Condition11 connections · 6 sources
Bladder Stones
Bladder stones (urolithiasis) are solid mineral deposits that form inside the urinary bladder. The two most common types are struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) and calcium oxalate. They are a major cause of feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease.
Key Facts
- Currently ~50% struvite and ~50% calcium oxalate in cats
- Struvite: form in alkaline urine, often with infection in dogs; 95% of cat struvite stones are sterile
- Calcium oxalate: form in acidic urine; cannot be dissolved with diet; 35% of cats have concurrent hypercalcemia
- Burmese and Himalayan cats predisposed to calcium oxalate stones
- Signs: straining, frequent urination, bloody urine, urinating outside litter box
- Struvite stones can be dissolved with therapeutic dissolution diets (1-6 weeks)
- Calcium oxalate stones require surgical removal (cystotomy), cystoscopy, or lithotripsy
- Prevention: therapeutic urinary diets, increased water intake, regular monitoring
- Male cats at high risk for urethral blockage from stones/crystals
- Only 2% of pet urinary stones are in the kidney
- Species: dogs and cats
Connections (11)
Related Conditions
Antifreeze PoisoningCondition
Calcium oxalate crystals form in urine
Feline Idiopathic CystitisCondition
Must be ruled out; struvite crystals contribute to male cat blockage
Feline Lower Urinary Tract DiseaseCondition
Bladder stones account for ~20% of FLUTD cases
HypercalcemiaCondition
35% of cats with calcium oxalate stones have elevated blood calcium
Transitional Cell CarcinomaCondition
Must be differentiated from TCC
Urinary ObstructionCondition
Stones can migrate and block the urethra, causing life-threatening obstruction
Urinary Tract InfectionCondition
Bacteria cause struvite stones in dogs; stones harbor bacteria