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My dog on diet, still passing struvite stones after removal. What now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 7 months old | 45 lbs

My dog had bladder stones removed back in late August and the lab came back and said she has struvite stones. She is on a therapeutic diet however is still passing small stones. What do I do?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 23rd, 2018

I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for a recheck. Struvite stones often form secondary to a urinary tract infection so your vet may want to test Beemo’s urine to make sure there is not currently an infection present. If you’re able to save a stone for your vet they might want to send it out for analysis - occasionally dogs can have multiple types of bladder stones and it’s possible your vet may want to change the diet or add a supplement if this is the case.

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    Answered By Dr. Davis

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 14th, 2018

    Yes unfortunately it’s possible. He may just have crystals at this point that are causing irritation and bloody urine or infection. Please take him in soon to have them check a urinalysis, and perhaps do an X-ray or ultrasound to check for stones. I recommend a special diet to prevent them from recurring and often giving some wet food with added water daily will keep the urine dilute and also reduce the recurrence of crystals. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Beef.

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 23rd, 2019

    It is possible that the new stone is struvite but I have seen where they are part one thing and part another no matter what they eat or drink. It is strongly recommended to have the new stone removed and analyzed if possible. If not, you could talk to your vet about options of prescription diet that may help to dissolve the stone. This method may or may not work depending on the type of stone. I hope this helps!

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