Urinary Stone Treatment for Dogs and Cats
At Veterinary Specialist Partners (VSP) Evansville, our specialty team provides advanced veterinary stone management for dogs and cats with bladder, kidney, ureteral, or urethral stones.
Using minimally invasive techniques such as laser lithotripsy, cystoscopic stone removal, and percutaneous procedures, we may be able to remove stones without traditional open surgery. Our team also develops personalized prevention plans to reduce the risk of recurrence and protect your pet’s long term urinary health.
Expert Care
For Complex Cases
Working Hours:
Wednesday – Thursday
7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Understanding Urinary Stones in Pets
Relieve Urinary Stone Pain With a More Focused Approach
Urinary stones, also called uroliths, are hardened mineral deposits that can form anywhere within a pet’s urinary system. They may develop inside the bladder, kidneys, ureters, or urethra. Depending on their size and location, urinary stones may cause:
- Pain or straining during urination
- Frequent attempts to urinate
- Blood in the urine
- Repeated urinary tract infections
- Inflammation and abdominal discomfort
- Partial or complete urinary obstruction
A urinary blockage can become life threatening because it prevents the body from eliminating waste normally. Pets that cannot pass urine require immediate veterinary attention. Traditional surgery was once the primary treatment for many urinary stones. Today, advanced techniques may allow specialists to break apart, flush, or remove selected stones with less disruption to healthy tissue and a more comfortable recovery.
Request a Veterinary Stone Consultation
If your pet is showing urinary discomfort, has been diagnosed with bladder or kidney stones, or has experienced repeated urinary infections, a specialty evaluation can help determine the next step. Our team reviews your pet’s symptoms, medical history, laboratory findings, and diagnostic images before recommending treatment.
Minimally Invasive Urolith Stone Treatment Options
VSP uses advanced, patient focused techniques to manage urinary stones whenever a minimally invasive approach is appropriate. The recommended method depends on the type, number, size, and location of the stones, as well as your pet’s anatomy and overall medical condition.
Ureteroscopy and Laser Lithotripsy
Ureteroscopy allows the specialist to examine the urinary tract using a small camera. Laser lithotripsy directs controlled energy toward the stone, breaking it into smaller pieces that can be removed or passed more easily.
Cystoscopic Stone Removal
Cystoscopy uses a thin camera to examine the bladder and urinary tract through a natural body opening. Specialized instruments can then be guided toward the stones so they may be collected and removed.
Percutaneous Cystolithotomy
Percutaneous cystolithotomy uses a small opening to access the bladder and remove stones directly. A camera and specialized retrieval instruments are used to identify and collect the stones while limiting disruption to the surrounding tissues.
Urohydropropulsion
Urohydropropulsion is designed to flush certain small stones or mineral debris from the bladder. The bladder is filled with sterile fluid, and controlled pressure and positioning are used to move stones through the urethra.
Reducing the Risk of Future Urinary Stones
Personalized Nutrition Recommendations: Veterinary prescription diets may help manage urine concentration, mineral levels, and urinary pH.
Routine Urine Testing and Imaging: Continued monitoring can help identify crystals, infection, changes in urinary pH, or newly forming stones before they create serious complications.
Better Hydration Strategies: More water can help dilute the urine and reduce the concentration of minerals that contribute to crystal and stone formation.
Why Choose VSP for Veterinary Stone Management?
Our veterinary specialists combine internal medicine expertise, advanced imaging, endoscopy, and minimally invasive treatment options to provide individualized urinary stone care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Uroliths, and How Can They Affect My Pet?
Uroliths are hardened deposits formed from minerals found in urine.
They may remain inside the bladder or develop elsewhere in the urinary system. Some stones cause only mild irritation, while others lead to infection, pain, bleeding, kidney damage, or complete urinary obstruction.
Early evaluation helps the veterinary team identify the stones and determine whether they require monitoring, dietary management, minimally invasive removal, or surgery.
Which Urinary Stone Symptoms Require Veterinary Attention?
Contact a veterinarian when your pet begins straining, urinating frequently, passing small amounts of urine, crying during urination, licking the urinary opening, or showing blood in the urine.
Vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, or an inability to urinate may indicate a serious obstruction.
A pet that cannot pass urine needs immediate medical attention because a complete blockage can become life threatening.
Can Urolith Stones Be Treated Without Open Surgery?
Some urinary stones can be dissolved through a carefully selected prescription diet or managed with medication and increased hydration.
Other stones may be removed through laser lithotripsy, cystoscopy, urohydropropulsion, or percutaneous cystolithotomy.
The safest option depends on the stone type, size, number, and location, along with your pet’s overall medical condition.
When Is Traditional Stone Surgery Necessary?
Open surgery may be recommended when stones are too large, numerous, obstructive, or inaccessible for a minimally invasive procedure.
It may also be appropriate when another condition needs to be treated at the same time or when the patient’s anatomy makes an alternative method unsuitable.
Our team compares the available options and explains why a particular procedure may provide the safest and most effective result.
Learn more about our veterinary surgery service.
Will My Pet Need Continued Care After Stone Removal?
Yes. Many urinary stones can return if the underlying risk factors are not managed.
Continued care may include dietary changes, increased water intake, medication, repeat urine testing, urine cultures, and periodic imaging.
The specialist will develop a monitoring plan based on the stone analysis, laboratory findings, and your pet’s likelihood of recurrence.
Does My Pet Need a Referral for Stone Treatment?
Many patients are referred by their primary veterinarian, who can provide important records, test results, imaging, and treatment history.
A formal referral may not be required for every consultation. Pet parents can contact our specialty team directly for scheduling guidance.
Veterinarians can submit patient information through the specialty referral page.
Will My Primary Veterinarian Remain Involved?
Yes. Our specialists work closely with primary veterinarians before and after urolith stone treatment.
We share diagnostic findings, procedure details, prevention recommendations, and follow up instructions so your pet can receive consistent care between specialty visits.
Veterinary professionals can access available documents through the appropriate VSP patient portal.