Has anyone's yorkie ever had bladder stone? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Rem&Silkmom · 02-22-2006, 12:01 PM

If so what were the symptoms. I have been having issues with my neutred boy. Bladder issues...first they thought he had a bladder infection, next imflamed bladder. He is off all meds and still has blood in his urine on top of the fact that he is urinating in his kennel. He sleeps in his kennel at night and is in there during the day when we are at work. Me or my husband goes home at lunch everyday and lets him out. At the most he is in his kennel 3 to 4hrs at a time and he never urinated in his kennel before. He was very sick at this weekend with vomiting and I took him to the vet. They did not see any stones on the xray they did and cannot feel any with an exam. We have been going on and off to the vet for the last Month and a half. Tried several things but he still is not himself.

txshopper73 · 02-22-2006, 12:15 PM

Hmmm...I hope that he'll be okay. I've not had a yorkie with a stone but saw a surgery on a small dog (years ago) that had a VERY large bladder stone. Poor thing couldn't relieve itself.

Anywho, I hope that they can find what is wrong with him.

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 12:46 PM

Sometimes, a stone would not be seen on a regular x-ray because some of them show up clear...They may have to do an ultrasound....Miko gets bladder stones all the time...His are a symptom of his liver shunt, but that doesn't mean your baby's are. We noticed because he was urinating blood sometimes.
I'll try to give you a short version of our experience...Because his stones and crystals are a symptom of his liver shunt, the vet went in for the liver shunt surgery...Unfortunately his kind of liver problem is inoperable and cannot be repaired, so this means that his body will continue making these stones and crystals...Prior to his surgery, Miko was hospitalized for a month with a urinary catheter because he could not urinate on his own. He could not pass the stones..
The urethra in these little guys is very very small and cannot pass even small stones or crystals. During the surgery, they went ahead and removed the stones that they could find. The doc said that Miko would continue producing these stones and that he couldn't keep Miko on a urinary catheter forever because it would cause problems with his kidneys and bruise his insides if kept in him for a long period of time. Also, Miko cannot take medications that other dogs can take for this because his liver doesn't process them very well and can make him very sick.
Miko would never be able to pass the stones either and he would have poor quality of life, so the doc did a procedure that I had never heard of before, but this vet is Amazing and I completely trust him. He said that this is a common procedure in cats. He called it PU surgery...I forget what it stands for, but basically he re-routed where his urine goes through and made a new hole for Miko to pee out of...It's at the base of his penis...Now, no urine comes out of his penis, only out of this other hole bigger hole, and it's stretchable which makes it easier for him to pass stones...Now, he rarely has any problems...He passes his stones naturally and without pain unlike before...
He is very healthy and has a wonderful quality of life...
Because of my wonderful vet, Miko is alive and full of energy and will be with us for many, many years!!!
I pray that your furbaby's condition is treatable...
Sorry to make such a long post (and this was my shortened version! LOL)
If you have any more questions, please pm me...
P.S. He still urinates a little bloody sometimes, that's when we know he's trying to pass a larger stone or crystal...

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 12:50 PM

I know how weird that last part sounds about his new pee hole, but that's what keeps Miko with me today...I don't mind, and he doesn't mind.

Rem&Silkmom · 02-22-2006, 01:23 PM

Don't mean to sound ugly but so nice to talk to someone with a yorkie that has had this problem. Maybe so it is definate that an ultrasound can pick up the clear stones? My vet said that they next step (since we saw nothing in the xray) is to catherize him and expand his bladder to look for stones or bypass that and get an ultrasound. I know there is something wrong with him because he is urinating in his kennel...he never has done that before. But the vet thought his bladder was inflammed so she put him on steroids which made him pee pee more. Now he has been off the steroids for a week and is still pee pee in his kennel. She asked me if he was straining when he went pee but I never noticed before. Today we went for a walk and he urinated fine when we left the house. When we got back (which was only 15min walk) he went again...I looked real close (the neighbors prob think I'm sick) and he lifted his leg for a while and one little drop came out. I think he definately has a stone they just cannot find it. This has been on going for the past month and this weekend he really has been feeling bad...i can tell he is just not the same dog. And I'm so frustrated because they cannot tell me what is wrong with him. Vet was not in today so I am calling her tomorrow.

Kobesmomma · 02-22-2006, 01:23 PM

Kobe also had kidney stones. He was unable to pee due to the stones. He would try and try and cry and cry. His also did not show up the x-ray. This is also how we discovered he also has a liver shunt problem. We are able to control his by diet so far. He has been healthy with no other symptoms for 3 yrs. now.

