, size and location of the bladder, type of urolithiasis and severity of the condition. Since pathology affects the kidneys, that is, the filtering organ, drugs for anesthesia are selected after preliminary tests for sensitivity.

If a dog has been diagnosed and treated for urolithiasis, there is always a risk of relapse if prevention is not carried out.

Diet for struvite

Struvite stones are almost always accompanied by infectious inflammation of the bladder, ureters or urethra. The infection is eliminated with antimicrobial and wide range actions. The best option for selecting medications is urine culture to identify the type of pathogen.

Treatment and prevention are similar: eliminate the infection and make sure it really isn't there. The analyzes are repeated until the picture becomes clear, since symptomatic treatment can lead to relief and incomplete elimination of the infection. After the stones have dissolved, active treatment continues for 7–10 days, during which urine alkalinity is monitored several times a day.

Struvite can be sterile, meaning the disease is not accompanied by infection. In this case, treatment is carried out only on the basis of diet. By the way, sterile struvite dissolves faster.

Recurrence of the formation of struvite stones, the treatment of which was not complicated by infection, is very difficult to predict, since there will be no obvious symptoms. In this case, the emphasis is on diet. For prevention purposes, the dog is fed products with the effect of oxidizing urine or used special veterinary supplements(with natural feeding).

The diet for illness is selected to increase the deficiency of phosphates, magnesium and ammonium. If you buy dry food, it should be a product good quality, marked S/D and reduced protein content. Some medicinal foods deliberately increase the salt content and this needs to be taken into account Special attention. The option is acceptable because the dog drinks more, and the urine becomes less concentrated, that is, stones dissolve in it faster. On the other side, For urolithiasis, most dogs are prescribed a strictly salt-free diet.

Important! If a dog has kidney ailments, except for urolithiasis, the therapeutic diet is introduced step by step, by substitution, and over a period of 1.5–2 weeks.

With a natural diet, the dog's food is hydrated as much as possible. It is advisable not to give tap water, but to use purified, bottled water. The diet is designed with an emphasis on increasing calcium and phosphorus deficiency. It is important not to lead the animal’s body to a deficiency of microelements and, at the same time, to provoke the dissolution of stones. To make the task easier, use special mineral supplements and urine oxidizers. When treating urolithiasis on a natural diet, strictly prevent overeating. Meals should be small meals, without additional snacks.

Diet for urates

Urates dissolve in urine with increased rate alkalis. This is one of the most difficult variants of the disease, both for diagnosis and treatment. When successful therapy, the stones dissolve or shrink significantly within 4 months. Treatment is continued for another 30–35 days after complete dissolution, since urates are least visible during ultrasound examination.

Food for dogs with this type of urolithiasis contains a low dosage of protein and is divided into two types:

Feed marked S/D(we talked about it above) – minus: leads to oxidation of urine; plus: contains salt (is an advantage if a salt-free diet is not indicated).
Food marked U/D– plus: it alkalinizes urine faster; minus: does not contain salt.

A universal industrial diet to combat urate specifically has not yet been developed, since almost every case is individual.

A dog that has been diagnosed with urate is prescribed a lifelong therapeutic diet and regular examinations. A urine test is used as an indicator, which must be taken at least once every 3 months.

Diet for cystine stones

One of the cases in which medicated treading is more important than medicinal food. The diet is selected to alkalize urine and increase its volume. Simply put, the dog needs to drink more, this will lead to the active production of less concentrated urine, in which the stones will dissolve. It is recommended to limit the diet of a dog with this type of urolithiasis to U/D type food.

Cystine– this is a substance that cannot be globally influenced by diet. Moreover, practically nothing can affect cystine in terms of natural dissolution. For treatment, cystine is replaced with disulfide, a substance more susceptible to dissolution. Treatment should only be carried out under the supervision of a physician, since all targeted medications have an extensive list side effects. As an enhancer of the effect, drugs for alkalizing urine are used in treatment.

Prevention of cystine urolithiasis is similar to therapy when urates are detected.

Diet for calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones

The problem with the treatment and prevention of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones is that scientists cannot give unambiguous explanations of why stones of these types are formed. Veterinarians have no alternatives but to treat this type of urolithiasis, by analogy with human medicine or at random (intuitively). As a preventive measure, the first most important thing is diet, that is, as much as possible. balanced diet, or better yet, medicinal food. How additional therapy(if necessary) use diuretics.

It is believed that one of the reasons for the formation of stones is excess calcium in the body. In this case, it is important to determine and eliminate the cause of excessive intake of microelements into the body. The difficulty is that excess calcium can only be a trigger, that is, after eliminating hypercalcemia, the problem with stones remains.

The therapeutic diet consists of reducing mass fraction protein without binding to microelements (except calcium). When choosing food, the choice should be made on medicinal products that do not lead to urine oxidation. Typically, such foods do not contain salt and are labeled with the abbreviations K/D and U/D.

When treating calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones, the dog is prescribed a salt-free diet. Additionally, using salt to increase your water intake is strongly discouraged.

Natural diet for urolithiasis

If you do not have the opportunity to buy expensive food or you decide to feed your dog with ICD natural food for another reason, there are a number of recommendations that you need to keep in mind.

The first of these is the quality of food. An incorrectly selected diet contributes to the formation of stones and sand. The second is the frequency of feeding. Few people know, but after eating, the alkali level in the urine increases slightly, and then returns to normal. If a bowl of food is constantly available to your pet, and he snacks at every opportunity, this leads to severe alkalization of urine. Urolithiasis is just one of the consequences of improper feeding. An overeating dog has a sharply increased risk of developing pyelonephritis and other kidney pathologies.

Calcium deficiency, no matter how strange it may sound, leads to the formation of stones, since the metabolism of microelements in the body is disrupted. Excess calcium also provokes sand formation. The conclusion is simple - it is not the presence or absence of calcium that is important, but the balance.

