These blogs have been going strong since 2016. After all these years it can get more challenging to come up with new topics. Then it occurred to me that we always have interesting cases or clients that make our days at Winterset Veterinary Center ever changing.
Why not focus on the array of critters we see daily and the cases that make us scratch our heads or say “wow”, I have never seen that in 36 years! I will attempt to cover as many species as possible in our cases.
First up in 2025 is our little friend Bella. Bella is: 8 years old – female spayed – Bichon Frise mix.
Bella presented because of accidents in the house. They had noticed she would strain at times going to the bathroom. One of the days she had blood in her urine on the floor. She was eating fine and had not had any changes to her behavior except for urinary issues. We collected urine and discovered a large amount of blood in the urine that was not visible just looking at it. Urine color and concentration was normal. Her blood work was within the normal range. A lateral radiograph was taken, and we discovered the cause of blood in her urine.
Radiographs can be difficult to read with some conditions, but bladder stones show up as white spots in the bladder (red arrow) because they have mineral density just like bone. The stone is in the bladder not in kidneys like many people have reported. These stones do cause inflammation and infection thereby relating to Bella’s accidents with blood in them in the house. Interesting to note on this radiograph is the thin white line (yellow arrow) on the heart. This is Bella’s microchip. They show up extremely well on radiographs because of the metal in them.
Since Bella was straining and having accidents in the house the owner elected to have surgery done to remove the stone. Some bladder stones can be dissolved with special urinary diets. The process can take weeks to complete but it is an option if an owner does not feel comfortable having their pet under anesthesia. Bella was put on antibiotics before and after surgery. Her recovery was quick, and her owner reported that she feels better now than she had in a long time.
This is a photo of the bladder stone that was removed. Bella will remain on urinary formulas to prevent issues for her in the future. There is no way to know if your dog will have this medical condition. It is no different than people who report kidney stones. Yes, we may know certain things can predispose us to the kidney stones but not everyone who eats those foods or drinks that soda will get kidney stones. That holds true for our dogs as well. If you suspect your dog is having urinary issues, make certain to contact your veterinarian so your furry friend can get back to feeling great in the New Year.
Thank you for a great 2024 and we look forward to seeing you in 2025. We are so grateful for your referrals. We grow more by word of mouth than any other form of referral. We appreciate your trust and confidence while we care for your fur babies and those of family and friends. Happy New Year!