Rem&Silkmom · 02-22-2006, 01:29 PM

Kobe's Momma...how did they find the stone by ultrasound?

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rem&Silkmom

Don't mean to sound ugly but so nice to talk to someone with a yorkie that has had this problem. Maybe so it is definate that an ultrasound can pick up the clear stones? My vet said that they next step (since we saw nothing in the xray) is to catherize him and expand his bladder to look for stones or bypass that and get an ultrasound. I know there is something wrong with him because he is urinating in his kennel...he never has done that before. But the vet thought his bladder was inflammed so she put him on steroids which made him pee pee more. Now he has been off the steroids for a week and is still pee pee in his kennel. She asked me if he was straining when he went pee but I never noticed before. Today we went for a walk and he urinated fine when we left the house. When we got back (which was only 15min walk) he went again...I looked real close (the neighbors prob think I'm sick) and he lifted his leg for a while and one little drop came out. I think he definately has a stone they just cannot find it. This has been on going for the past month and this weekend he really has been feeling bad...i can tell he is just not the same dog. And I'm so frustrated because they cannot tell me what is wrong with him. Vet was not in today so I am calling her tomorrow.

At first, I thought Miko was urinating regularly also...He would lift his leg or squat, and I assumed he was peeing, until I started looking real closely, and only a drop was coming out.
One day, he completely stopped urinating, he was squatting, but couldn't go, and I had to take him to the vet immediately...I could tell he felt horrible and was sick. Your little guy definitely has something wrong with him...We can sense these sort of things...If he's not urinating right, he could get really sick...The vet needs to find that stone...Let them do the ultrasound or put the catheter in if necessary because your little guy's obviously not able to pass the stone(s) on his own.

Also, one more suggestion, start giving your baby distilled water...Ask your vet if this is okay, but I'm sure she will say it's fine...

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 01:45 PM

Here's part of an article I found online written by a vet called Ron Himes:
The two most common signs of bladder stones are blood in the urine and painful urination. Blood in the urine or hematuria occurs when stones irritate the bladder’s sensitive lining causing bleeding. The inflamed bladder lining is quite painful as are the small sand-like stones that pass out with the urine. Dogs with bladder stones attempt to urinate much too frequently. They will squat and strain with no apparent success. The urine may be red or port wine in color. When they do urinate, the quantity of urine is small. In between urination these pets are restless. They walk with their loins down in a crouched position. Owners may misinterpret these signs and assume the pet is constipated. When I palpate the abdomen of these animals I can often feel small stones in the bladder grinding together like marbles. Large solitary stones in the bladder are hard for me to miss. If a veterinarian does not attend to this problem immediately, one of the stones may obstruct the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to the penis or vagina. When this happens, urine backs up into the body causing uremia, depression and vomiting. The bladder stretches to several times it normal size and may even burst. It may take weeks after the problem is relieved for the bladder’s tone and size to return to normal. Blood taken from obstructed animals has elevated urea and creatinine and its ionic balance is disrupted. Despite these changes, dogs and cats with stones do not run high fevers. Analysis of the urine of these pets usually finds blood and white blood cells. Bacteria may also be present in the urine. Any urinary tract infection that reoccurs frequently should be checked carefully for the presence of bladder or kidney stones. These stones are porous and bacteria reside within them where antibiotics and the body’s immune system cannot easily reach them. That is why infections frequently reoccur.

Rem&Silkmom · 02-22-2006, 01:54 PM

I was not watching but today I am...thanks for the info. Here are his symtoms he is urinating in his kennel. He does have blood in the urine. Not visible to me but the last urine sample I took to the vet last Sat showed he still had blood in his urine. when he urinates sometimes it comes out like a stream sometimes it dribbles out and sometimes a drop. But he is wanting to go out every 15min. I have been timing it. I will ask the vet which is the best way to detect the stones. Thanks

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 01:59 PM

So sorry to keep posting, I'm just trying to give you as much info as I can because I know what this is like...DISTILLED (not purified, drinking, or spring) water was recommended by Miko's vet, and it does help. Miko has been drinking it for almost a yr now, and I do believe it HELPS prevent more stones from forming...I wish I could copy and paste this other part of another article, but basically it says
Even filtered water, well water, and bottled drinking or purified waters have some contaminants and minerals and things that may cause stones. That's why they recommend distilled water. There are some that believe that distilled water can "leech" some minerals from your body, but Consumer reports says that "Distilled water...isn't bad for you" and that "distillation removes nearly all particulates as well as dissolved substances including trace quantities of minerals but your body won't miss them."
Hope all this stuff helps you!! Don't hesitate to ask any questions, and please keep us posted on your baby's condition.