Next important recommendation- it's about maintaining a balance energy value diet. How longer dog eats a large amount of cereals, the worse the mucous membranes (including the bladder) work. How is it possible, you say, medicinal food contains a reduced amount of protein, porridge (that is, carbohydrates) is also not allowed, so what should you feed the dog? Oddly enough, with urolithiasis, you need to think not about what to feed, but how not to violate the common truths - that is maintain a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Don’t forget about fiber (plant foods), which should make up at least 30% of a healthy dog’s total diet.

Water plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of urolithiasis. Picking up therapeutic diet, you strictly calculate the amount of salts, but by giving your dog tap water, you throw all the calculations down the drain. Tap water is saturated and oversaturated with salts and, to put it mildly, unnecessary elements (especially hard water). If your pet is prone to or has been diagnosed with urolithiasis, recommended purchase purified water or install a filter at home.

Lifestyle - important aspect prevention, which does not depend on the type of nutrition. How smaller dog moves, the more her metabolism slows down. By the way, quality food and sedentary lifestyle life, it is also a cause of obesity.

If you do not feed your dog special food, and it has a tendency to urolithiasis, you should know about one more nuance. There is an opinion that it is enough for a four-legged dog to walk 2 times a day, but it does not take into account the fact that stagnation of urine (while the dog endures it) provokes the development of urolithiasis. Small dogs are trained to use a litter tray; this is convenient for owners and serves as a preventative measure. Large dogs should be walked as often as possible or switched to medicated food.

Some dog breeds are genetically prone to urolithiasis.

If you decide to purchase a pet of a high-risk breed, visit the veterinarian at least once every six months and be prepared at any time to switch your pet from preventative to therapeutic food.

Myths about urolithiasis

Owners often blame themselves for the fact that their pet is sick, and this happens after a friend or veterinarian voices common myths about the disease. The first and most common misconception sounds different, but has the same meaning - a sterilized pet needs to be fed only medicated food, otherwise he/she will develop urolithiasis.

The only factor that can support this statement is the natural decrease in the animal’s mobility. If you devote time to your pet, feed it properly and play with it, castration or sterilization is not a risk factor or cause of the development of urolithiasis.

Fish is a healthy, but not entirely unnatural, food for dogs. Recently, a diet containing fish has been considered the cause of urolithiasis, which is not very correct. The risk increases if you feed the animal only fish, and urolithiasis is not the only consequence. If the pet receives balanced diet with fish, there is no threat.

General clinical examination of urine includes definition physical properties, chemical composition and microscopic examination of sediment.

Physical properties.

QUANTITY.

Fine The daily amount of urine averages 20-50 ml per kg body weight for dogs and 20-30 mg per kg body weight for cats.

Increased daily diuresis - polyuria.
Causes:
1. Convergence of edema;
2. Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes maleus) (together with a positive level of glucose in the urine and high specific gravity of urine);
3. Glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis, pyelonephritis (together with negative glucose levels, high specific gravity of urine and severe proteinuria);
4. Cushing's syndrome, hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, tumors, uterine diseases (pyometra), hyperthyroidism, liver disease (together with negative glucose levels, high specific gravity of urine and negative or mild proteinuria)
5. Chronic renal failure or diuresis after acute renal failure (together with low specific gravity of urine and increased levels of urea in the blood);
6. Diabetes insipidus (Diabetes insipidus) (together with low specific gravity of urine, which does not change when testing with fluid deprivation and a normal level of urea in the blood);
7. Psychogenic craving for drinking (together with low specific gravity of urine, which increases when testing with fluid deprivation and a normal level of urea in the blood)
Often causes polydipsia.

Decreased daily diuresis - oliguria.
Causes:
1. Profuse diarrhea;
2. Vomiting;
3. Increase in edema (regardless of its origin);
4. Too little fluid intake;

Lack of urine or too little urine (lack of urination or urine formation) - anuria.
Causes:
a) Prerenal anuria (arising due to extrarenal causes):
1. Severe blood loss (hypovolemia - hypovolemic shock);
2. Acute heart failure (cardiogenic shock);
3. Spicy vascular insufficiency(vascular shock);
4. Uncontrollable vomiting;
5. Severe diarrhea.
b) Renal (secretory) anuria (associated with pathological processes in the kidneys):
1. Acute nephritis;
2. Necronephrosis;
3. Transfusion of incompatible blood;
4. Severe chronic kidney disease.
c) Obstructive (excretory) anuria (impossibility of urination):
1. Blockage of the ureters with stones;
2. Compression of the ureters by tumors developing near the ureters (neoplastic tumors of the uterus, ovaries, bladder, metastases from other organs.

COLOR

Normal urine color is straw yellow.
Color change may be due to the release of coloring compounds formed during organic changes or under the influence of food, drugs or contrast agents.

Red or red-brown (meat slop color)
Causes:
1. Macrohematuria;
2. Hemoglobinuria;
3. The presence of myoglobin in the urine;
4. The presence of porphyrin in the urine;
5. The presence of certain medications or their metabolites in the urine.

Dark yellow color (may have a greenish or greenish-brown tint, the color of dark beer)
Causes:
1. Excretion of bilirubin in the urine (with parenchymal or obstructive jaundice).

Greenish yellow color
Causes:
1. High content of pus in the urine.

Dirty brown or grey colour
Causes:
1. Pyuria with alkaline urine reaction.

Very dark, almost black color
Causes:
1. Hemoglobinuria in acute hemolytic anemia.

Whitish color
Causes:
1. Phosphaturia (presence of a large amount of phosphates in the urine).
It should be taken into account that if urine sits for a long time, its color may change. As a rule, it becomes more saturated. When urobilin is formed from colorless urobilinogen under the influence of light, urine becomes dark yellow (to orange). If methemoglobin is formed, the urine becomes dark brown color. In addition, changes in odor may be associated with the use of certain medications, feed or feed additives.

TRANSPARENCY

Normal urine is clear.

Cloudy urine can be caused by:
1. The presence of red blood cells in the urine;
2. The presence of leukocytes in the urine;
3. The presence of epithelial cells in the urine;
4. The presence of bacteria in the urine (bacteruria);
5. The presence of fatty droplets in the urine;
6. The presence of mucus in the urine;
7. Precipitation of salts.

