Bladder Stone- Any Advice?

Hi all

Cassie (8 years) has bladder stones. Vet gave a shot of antibiotics, gave me pain meds and samples of prescription Hills diet (to see if she likes before I buy).

Vet did an ultrasound and the stone is small. She's not sure if its one solid piece or bunch of sediments balled in one. (An X-ray would confirm that)

If she doesn't get better in 5 days or gets worse, an X-ray will be taken and we'll decide next course from there.

Anyone have suggestions that worked for them to help break up the stone? Last thing I want to do is surgery, I want to try all I can to help her pass the stone.

When my dog had one (it turned out to be the size of a shooter marble, it wasn't going to pass) this is what happened. Puppy was peeing every 1/2 hour. I took her into the vet. Vet did an x-ray and
suggested her eating special food and seeing if it shrank. How long before we know? Maybe a month. She's in pain, blood in the urine etc. Well, we could do surgery.

We did surgery. She spent the night. had the surgery in the morning. I picked her up in the afternoon. Vet admitted it probably wouldn't have shrunk. Puppy was up and playing, normal peeing as soon as we left the vet's office. She seemed to feel fine.

I would tell you about a cat, but I have been involved with this with one. So I offer what I can.

Feeby, unfortunately, had to have bladder surgery 10 years ago (around 5 yo), because there were so many, and some were not small. After surgery she was put on Hill's C/D and Royal Canin SO (and only dry at that until about 2 years ago when I added canned). She - knock on wood - hasn't had a stone since!!

So, I can't tell you how the food will work - or, how quickly - to dissolve the stones Cassie has. But, I can tell you that for Feeby it has certainly prevented new ones from forming.

I am surprised they didn't start with an x-ray to begin with!! So, does she currently have a UTI and that is what you are waiting for to getter better or worse?

When Penny got an ultrasound to check her liver, gall bladder and pancreas (she had hepatic lipidosis), the vet from the clinic discovered she had a bladder stone. It is 8 mm big, which is big for a cat. That suddenly explained all the bladder problems she had for over a year... Our regular vet kept giving antibiotics and pain killers that we had to give for weeks and months in a row for an infection.

She’s on a bladder diet now (urinary struvite ASD from Trovet). Luckily, she eats this food, since the first bladder diet caused the lipidosis (in combination with being an extremely picky eater). In four weeks, the vet from the clinic will do another ultrasound to check her liver and the stone. If it does not get smaller, it’ll probably be an operation. It depends on what kind of stone she has, struvite or oxalate. The last one has to be surgically removed, since it doesn’t dissolve by a diet.

A change of diet can help, if it’s struvite. But I’d discuss it with your vet!

Thanks for the replies you two!

I opted no for X-ray for the time being because I don't have an extra $300 for it. She couldn't get an urine sample to check for UTI. She's on antibiotics to treat for it just in case.

Seems like food would be the best thing for her. Was hoping someone tried something that helped too.

You're welcome! I can say if the diet for Penny worked the 15th of July, haha.

You could always try to get a urine sample yourself, if you want her urine to be checked. We did it two or three times at home. We got something to put in her litter box. It didn't absorb the urine, so when she peed, we used a pipette to collect some. Not saying it works everytime. Some cats don't go on a litter box that isn't filled with their regular litter. Penny didn't mind, though. The first time we tried, we could collect enough urine to check. The second and third time, she peed too little. Poor thing tried going like 10 times an hour at that moment...

Just saying, though! You don't have to do it, but if you'd like a urine check, this is something you could try.

thats an idea. wonder if she'll try a different litter for a day or so. I'd have to separate her from Monet to do so

We got this from our vet:

Some people need to use more bags, but Penny didn't mind peeing on the granules from one bag. I know some people use other stuff like small pieces of plastic, but I myself do not have experience with it. It's very easy to collect the urine when it's a decent amount with the KatKor.

Since you have two cats, I read that it's always best to put the cat you DON'T need a urine sample from apart. In your case that would mean that Monet would have to be put apart for a while, so Cassie experiences not too much stress and still goes on the litter box. But again, I read that! I'd still check with the vet. I'm the kind of person who calls for a lot, since the slightest amount of doubt doesn't make me do stuff.

Hi, I'm just wondering how this turned out with your Cassie, if you found out the type of stone or if you just did the food, etc. We took our Rose in today for a checkup completely unrelated to bladders (scooting and some weight loss and sudden weird loud meowing) and ended up finding out she's got a stone. I think I'll find out tomorrow which kind, fingers crossed it's the food dissolving kind and not the surgery kind. But of course i, paranoid catmom, am now reading up a storm on bladder stones... so I'm butting in to see what's up and I hope Cassie's doing well!