Treatment for bladder stones in dogs depends almost entirely on what type of stone your dog has. Some stones can be dissolved with a special diet over several weeks, while others must be physically removed. The three most common types are struvite, calcium oxalate, and urate, and each one calls for a different approach.
Why Stone Type Matters
Your vet will typically start with X-rays ($150 to $250 per image) or an ultrasound ($300 to $600) to confirm stones are present and estimate their size. Most bladder stones show up clearly on X-rays, though urate and cystine stones can be harder to spot, especially when they’re small. In those cases, ultrasound or contrast-enhanced imaging fills in the gaps.
Once stones are removed or a sample is collected, the material gets sent to a lab for mineral analysis. This step is critical because it determines whether your dog needs surgery, a dietary change, antibiotics, or some combination. A struvite stone and a calcium oxalate stone can look identical on an X-ray but require completely different treatments.
Dissolving Struvite Stones With Diet
Struvite stones are the only common type that can be dissolved without any procedure at all. Veterinary consensus guidelines recommend medical dissolution as the first-line treatment. Your vet will prescribe a therapeutic diet that works by acidifying the urine, lowering levels of magnesium and phosphorus (the building blocks of struvite), and diluting the urine so mineral concentrations stay low. The diet is also protein-restricted, which reduces the amount of urea in the kidneys and naturally produces more dilute urine.
Most struvite stones in dogs form because of a urinary tract infection with certain bacteria. When infection is present, your dog will also need antibiotics. In a study of female beagles, a dissolution diet paired with antibiotics eliminated infection-related struvite stones in an average of about 14 weeks, with a range of 2 to 5 months. Sterile struvite stones (those without an underlying infection) dissolve much faster, averaging just over 3 weeks.
During dissolution, your vet will schedule follow-up imaging every few weeks to track progress. The cost of the therapeutic food runs roughly $40 to $80 per case, making this by far the least expensive option. The tradeoff is time: your dog stays on a strict diet for weeks to months, and you can’t supplement with treats or other foods during that period.
Calcium Oxalate Stones Require Removal
Unlike struvite, calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved with diet. They have to come out. Current veterinary guidelines recommend using the least invasive method possible. For stones small enough to pass through the urethra, options include:
- Voiding urohydropropulsion: The vet fills the bladder with saline while the dog is sedated, then applies gentle pressure to flush small stones out through the urethra. This typically costs $400 to $800 and avoids surgery entirely.
- Basket retrieval: A small scope is passed through the urethra to grab individual stones without an incision.
- Laser lithotripsy: A laser breaks larger stones into fragments small enough to flush out. This runs $1,300 to $2,800 and is available at specialty veterinary hospitals.
When stones are too large for these approaches, surgical removal is the standard option.
What Surgery Looks Like
The procedure is called a cystotomy. Your dog goes under general anesthesia, and the surgeon makes an incision into the bladder to remove the stones directly. The surgical team monitors vital signs throughout, and the stones are sent to a lab afterward for analysis.
Most dogs go home the same day, though some stay overnight. Your dog will be discharged once they’re eating and able to urinate on their own. Full recovery takes two to three weeks, during which you’ll need to limit activity and protect the incision site. Complications are uncommon when dogs get proper rest during healing. The total cost of cystotomy ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, depending on your dog’s size and your location.
Urate Stones and Breed Risk
Urate stones are the third most common type and have a strong genetic component. They form when a dog produces excessive amounts of uric acid in the urine, a condition called hyperuricosuria caused by a mutation in a gene responsible for transporting uric acid. Dalmatians, Bulldogs, and Black Russian Terriers were the first breeds identified with this mutation, but it has since been found in American Staffordshire Terriers, Australian Shepherds, German Shepherds, Giant Schnauzers, Jack Russell Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Pomeranians, and Weimaraners, among others.
A commercial DNA test is available that can identify carriers of the mutation. If you own a breed at risk, this test can help you and your vet plan a preventive strategy before stones ever form. Urate stones can sometimes be dissolved with a combination of diet and medication, though the approach is more complex than struvite dissolution and requires close veterinary supervision.
Preventing Stones From Coming Back
Bladder stones recur frequently in dogs, so prevention matters as much as the initial treatment. The strategy depends on stone type.
For struvite stones, the primary goal is eliminating urinary tract infections, since the bacteria drive stone formation. Feeding a therapeutic maintenance diet low in magnesium and phosphorus that keeps urine slightly acidic also helps. Regular urine cultures catch infections early before stones have a chance to regrow.
For calcium oxalate stones, the focus shifts to keeping urine dilute and avoiding acidic urine. The single most effective step is increasing water intake. Feeding wet food rather than dry kibble is one of the most reliable ways to do this. Veterinary guidelines specifically note that high-sodium dry foods should not be used as a substitute for high-moisture diets. For dogs with persistently acidic urine, an alkalinizing supplement may be added. Dogs with frequent recurrences may also benefit from a diuretic medication that reduces the amount of calcium in the urine.
For all stone types, keeping urine dilute is the universal principle. More water in means more dilute urine, which means minerals are less likely to clump together into stones. Offering fresh water in multiple locations, adding water or broth to meals, and ensuring frequent bathroom breaks all help keep concentrations low.
Signs That Suggest Bladder Stones
Dogs with bladder stones often strain to urinate, urinate more frequently than usual, or produce only small amounts at a time. You may notice blood in the urine or see your dog licking their genital area more than normal. Some dogs have accidents in the house despite being well-trained. In male dogs, a stone can lodge in the urethra and block urine flow entirely, which is a medical emergency that requires immediate veterinary attention. If your dog is straining repeatedly and producing no urine at all, don’t wait.