In addition, the clarity of urine depends on:
1. Salt concentrations;
2. pH;
3. Storage temperatures (low temperatures contribute to the precipitation of salts);
4. Duration of storage (during long-term storage, salts precipitate).

SMELL

Normally, the urine of dogs and cats has a mild, specific odor.

A change in odor may be caused by:
1. Acetonuria (the appearance of the smell of acetone in diabetes mellitus);
2. Bacterial infections (ammonia, unpleasant odor);
3. Taking antibiotics or food additives(special specific smell).

DENSITY

Normal density of urine in dogs 1.015-1.034 (minimum - 1.001, maximum 1.065), in cats - 1.020-1.040.
Density is a measure of the kidneys' ability to concentrate urine.

They matter
1. The state of hydration of the animal;
2. Drinking and eating habits;
3. Ambient temperature;
4. Injected drugs;
5. Functional state or quantity renal tubules.

Reasons for increased urine density:
1. Glucose in the urine;
2. Protein in urine (in large quantities);
3. Medicines (or their metabolites) in the urine;
4. Mannitol or dextran in urine (as a result of intravenous infusion).

Reasons for decreased urine density:
1. Diabetes mellitus;
3. Acute kidney damage.

We can talk about adequate kidney response, when, after a short abstinence from drinking water, the specific gravity of urine rises to the average norm. The kidney reaction is considered inadequate if the specific gravity does not rise above the minimum values when abstaining from water intake - isosthenuria (severely reduced ability to adapt).
Causes:
1. Chronic renal failure.

Chemical research.

pH

Normal urine pH Dogs and cats can be either slightly acidic or slightly alkaline, depending on the protein content of the diet. On average, urine pH ranges from 5-7.5 and is more often slightly acidic.

Increasing urine pH (pH>7.5) - alkalization of urine.
Causes:
1. Eating plant foods;
2. Profuse sour vomiting;
3. Hyperkalemia;
4. Resorption of edema;
5. Primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism (accompanied by hypercalcemia);
6. Metabolic or respiratory alkalosis;
7. Bacterial cystitis;
8. Introduction of sodium bicarbonate.

A decrease in urine pH (pH about 5 and below) - acidification of urine.
Causes:
1. Metabolic or respiratory acidosis;
2. Hypokalemia;
3. Dehydration;
4. Fever;
5. Fasting;
6. Long-term muscle load;
7. Diabetes mellitus;
8. Chronic renal failure;
9. Introduction of acid salts (for example, ammonium chloride).

PROTEIN

Normally there is protein in urine absent or its concentration is less than 100 mg/l.
Proteinuria- the appearance of protein in the urine.

Physiological proteinuria- cases of temporary appearance of protein in the urine, not associated with diseases.
Causes:
1. Taking a large amount of feed from increased content squirrel;
2. Strong physical activity;
3. Epileptic seizures.

Pathological proteinuria There are renal and extrarenal.

Extrarenal proteinuria can be extrarenal and postrenal.

Extrarenal extrarenal protenuria is more often temporary mild degree(300 mg\l).
Causes:
1. Heart failure;
2. Diabetes mellitus;
3. Fever;
4. Anemia;
5. Hypothermia;
6. Allergy;
7. Use of penicillin, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides;
8. Burns;
9. Dehydration;
10. Hemoglobinuria;
11. Myoglobinuria.
Severity of proteinuria is not a reliable indicator of the severity of the underlying disease and its prognosis.

Extrarenal postrenal proteinuria(false proteinuria, accidental proteinuria) rarely exceeds 1 g/l (except in cases of severe pyuria) and is accompanied by the formation of a large sediment.
Causes:
1. Cystitis;
2. Pyelitis;
3. Prostatitis;
4. Urethritis;
5. Vulvovaginitis.
6. Bleeding in the urinary tract.

Renal proteinuria occurs when protein enters the urine in the kidney parenchyma. In most cases, it is associated with increased permeability of the renal filter. In this case, a high protein content in the urine is detected (more than 1 g/l). Microscopic examination of urine sediment reveals cylinders.
Causes:
1. Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis;
2. Acute and chronic pyelonephritis;
3. Severe chronic heart failure;
4. Kidney amyloidosis;
5. Kidney neoplasms;
6. Kidney hydronephrosis;
7. Lipoid nephrosis;
8. Nephrotic syndrome;
9. Immune diseases with damage to the renal glomeruli by immune complexes;
10. Severe anemia.

Renal microalbuminuria- the presence of protein in the urine in concentrations below the sensitivity of reagent strips (from 1 to 30 mg\100 ml). Is an early sensitive indicator of various chronic diseases kidney

Paraproteinuria- the appearance in the urine of a globulin protein that does not have the properties of antibodies (Bence Jones protein), consisting of light chains of immunoglobulins that easily pass through glomerular filters. This protein is secreted in plasmacytoma. Paraproteinuria develops without primary damage to the kidney glomeruli.

Tubular proteinuria- the appearance of small proteins in the urine (α1-microglobulin, β2-microglobulin, lysozyme, retinol-binding protein). They are normally present in the glomerular filtrate but are reabsorbed in the renal tubules. When the epithelium of the renal tubules is damaged, these proteins appear in the urine (determined only by electrophoresis). Tubular proteinuria is an early indicator of renal tubular damage in the absence of concomitant changes in circulating urea and creatinine levels.
Causes:
1. Medicines(aminoglycosides, cyclosporine);
2. Heavy metals(lead);
3. Analgesics (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances);
4. Ischemia;
5. Metabolic diseases (Fanconi-like syndrome).

False positive protein counts, obtained using a test strip, are characteristic of alkaline urine (pH 8).

False negative protein counts, obtained using a test strip are due to the fact that test strips show, first of all, the level of albumin (paraproteinuria and tubular proteinuria are not detected) and their content in urine is above 30 mg\100 ml (microalbuminuria is not detected).
Proteinuria assessment should be carried out taking into account clinical symptoms(accumulation of fluid, edema) and other laboratory indicators (protein level in the blood, albumin and globulin ratio, urea, creatinine, lipids in blood serum, cholesterol level).

GLUCOSE

Normally, there is no glucose in the urine.

Glucosuria- presence of glucose in urine.

