Disease Description: Urolithiasis is a condition in which crystals in the urine combine to form stones, also called calculi or uroliths.

Inherit Mode: The trait for hyperuricosuria (elevated uric acid in the urine, leading to urate stones) is autosomal recessive. It is present in all Dalmatians, although not all will develop urolithiasis. A DNA test is available (see here) to test for this mutation in the many breeds affected. There is also a test available for the trait causing high cystine in the urine (cystinuria) of Newfoundland dogs.

Disease Symptom: The changes in the urine are generally present from birth. However it usually takes some time for crystals to form and combine into stones that cause problems, most often between 3 and 6 years of age. The signs you will see in your dog depend on where in the urinary tract the stones end up. They collect most commonly in the bladder, in which case you may see blood in the urine, difficulty and pain in urinating, and small frequent amounts of urine. Urinary tract obstruction is a serious condition that occurs when a stone completely blocks the urethra and thus blocks the outflow of urine (more common in male dogs, who have a smaller urethra). Signs include straining to urinate, vomiting and loss of appetite, weakness and lethargy (due to toxins building up in the body).

Disease Cause: -

Disease Diagnose: If your dog is showing the physical signs described above, your veterinarian will do an analysis of his/her urine (urinalysis) to look for crystals and also for a bacterial infection, which is commonly seen with this condition. Many stones can be seen with x-rays; some (especially urate uroliths) will only show up with contrast radiography. Ultrasound can generally detect stones of all types.

Treat Method: A combination approach is usually needed. Stones are often small and numerous. Larger ones may be removed surgically - this is necessary if the stone is blocking the ureter or a kidney, if your dog is in pain, or if the stones do not dissolve after a period of medical management.The medical approach is to dissolve the stones gradually by changing the pH of the urine, ie. making it more or less acidic (depending on the type of stone) through medication and changes in diet.Special diets also result in a larger volume of more dilute urine, making it easier for a dog to pass the stones. Your veterinarian will monitor your dog's progress through periodic radiographs and analysis of the urine over the period of time the stones are dissolving (which can take some months). Some types of stones are more amenable to dissolution than others. In all cases of urolithiasis, in addition to paying careful attention to your dog's diet, you can help to reduce the formation of stones by providing lots of fresh water and regular opportunities to urinate, so that urine doesn't accumulate in the bladder allowing time for stones to form. You can increase your dog's water consumption by feeding a canned diet with a high water content, or mixing dry food with water. Bacterial urinary tract infections are common with urolithiasis, and should be treated promptly.

Breeder Advice: Affected animals should not be bred, and it is preferable to avoid breeding their parents and siblings as well. Carriers for hyperuricosuria, and for cystinuria in the Newfoundland, can be identified through DNA testing (see links below).

Disease Description Source: Link