Introduction

Urolithiasis often affects the urinary tract of pets. The struvite urolith is the most common type in dogs, usually consequent to urinary infection with alkaline pH, increasing saturation and adding crystals. An eight-year-old spayed Pekingese bitch was treated at the Veterinary Hospital of FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal - SP, presenting clinical signs of cystitis, and at simple radiographic examination it was observed the presence of uroliths in the urinary bladder, the largest presenting 1.26 x 1.63 cm.

Objective

Use of commercial therapeutic diet for struvite uroliths dissolution in a dog bladder.

Methods

Staphylococcus sp. were observed in urine culture results. As treatment, 0,1 mL/kg of cefovecin was administered subcutaneously every 15 days for 60 days according to the result of antibiogram, besides commercial diet therapy with a potential acidifying with higher concentrations of anions.

Results

Diets with a high anion concentration content enhance renal reabsorption of bicarbonate and further remove the hydrogen ion by acidifying the urine pH values that lead to the dissolution of struvite uroliths that are formed at alkaline pH together with phosphorus and magnesium present in urine. After 70 days of treatment, the patient no longer presented clinical signs and the radiographic examination did not show any presence of radiopaque uroliths.

Conclusions

Therefore, proper diet and proper antibiotic treatment were sufficient for dissolution of struvite stones, not requiring surgical intervention.