1. Glucosuria with high urine specific gravity(1.030) and elevated level blood glucose (3.3 - 5 mmol/l) is a criterion for diabetes mellitus (Diadetes mellitus).
It must be taken into account that in animals with diabetes mellitus Type 1 (insulin-dependent) can significantly change the renal glucose threshold (the concentration of glucose in the blood, above which glucose begins to enter the urine). Sometimes, with persistent normoglycemia, glucosuria persists (the renal glucose threshold is reduced). And with the development of glomerulosclerosis, the renal glucose threshold increases, and glucosuria may not occur even with severe hyperglycemia.

2.Renal glycosuria- is registered with an average specific gravity of urine and a normal level of glucose in the blood. A marker of tubular dysfunction is deterioration of reabsorption.
Causes:
1. Primary renal glycosuria in some dog breeds (Scottish terriers, Norwegian Elkhounds, mixed breed dogs);
2. A component of general dysfunction of the renal tubules - Fanconi-like syndrome (may be hereditary or acquired; glucose, amino acids, small globulins, phosphate and bicarbonate are excreted in the urine; described in Besenges, Norwegian Elkhounds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Miniature Schnauzers);
3. Use of certain nephrotoxic drugs.
4. Acute renal failure or aminoglycoside toxicity - if the level of urea in the blood is elevated.

3. Glucosuria with reduced specific gravity of urine(1.015 - 1.018) may be with the introduction of glucose.
4. Moderate glycosuria occurs in healthy animals with a significant nutritional load with feeds high in carbohydrates.

False positive result when determining glucose in urine with test strips, it is possible in cats with cystitis.

False negative result when determining glucose in urine with test strips, it is possible in dogs in the presence of ascorbic acid(it is synthesized in dogs in varying quantities).

BILIRUBIN

Normally, there is no bilirubin in the urine of cats., concentrated dog urine may contain trace amounts of bilirubin.

Bilirubinuria- the appearance of bilirubin (direct) in the urine.
Causes:
1. Parenchymal jaundice (damage to the liver parenchyma);
2. Obstructive jaundice (impaired bile outflow).

Used as an express method for differential diagnosis hemolytic jaundice - bilirubinuria is not typical for them, since indirect bilirubin does not pass through the kidney filter.

UROBILINOGEN

The upper limit of normal for urobilinogen in urine about 10 mg/l.

Urobilinogenuria- increased levels of urobilinogen in urine.
Causes:
1. Increased hemoglobin catabolism: hemolytic anemia, intravascular hemolysis (transfusion of incompatible blood, infections, sepsis), pernicious anemia, polycythemia, resorption of massive hematomas;
2. Increased formation of urobilinogen in gastrointestinal tract: enterocolitis, ileitis;
3. Increased formation and reabsorption of urobilinogen during inflammation of the biliary system - cholangitis;
4. Liver dysfunction: chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, toxic liver damage (poisoning with organic compounds, toxins in infectious diseases and sepsis); secondary liver failure(heart and circulatory failure, liver tumors);
5. Liver bypass surgery: liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension, thrombosis, renal vein obstruction.

Of particular diagnostic importance is:
1. For lesions of the liver parenchyma in cases without jaundice;
2. For differential diagnosis parenchymal jaundice from obstructive jaundice, in which there is no urobilinogenuria.

KETONE BODIES

Normally, there are no ketone bodies in urine.

Ketonuria- the appearance of ketone bodies in the urine (as a result of accelerated incomplete oxidation of fatty acids as an energy source).
Causes:
1. Severe decompensation of type 1 diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent) and long-term type II diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) with depletion of pancreatic beta cells and the development of absolute insulin deficiency.
2. Severe - hyperketonemic diabetic coma;
3. Precomatose states;
4. Cerebral coma;
5. Long fasting;
6. Severe fever;
7. Hyperinsulinism;
8. Hypercatecholemia;
9. Postoperative period.

NITRITES

Normally, there are no nitrites in the urine.

The appearance of nitrites in the urine indicates infection of the urinary tract, since many pathogenic bacteria reduce nitrates present in the urine into nitrites.
Of particular diagnostic importance when determining asymptomatic urinary tract infections (at risk are animals with prostate tumors, patients with diabetes mellitus, after urological operations or instrumental procedures on the urinary tract).

erythrocytes

Normally, there are no red blood cells in the urine or physiological microhematuria is allowed when examined with test strips of up to 3 red blood cells/μl of urine.

Hematuria- the content of red blood cells in the urine is more than 5 in 1 μl of urine.

Gross hematuria- can be installed with the naked eye.

Microhematuria- can only be detected using test strips or microscopy. Often caused by cystocentesis or catheterization.

Hematuria, originating from the bladder and urethra.
In approximately 75% of cases, gross hematuria is often combined with dysuria and pain on palpation.
Causes:
1. Stones in the bladder and urethra;
2. Infectious or drug-induced (cyclophosphamide) cystitis;
3. Urethritis;
4. Tumors of the bladder;
5. Injuries to the bladder and urethra (crushing, ruptures).
The admixture of blood only at the beginning of urination indicates bleeding between the neck of the bladder and the opening of the urethra.
An admixture of blood predominantly at the end of urination indicates bleeding in the bladder.

Hematuria originating from the kidneys (approximately 25% of cases of hematuria).
Uniform hematuria from the beginning to the end of urination. In this case, microscopy of the sediment reveals erythrocyte casts. Such bleeding is relatively rare, is combined with proteinuria and is less intense compared to bleeding in the urinary tract.
Causes:
1. Physical overload;
2. Infectious diseases (leptospirosis, septicemia);
3. Hemorrhagic diathesis of various etiologies;
4. Coagulopathies (dicoumarol poisoning);
5. Consumption coagulopathy (DIC syndrome);
6. Kidney injuries;
7. Thrombosis of renal vessels;
8. Kidney neoplasms;
9. Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis;
10. Pyelitis, pyelonephritis;
11. Glomerulo- and tubulonephrosis (poisoning, taking medications);
12. Strong venous stasis;
13. Displacement of the spleen;
14. Systemic lupus erythematosus;
15. Overdose of anticoagulants, sulfonamides, methenamine.
16. Idiopathic renal hematuria.
Bleeding, occurring independently of urination, are localized in the urethra, prepuce, vagina, uterus (estrus) or prostate gland.

