Meet Chico, a very sweet 4 yr old neutered male Shih Tzu
We met this charming little fellow from Wawa when his regular veterinarian diagnosed him as having bladder stones – and recommended that he come to Sault Ste. Marie Animal Clinic to have them surgically removed. Crystals and/or stones in the bladder (Urinary Calculi) are a relatively common problem in small dogs. It can be related to several factors including genetics, diet, bladder infections and sometimes even congenital defects. Left untreated, they are very irritating to the bladder wall and can be a cause of persistent infections and blood in the urine. It can become an urgent, life-threatening problem if the urethra becomes blocked by crystals/mucous plug, or a stone and the dog can’t urinate.
Many people are aware that at Sault Ste. Marie Animal Clinic we use rigid endoscopy (aka Laparoscopy) to perform dog spays – but did you know we can use the same technology for other procedures as well?
For Chico, Dr. Palmer performed a ‘Lap-assisted’ cystotomy – ie he used the equipment and technique to allow for Chico to have a smaller incision and to help him locate and remove the stones in Chico’s bladder. Chico’s surgery went very well and by the next day he was ready and happy to go home. The stones were sent away for analysis so his regular veterinarian can make specific diet and lifestyle recommendations to help prevent Chico from developing more stone
s in the future.