Kobesmomma · 02-22-2006, 03:18 PM

Kobe had a catheter put in. He was 4 yrs. old before he had any problems. And he was fine one day and in severe pain the next. He was literally crying when I took him in. And I took him right away. Hopefully that was his one and only time for this situation. I felt totally helpless and he would look at me with those big eyes. He ended up staying at the vet for a couple of days while they monitored him to make sure that they had removed them all.

Yorkieluv · 02-22-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kobesmomma

Kobe had a catheter put in. He was 4 yrs. old before he had any problems. And he was fine one day and in severe pain the next. He was literally crying when I took him in. And I took him right away. Hopefully that was his one and only time for this situation. I felt totally helpless and he would look at me with those big eyes. He ended up staying at the vet for a couple of days while they monitored him to make sure that they had removed them all.

Poor Kobe! Miko knows what that's like...It's so miserable for them. I know what you mean about those big eyes...Miko let me know he needed to go to the vet....

02-22-2006, 12:01 PM	#1
Rem&Silkmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 833	Has anyone's yorkie ever had bladder stone? If so what were the symptoms. I have been having issues with my neutred boy. Bladder issues...first they thought he had a bladder infection, next imflamed bladder. He is off all meds and still has blood in his urine on top of the fact that he is urinating in his kennel. He sleeps in his kennel at night and is in there during the day when we are at work. Me or my husband goes home at lunch everyday and lets him out. At the most he is in his kennel 3 to 4hrs at a time and he never urinated in his kennel before. He was very sick at this weekend with vomiting and I took him to the vet. They did not see any stones on the xray they did and cannot feel any with an exam. We have been going on and off to the vet for the last Month and a half. Tried several things but he still is not himself.

02-22-2006, 12:15 PM	#2
txshopper73 Donating YT 14K Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 14,226 Blog Entries: 1	Hmmm...I hope that he'll be okay. I've not had a yorkie with a stone but saw a surgery on a small dog (years ago) that had a VERY large bladder stone. Poor thing couldn't relieve itself. Anywho, I hope that they can find what is wrong with him. __________________ As always...JMO (Just My Opinion) Kimberley

02-22-2006, 12:46 PM	#3
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	Sometimes, a stone would not be seen on a regular x-ray because some of them show up clear...They may have to do an ultrasound....Miko gets bladder stones all the time...His are a symptom of his liver shunt, but that doesn't mean your baby's are. We noticed because he was urinating blood sometimes. I'll try to give you a short version of our experience...Because his stones and crystals are a symptom of his liver shunt, the vet went in for the liver shunt surgery...Unfortunately his kind of liver problem is inoperable and cannot be repaired, so this means that his body will continue making these stones and crystals...Prior to his surgery, Miko was hospitalized for a month with a urinary catheter because he could not urinate on his own. He could not pass the stones.. The urethra in these little guys is very very small and cannot pass even small stones or crystals. During the surgery, they went ahead and removed the stones that they could find. The doc said that Miko would continue producing these stones and that he couldn't keep Miko on a urinary catheter forever because it would cause problems with his kidneys and bruise his insides if kept in him for a long period of time. Also, Miko cannot take medications that other dogs can take for this because his liver doesn't process them very well and can make him very sick. Miko would never be able to pass the stones either and he would have poor quality of life, so the doc did a procedure that I had never heard of before, but this vet is Amazing and I completely trust him. He said that this is a common procedure in cats. He called it PU surgery...I forget what it stands for, but basically he re-routed where his urine goes through and made a new hole for Miko to pee out of...It's at the base of his penis...Now, no urine comes out of his penis, only out of this other hole bigger hole, and it's stretchable which makes it easier for him to pass stones...Now, he rarely has any problems...He passes his stones naturally and without pain unlike before... He is very healthy and has a wonderful quality of life... Because of my wonderful vet, Miko is alive and full of energy and will be with us for many, many years!!! I pray that your furbaby's condition is treatable... Sorry to make such a long post (and this was my shortened version! LOL) If you have any more questions, please pm me... P.S. He still urinates a little bloody sometimes, that's when we know he's trying to pass a larger stone or crystal... __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

02-22-2006, 12:50 PM	#4
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	I know how weird that last part sounds about his new pee hole, but that's what keeps Miko with me today...I don't mind, and he doesn't mind. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