HEMOGLOBIN, MYOGLOBIN

Normally absent when examined with test strips.

Causes of myoglobinuria:
1. Muscle damage (creatine kinase levels increase in the circulating blood).
Hemoglobinuria is always accompanied by hemoglobinemia. If hemolyzed red blood cells are found in the urinary sediment, the cause is hematuria.

Microscopic examination of sediment.

There are elements of organized and unorganized urine sediment. The main elements of organized sediment are erythrocytes, leukocytes, epithelium and casts; unorganized - crystalline and amorphous salts.

EPITHELIUM

Fine in the urine sediment, single cells of squamous (urethra) and transitional epithelium (pelvis, ureters, bladder) are found in the field of view. The renal epithelium (tubules) is normally absent.

Squamous epithelial cells. Normally, it occurs in larger quantities in females. Detection of layers of flat epithelium and horny scales in the sediment is a sign of squamous metaplasia of the mucous membrane of the urinary tract.

Transitional epithelial cells.
Reasons for the significant increase in their number:
1. Acute inflammatory processes in the bladder and renal pelvis;
2. Intoxication;
3. Urolithiasis;
4. Neoplasms of the urinary tract.

Epithelial cells of the urinary tubules (renal epithelium).
Reasons for their appearance:
1. Jades;
2. Intoxication;
3. Circulatory failure;
4. Necrotic nephrosis (in case of poisoning with sublimate, antifreeze, dichloroethane) - epithelium in very large quantities;
5. Kidney amyloidosis (rarely in the albuminemic stage, often in the edematous-hypertensive and azotemic stage);
6. Lipoid nephrosis (desquamated renal epithelium is often found fat-degenerated).
If conglomerates of epithelial cells are detected, especially those varying moderately or significantly in shape and/or size, further cytological examination is necessary to determine the possible malignancy of these cells.

LEUCOCYTES

Normally there are no leukocytes or single leukocytes per field of view may be observed (0-3 leukocytes per field of view at a magnification of 400).

Leukocyturia- more than 3 leukocytes in the field of view of the microscope at a magnification of 400.
Piuria- over 60 leukocytes in the field of view of the microscope at a magnification of 400.

Infectious leukocyturia, often pyuria.
Causes:
1. Inflammatory processes in the bladder, urethra, renal pelvis.
2. Infected discharge from the prostate, vagina, uterus.

Aseptic leukocyturia.
Causes:
1. Glomerulonephritis;
2. Amyloidosis;
3. Chronic interstitial nephritis.

erythrocytes

Normally, urine sediment contains no or single in the preparation (0-3 in the field of view at a magnification of 400).
The appearance or increase in the number of red blood cells in urine sediment is called hematuria.
For reasons, see above in the section “ Chemical research urine."

CYLINDERS

Fine in the urine sediment, hyaline and granular casts may be detected - single in the preparation - with unchanged urine.
Urinary cylinders not contained in alkaline urine. Neither the number nor the type of urinary casts indicates the severity of the disease and is not specific for any kidney damage. The absence of casts in urine sediment does not indicate the absence of kidney disease.

Cylindruria- presence in urine increased number cylinders of any type.

Hyaline casts consist of protein that gets into the urine due to stagnation or an inflammatory process.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Proteinuria not associated with kidney damage (albuminemia, venous congestion in the kidneys, heavy physical activity, cooling);
2. Feverish conditions;
3. Various organic kidney lesions, both acute and chronic;
4. Dehydration.
There is no correlation between the severity of proteinuria and the number of hyaline casts, since the formation of casts depends on the pH of the urine.

Grainy cylinders- consist of tubular epithelial cells.
Reasons for education:
1. The presence of severe degeneration in the tubular epithelium (necrosis of the tubular epithelium, kidney inflammation).
Waxy cylinders.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Severe damage to the kidney parenchyma (both acute and chronic).

Red blood cell casts are formed from accumulations of red blood cells. Their presence in urine sediment indicates the renal origin of hematuria.
Causes:
1. Inflammatory diseases kidney;
2. Bleeding into the kidney parenchyma;
3. Kidney infarctions.

Leukocyte casts- are quite rare.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Pyelonephritis.

SALT AND OTHER ELEMENTS

The precipitation of salts depends on the properties of urine, in particular on its pH.

In acidic urine, the following precipitates:
1. Uric acid
2. Uric acid salts;
3. Calcium phosphate;
4. Calcium sulfate.

In urine that gives a basic (alkaline) reaction, the following precipitate:
1. Amorphous phosphates;
2. Tripelphosphates;
3. Neutral magnesium phosphate;
4. Calcium carbonate;
5. Crystals of sulfonamides.

Crystalluria- the appearance of crystals in the urinary sediment.

Uric acid.
Fine There are no uric acid crystals.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Pathologically acidic urine pH in renal failure ( early loss in sediment - within an hour after urination);
2. Fever;
3. Conditions accompanied by increased tissue breakdown (leukemia, massive decaying tumors, pneumonia in the resolution stage);
4. Heavy exercise stress;
5. Uric acid diathesis;
6. Feeding exclusively meat feeds.

Amorphous urates- Urate salts give urine sediment a brick-pink color.
Fine- single in the field of view.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis;
2. Chronic renal failure;
3. “Congestive kidney”;
4. Fever.

Oxalates- salts of oxalic acid, mainly calcium oxalate.
Fine oxalates are rare in the field of view.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Pyelonephritis;
2. Diabetes mellitus;
3. Disorders of calcium metabolism;
4. After epileptic attacks;
5. Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) poisoning.

Tripelphosphates, neutral phosphates, calcium carbonate.
Fine are missing.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Cystitis;
2. Abundant intake of plant foods;
3. Vomiting.
May cause the development of stones.

Acid ammonium urate.
Fine absent.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Cystitis with ammonia fermentation in the bladder;
2. Uric acid renal infarction in newborns.
3. Insufficiency of the liver, especially with congenital portosystemic shunts;
4. In Dalmatian dogs in the absence of pathology.

