[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by JuneBugs Momma

He continues to do well. The urinalysis can become confusing. Vet said there was a very small trace of blood but then when one of the vet techs called yesterday to check up on JB, I questioned the study a little further (because vet mentioned possibility of early incontinence). She said yes, there was a trace of blood "AND ALSO SLIGHT PROTEIN". Now when I heard that, it concerned me. Then the vet tech told me that when there is blood in the urine, protein levels also go up slightly because it is reading the blood cells at the same time.
So as of right now, he is doing well. Vet ruled out stones because there were no signs of crystals or sediment in the sample. I guess the only way to know is to wait it out. If there is a stone, only way is an ultrasound and that is way outta my price range.

Did your vet say an ultrasound was the only way? I'm not sure that's true.

Dogs with bladder stones may have blood in their urine and may urinate frequently, passing only small quantities each time. Often, they will strain while urinating, holding their body in the urinating posture for much longer than normal. They may lick their genital area more than normal. Some dogs with bladder stones may show no signs at all, and the stones are discovered while palpating the abdomen during a routine physical exam.

In other cases, the diagnosis of bladder stones in dogs is made or confirmed with abdominal x-rays. Most stones are radiopaque, meaning they show up on the radiographic film as obvious white circles or shapes just as bones do. A few are radiolucent, where the x-ray beams pass right through and therefore, they do not show up on the finished film. To confirm the presence of these types of stones, a special dye is passed into the bladder and it outlines the stones in the x-ray. With this method, we see a white area (the dye) with a black hole in the center (the stone). Bladder Stones (Urinary Calculi) in Dogs