02-22-2006, 01:45 PM	#9
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	Here's part of an article I found online written by a vet called Ron Himes: The two most common signs of bladder stones are blood in the urine and painful urination. Blood in the urine or hematuria occurs when stones irritate the bladder’s sensitive lining causing bleeding. The inflamed bladder lining is quite painful as are the small sand-like stones that pass out with the urine. Dogs with bladder stones attempt to urinate much too frequently. They will squat and strain with no apparent success. The urine may be red or port wine in color. When they do urinate, the quantity of urine is small. In between urination these pets are restless. They walk with their loins down in a crouched position. Owners may misinterpret these signs and assume the pet is constipated. When I palpate the abdomen of these animals I can often feel small stones in the bladder grinding together like marbles. Large solitary stones in the bladder are hard for me to miss. If a veterinarian does not attend to this problem immediately, one of the stones may obstruct the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to the penis or vagina. When this happens, urine backs up into the body causing uremia, depression and vomiting. The bladder stretches to several times it normal size and may even burst. It may take weeks after the problem is relieved for the bladder’s tone and size to return to normal. Blood taken from obstructed animals has elevated urea and creatinine and its ionic balance is disrupted. Despite these changes, dogs and cats with stones do not run high fevers. Analysis of the urine of these pets usually finds blood and white blood cells. Bacteria may also be present in the urine. Any urinary tract infection that reoccurs frequently should be checked carefully for the presence of bladder or kidney stones. These stones are porous and bacteria reside within them where antibiotics and the body’s immune system cannot easily reach them. That is why infections frequently reoccur. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

02-22-2006, 01:23 PM	#5
Rem&Silkmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 833	Don't mean to sound ugly but so nice to talk to someone with a yorkie that has had this problem. Maybe so it is definate that an ultrasound can pick up the clear stones? My vet said that they next step (since we saw nothing in the xray) is to catherize him and expand his bladder to look for stones or bypass that and get an ultrasound. I know there is something wrong with him because he is urinating in his kennel...he never has done that before. But the vet thought his bladder was inflammed so she put him on steroids which made him pee pee more. Now he has been off the steroids for a week and is still pee pee in his kennel. She asked me if he was straining when he went pee but I never noticed before. Today we went for a walk and he urinated fine when we left the house. When we got back (which was only 15min walk) he went again...I looked real close (the neighbors prob think I'm sick) and he lifted his leg for a while and one little drop came out. I think he definately has a stone they just cannot find it. This has been on going for the past month and this weekend he really has been feeling bad...i can tell he is just not the same dog. And I'm so frustrated because they cannot tell me what is wrong with him. Vet was not in today so I am calling her tomorrow.

02-22-2006, 01:23 PM	#6
Kobesmomma Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 283	Kobe also had kidney stones. He was unable to pee due to the stones. He would try and try and cry and cry. His also did not show up the x-ray. This is also how we discovered he also has a liver shunt problem. We are able to control his by diet so far. He has been healthy with no other symptoms for 3 yrs. now.

02-22-2006, 01:29 PM	#7
Rem&Silkmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 833	Kobe's Momma...how did they find the stone by ultrasound?

02-22-2006, 01:54 PM	#10
Rem&Silkmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 833	I was not watching but today I am...thanks for the info. Here are his symtoms he is urinating in his kennel. He does have blood in the urine. Not visible to me but the last urine sample I took to the vet last Sat showed he still had blood in his urine. when he urinates sometimes it comes out like a stream sometimes it dribbles out and sometimes a drop. But he is wanting to go out every 15min. I have been timing it. I will ask the vet which is the best way to detect the stones. Thanks

02-22-2006, 01:59 PM	#11
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	So sorry to keep posting, I'm just trying to give you as much info as I can because I know what this is like...DISTILLED (not purified, drinking, or spring) water was recommended by Miko's vet, and it does help. Miko has been drinking it for almost a yr now, and I do believe it HELPS prevent more stones from forming...I wish I could copy and paste this other part of another article, but basically it says Even filtered water, well water, and bottled drinking or purified waters have some contaminants and minerals and things that may cause stones. That's why they recommend distilled water. There are some that believe that distilled water can "leech" some minerals from your body, but Consumer reports says that "Distilled water...isn't bad for you" and that "distillation removes nearly all particulates as well as dissolved substances including trace quantities of minerals but your body won't miss them." Hope all this stuff helps you!! Don't hesitate to ask any questions, and please keep us posted on your baby's condition. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

02-22-2006, 03:18 PM	#12
Kobesmomma Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 283	Kobe had a catheter put in. He was 4 yrs. old before he had any problems. And he was fine one day and in severe pain the next. He was literally crying when I took him in. And I took him right away. Hopefully that was his one and only time for this situation. I felt totally helpless and he would look at me with those big eyes. He ended up staying at the vet for a couple of days while they monitored him to make sure that they had removed them all.