Cystine crystals.
Fine absent.
Reasons for appearance: cytinosis (congenital disorder of amino acid metabolism).

Crystals of leucine, tyrosine.
Fine are missing.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Acute yellow atrophy of the liver;
2. Leukemia;
3. Phosphorus poisoning.

Cholesterol crystals.
Fine are missing.

Reasons for appearance:
1. Amyloid and lipoid renal dystrophy;
2. Kidney neoplasms;
3. Kidney abscess.

Fatty acid.
Fine are missing.
Causes of appearance (very rare):
1. Fatty degeneration kidney;
2. Disintegration of the epithelium of the renal tubules.

Hemosiderin- a breakdown product of hemoglobin.
Fine absent.
Reasons for appearance - hemolytic anemia with intravascular hemolysis of red blood cells.

Hematoidin- a breakdown product of hemoglobin that does not contain iron.
Fine absent.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Calculous (associated with the formation of stones) pyelitis;
2. Kidney abscess;
3. Neoplasms of the bladder and kidneys.

BACTERIA

Normally there are no bacteria or determined in urine obtained during spontaneous urination or using a catheter, in an amount of no more than 2x103 bact.\ml of urine.

The quantitative content of bacteria in the urine is of decisive importance.
- 100,000 (1x105) or more microbial bodies per ml of urine is an indirect sign of inflammation in the urinary organs.
 1000 - 10000 (1x103 - 1x104) microbial bodies per ml of urine - raises suspicion of inflammatory processes in urinary tract. In females this amount may be normal.
- less than 1000 microbial bodies per ml of urine are regarded as the result of secondary pollution.

Normally, urine obtained by cystocentesis should contain no bacteria at all.
When examining a general urine test, only the fact of bacteriuria is stated. In a native preparation, 1 bacterium in an oil immersion field of view corresponds to 10,000 (1x104) bact./ml, but bacteriological testing is necessary to accurately determine the quantitative characteristics.
The presence of a urinary tract infection can be signaled by simultaneously detected bacteriuria, hematuria and pyuria.

Yeast fungi

Normally none.
Reasons for appearance:
1. Glucosuria;
2. Antibiotic therapy;
3. Long-term storage of urine.

Urolithiasis in dogs - pathological condition urine excretory system, in which stones form in the cavities of organs. Crystallization of salts is accompanied by impaired diuresis, intoxication of the animal’s body and inflammation of the urinary system.

The damaging influence of internal and external factors can provoke the development of urolithiasis (KD) in dogs, regardless of age. However, according to statistics, 15% of animals have urolithiasis, of which 70% of urolithiasis is diagnosed at the age of 7-8 years, 20% at the age of 4-6 years, and only 10% of dogs at the age of 1 to 3.5 years .

There is a relationship between the incidence of urolithiasis in pets with:

Gender. Although the difference in the study results is small, males suffer from urolithiasis a little more often, which may be due to the structural features of the excretory system, since the length of the urethra in males is longer than in females, which, if metabolic processes facilitates the loss of uroliths in the urethra.
Belonging to a certain breed. In small dogs, whose weight does not exceed 10 kg, uroliths are formed due to the smaller volume of the bladder, which makes emptying it more rare. As a result, the salt content in the urine increases.
Low physical activity. Dogs that are rarely walked or walk for a short time have a significantly higher risk of developing stones compared to active animals. Physical inactivity causes stagnation in organs.
Disturbances in nutrition and water consumption. In dogs fed food with high content mineral salts or protein, the risk of urolithiasis is higher than in animals proper nutrition. Animals that drink little fluid get sick much more often, since their urine density is increased. Restriction in the diet of foods with big amount purines reduces the risk of urolithiasis in dogs. A large number of fiber, bran, soy increases the risk of the formation of silicate stones.
Bacterial or viral infection. According to statistics, this factor is more typical when urolithiasis occurs in bitches, which is also due to the structural features of the genitourinary system. In this case, the accumulation of bacteria can become the center of crystallization of uroliths and the cause of the formation of large stones.

The reasons for the formation of stones and sand in the urinary system do not affect their composition. However, there is a relationship between the frequency of formation of uroliths of a certain nature and factors such as the breed, age and sex of the dog.

Types of uroliths and their characteristics

There are 4 main types of stones formed during urolithiasis - struvite, urate, phosphate, oxalate. Let's consider their composition and risk groups, which most often include animals of a certain breed, age and gender.

Struvite and tripelphosphate - form ammonium salts of magnesium phosphate. Struvite is much more common in all dog breeds with diagnosed urolithiasis. Among the breeds that have a risk of struvite formation are beagles, dachshunds, terriers, and Pekingese. Stones of this type can form regardless of age, but most often bitches in the age category of 3.5-5 years are susceptible to struvite urolithiasis. The main reason for the formation of struvite stones is the alkaline pH of urine and the presence of pathogenic microflora.
Oxalates – Calcium oxalates are precipitated in acidic urine. This type of stones is typical for dogs of such breeds as Affenpinscher, Shih Tzu, Pug, Lhasa Apso, lapdog, Yorkshire Terrier. Among the patients in veterinary clinics with oxalates, mainly males aged 6-7.5 years.
Urates – represented by ammonium urate. Increased risk lap dogs, Dalmatians, shepherd dogs, terriers, and wolfhounds are susceptible to the development of ICD and the formation of urates. Urate is more common in dogs aged 1.0-3.5 years, and is caused by urolithiasis due to genetic disorders.
Cystines are a rare type of stone that occurs in bitches. The pathology is caused by genetic abnormalities and occurs in male terriers, dachshunds, and chihuahuas aged 1.5-5 years.

Stones are rarely monocomponent; as a rule, they consist of 2 or more salts. The surface of large stones may be smooth, spongy, or covered with spines and protrusions. Depending on the predominant salt in the composition, the color can vary from white, yellowish, gray to brown. A genetic predisposition to a certain type of urate is confirmed by the fact that they are detected in representatives of certain breeds. Uroliths composed of calcium phosphate or calcium oxalate salts are characteristic of aging dogs.

