My dog has bladder stones. Can diet dissolve them to avoid surgery?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 12 years and 4 months old | 40 lbs
Our dog may have bladder stones.we cannot afford surgery. I am wondering how can I safely treat the dog with a diet to dissolve stones? Is there A danger a stone may get lodged. What will happen if we do nothing. The dog is not in any apparent pain and is able to urinate at times in a good quantity.. He goes frequently- sometimes a dribble , sometimes blood often holding urinating position for a long time.
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 22nd, 2017
Poor Jimmy! The main concern in a male dog with bladder stones is that they could become lodged in the urethra, causing a urinary obstruction which is a life-threatening emergency condition. In many cases, this will not occur, but it is a big risk to take. If Jimmy has struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) crystals in his urine, odds are good that his bladder stones are also struvites. This type of stone can sometimes be dissolved with a prescription based diet. It can take many months for these stones to dissolve, but the diet change does not dissolve the stones for all dogs. If Jimmy has other forms of crystals in his urine, surgery is the only option. Surgery is nearly always the best (and only) option for managing bladder stones. I understand your financial concerns, but fortunately there are some resources available to help. Care Credit (carecredit.com) can provide financing options. There are also many non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care (redrover.org, humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962, bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets, lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/, https://getyourpet.com). I hope this helps!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 6th, 2020
Poor Peanut! POnce foremd calcium oxalate cannot be dissolved and will require surgical removal to prevent obstruction and reduce pain. Prevention focuses on diluting the urine as far as possible so the crystals and stones are less likely to form - using a canned diet and adding as much water as he allows helps; ensure also no access to high calcium or oxalate treats (or access to cat food etc).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on November 10th, 2017
I'm hate to hear about Max's bladder stones. The stones may dissolve if the infection clears up and IF the stones are made purely of struvite. There are many types of stones and the others cannot be dissolved. For a male dog with stones already in the urethra, yes, surgery is the safest and fasted option. If Max becomes blocked, he needs emergency care immediately. The stones can dissolve anywhere between 2-6 weeks on average. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on April 4th, 2020
It really depends which type of stone it is and the quantity and size of the stone/stones in the bladder. he should get back to normal within 1-2 weeks but without surgery the problem may return. ..some types of stones can be dissolved with a special food, others can't, that's why you must wait for the lab results first.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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