The main signs of urolithiasis in dogs

The main symptom of urolithiasis is difficulty urinating. When the urinary tract is blocked or obstructed as a result of inflammation, urine may be released in drops or not released at all. The animal behaves restlessly and whines in pain. Symptoms of the pathology depend on the stage of the disease. For example:

In a mild form of urolithiasis, the following symptoms are observed: increased diuresis, traces of blood in the urine, pain and discomfort during urine excretion, the dog intensively licks the urogenital area.
In severe forms of the disease, there is constant leakage and incontinence of urine (pollakiuria), an increase in the amount of blood in the urine and increased pain(hematuria). The dog is thirsty and thirsty (polydipsia), while the volume of urine excreted increases significantly (2-3 times) (polyuria), which is accompanied by a depressed state, weakness, and apathy in the animal. Due to lack of appetite, weight may drop sharply, even leading to the development of anorexia.
Stage of development of ICD, life-threatening dogs: urine ceases to be excreted completely, and this condition lasts 2-3 or more days (anuria). The dog loses consciousness as a result of heart failure (collapse). This manifestation of the disease can lead to the death of the animal. The smell of ammonia can be smelled from the animal's mouth (uremic halitosis). Vomiting may occur, which leads to severe dehydration and tonic convulsions. In case of untimely or inadequate treatment the condition progresses to a coma and can cause death.

With prolonged anuria, the animal's bladder may burst. Chemical and mechanical irritation of the urinary tract and the addition of a bacterial infection cause chronic kidney failure, pyelonephritis, nephroptosis, etc. To save the life of your pet, you should contact a veterinary clinic as soon as possible and undergo an examination.

Methods for diagnosing pathology

When complaints are made and symptoms of the disease are described, the veterinarian conducts a visual examination and palpation examination of the bladder. To detect, clarify the location and determine the shape and size of stones, radiography or ultrasound is prescribed. In order to determine the type of stone, a urine test is prescribed. To reveal pathological processes, which accompany the ICD, conduct a blood and urine test for salts, the number of leukocytes, and bacterial culture.

Urine for analysis should be fresh and warm. Cooling the solution causes crystals to fall out, and long-term storage distorts the test results. In the presence of pathogenic microflora, the sensitivity of microorganisms to various groups of antibiotics is determined in order to select the most effective medicine. In emergency cases, cystoscopy or cystography may be required. After clarifying the diagnosis, the doctor develops a treatment strategy.

Methods of therapy for urolithiasis

Treatment of urolithiasis in dogs involves A complex approach and the use of one or more treatment methods. Conservative therapy includes the following:

Drug treatment. The animal is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, drugs that increase diuresis, painkillers and sedatives.
The use of physical therapy methods, such as pulsed magnetic therapy, helps facilitate the outflow of urine and relieves inflammatory process, “crushes” some stones, relieves pain.
Special diet and normalization drinking regime. Today, many leading companies produce special food. For example, wet food Urinary S/O or Urinary U/C from ROYAL CANIN. Labeling shows for prevention what types of urates the food is intended for. So S/O is from oxalate or struvite urolitase, and U/C is from urate and cystine stones. For small dogs most at risk of disease, Urinary S/O Small Dog under 10 kg food has been created.

To remove stones and sand from the dog’s urinary system, urinary lavage and urine output using a catheter are used. In case of severe kidney failure, dialysis is performed - cleaning the animal's blood of toxins. If conservative therapy does not help, removal of stones is carried out surgically:

Urethrostomy - removal of stones through a stoma - an opening in the urethra. After patency is restored, the stoma remains uncovered until the dog’s condition stabilizes.
Cystotomy - opening of the urinary and complete removal stones that cannot be removed using less traumatic methods.
Retrograde urohydropropulsion is an operation in which stones blocking the urethral cavity are pushed into the bladder.

During the rehabilitation period, maintenance treatment is carried out. With the help of droppers, the volume of fluid is replenished, and anti-inflammatory drugs are administered. The healing process is monitored using dynamic urine and blood tests. After therapy or to prevent genitourinary disease in dogs, pathology prevention is carried out.

Disease prevention measures

In order to avoid the risk of relapse of the disease or to prevent the disease in risk groups, it is necessary to exclude factors that cause metabolic disorders:

Normalize nutrition. Use feed with a high percentage of moisture (70-80%), low content of phosphorus, sodium, calcium, and protein. IN ready-made food premium and super-premium class include substances that maintain normal urine pH and promote the dissolution of certain types of stones. The diet is used for life both after conservative and after surgical treatment.
Provide access to clean, soft (filtered) water. During hot periods, give your dog water during walks.
Do not overfeed the animal - obesity contributes to the formation of stones.
When feeding dry food, there should be plenty of clean water next to the bowl.
The animal must be provided with adequate physical activity - games, walks.
Examine the animal in a timely manner and sanitize all foci of infection, treat pathological abnormalities and ailments.

Prevention of ICD and correct treatment will ensure the animal a healthy long life.

If a well-mannered dog suddenly describes the sofa, do not rush to scold him: urolithiasis in dogs often manifests itself as blatant uncleanliness. KSD is a difficult-to-treat, dangerous disease that quickly undermines the health of pets. Unfortunately, about 15% of dogs suffer from this disease. But a pet can live a long and happy life, if you consult a veterinarian in time.

With urolithiasis, stones or sand (uroliths, calculi) form in the bladder, urinary tract, kidneys or urethra. This occurs due to a shift in the chemical balance of urine to the alkaline or acidic side. In most cases in dogs, crystallization of salts occurs in lower section– urethra and/or bladder. Stones are formed from various trace elements contained in urine. The most common types of stones found in dogs are:

cystines. The disease is often hereditary, and there is a breed predisposition (corgis, bulldogs, Newfoundlands, dachshunds). Among genetically healthy pets, this type of ICD is quite rare (no more than 5% of all cases);

oxalates. The most “harmful” stones are hard, grow quickly and are poorly dissolved by drugs, branched, with sharp edges.

phosphate stones They also grow quickly, but they can be dissolved by following the diet prescribed by your doctor. Formed in alkaline urine;

in dogs in 90% of cases they are delayed due to various bacterial infections. Typically composed of ammonium phosphate, magnesium and calcium carbonate.

There are mixed types stones and even several types of stones in the bladder and kidneys of one dog. Stones of different composition do not respond equally to treatment. Therefore, the owner must strictly follow all the veterinarian’s instructions, even if something seems trivial.

Uroliths are annoying soft fabrics, which leads to inflammation and microtrauma. When washed out with urine, solid sharp fractions cause severe pain and bleeding. And if sand or a large stone blocks the urinary tract (obstruction), the dog may die - the urine literally rots and poisons the entire body, which quickly leads to general intoxication. Therefore treatment folk remedies or on the advice of friends is unacceptable: at the first suspicion, you should immediately contact a veterinarian without wasting a day. And in the case of obstruction, every hour is important! ICD - extremely serious illness, requiring a qualified approach to treatment.

Causes of ICD

This disease has been studied closely for a long time, but much still remains unclear. However, some predisposing factors have been identified that clearly influence the alkalization or oxidation of urine, and therefore the formation of uroliths.

The main causes of urolithiasis in dogs:

infections, especially of the genital and urinary tract. But theoretically, any infection that affects the blood picture (for example, common staphylococcus) can lead to the development of urolithiasis;

unbalanced diet. First of all, this is mixed feeding, when the dog eats both natural and ready-made (industrial food) food. Canned food and dried foods must not be mixed in any way with natural food(neither morning-evening, nor every other day - either natural, or drying plus canned food). Excess protein (solid meat and fish in the diet) oxidizes urine and generally puts an excessive burden on the kidneys and liver. Excess carbohydrates (solid cereal) alkalinizes the urine;

sand in the bladder and kidney stones in a dog can appear due to drinking untreated tap water to your pet. Or due to insufficient drinking (the dog does not have free access to water or the bowl often remains empty, which is especially harmful in the heat and/or when feeding dry food);

insufficient walking. When the dog suffers, the urine crystallizes - this is the direct and shortest path to the UCD;

insufficient loads lead to obesity, edema, stagnation of urine and, as a result, to the formation of uroliths;

hereditary predisposition and congenital pathologies. These could be pathologies of the kidneys, liver, genitourinary system, blood vessels, metabolic dysfunction - the list is almost endless.

Quite often there are several reasons: the dog does not eat properly, drinks tap water, walks 1-2 times a day for 20 minutes. If a pet genetically predisposed to KSD is kept this way, the formation of stones is inevitable. But even if the dog is genetically “pure” and does not suffer from hidden infections, such a lifestyle increases the risk of urolithiasis tenfold.

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Symptoms of ICD

In 80% of cases, owners notice that something is wrong with their pet when signs of illness become obvious. Dog:

pees often and in small portions;

urine changes color, becomes cloudy, or turns pink. After urination, droplets of blood remain on the bitch's loop or the tip of the male's penis. Sometimes drops of urine can be seen on the ground;

experiences pain when emptying the bladder (the pet whines, trembles, looks tense and scared, pees in a strange position). Males sit down and do not lift their paws. Girls sit down very often, but urine either does not flow out at all or very little of it.

When there is blockage (obstruction) of the ducts, the signs of urolithiasis in dogs are the same, but more pronounced. It is clearly painful for the pet to empty the bladder, the stomach becomes tight and painful (the dog does not open the peritoneum), thirst appears in the background poor appetite, temperature rise is possible. This is an emergency and should be contacted by a veterinarian immediately!

Early symptoms are difficult to notice: slight decrease in the amount of urine, cloudy urine with a heavy odor, unpleasant sensations (stinging, nagging pain– dogs have a high pain threshold, but they cannot talk about discomfort). It seems to the owner that the pet suddenly falls ill, but in fact, sand and stones have been forming for a long time (often we are talking about years of chronic illness). Therefore, it is important to undergo a preventive examination once a year and donate blood and urine for tests - this way ICD will be detected at an early stage, which will allow the veterinarian to begin treatment before the disease seriously undermines the health of the genitourinary system.

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Diagnostics

First of all, you need to pass urine tests - clinical and biochemistry. Sometimes this is enough to determine the absence/presence of stones and the type of stones. But in any case, the veterinarian must perform an ultrasound - this is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and assess the condition of the kidneys, bladder and urinary ducts. Sometimes stones in a dog’s urinary tract cannot be detected by ultrasound, so it is better to immediately take an x-ray. These three studies - urine analysis, ultrasound and x-ray - are the main diagnostic methods, without which it is impossible to prescribe the correct treatment (unless you are lucky “at random”).

In addition, it is important to make sure that there is no bacterial infection - a smear on the flora, urine bacteriology. It is important to assess the general condition of the dog - clinical and biochemical blood tests. You can’t trust a veterinarian who prescribes a bunch of pills without making sure the diagnosis is accurate - the type of ICD largely determines the method of treatment (the wrong drug can significantly worsen the situation).

Therapeutic measures

If there is an obstruction, the veterinarian will remove the rotting urine using a catheter inserted into the urethra. Then the doctor will prescribe medications that eliminate the consequences of blockage of the ducts - antispasm, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, painkillers. A course of furagin quickly relieves symptoms ( human medicine) in combination with cantarene (veterinary homeopathy). However, treatment should only be prescribed by a veterinarian, and the owner must follow the recommendations exactly!

When acute condition overcome, the doctor will prescribe long-term therapy. The choice of drugs depends on the type of stones. The goal is to dissolve the stones and gently remove them, preventing the formation of new stones (or sand). The doctor will definitely tell you what to feed the dog: if the environment is alkaline, it needs to be slightly acidified, and vice versa. Usually, veterinarians recommend switching to medicated food, strictly balanced for a specific type of KSD. Such diets are available from Eukanuba, Royal canin, Hills, and Purina. In addition, at first you will have to have your urine tested once a month, and with significant improvement - once every six months. This is necessary in order to stop the complication in time: KSD is a chronic disease, and a single attack indicates that it is necessary to support the dog throughout its life (read further).