EMERGENCY PROCEDURES:
DALMATIAN CANNOT PASS URINE ("URINARY OBSTRUCTION")

     RUSH DOG TO YOUR VETERINARIAN OR EMERGENCY CLINIC!
     Obstruction of the urinary pathway quickly reaches 
     life-threatening status within 24 to 72
     hours as urine backs up into the body system instead
     of being expelled. It is not unknown for bladders to
     burst as urine continues to collect! 

     Have dammed-up urine easily but immediately removed
     from bladder either by "cystocentesis" or by catheterization.
     This may have to be done several times while diagnosis and
     treatment are being evaluated. Draining urine "buys time." 

     Have the type of stone identified by urinalysis: abnormal
     urinary crystals are apparent and identifiable under an
     office microscope. Urates form in acidic urine (pH below 7.0).
     Struvite known as "infection" crystals/stones form in alkaline
     urine (pH above 7.0). Their treatment is different! 

     Have size of the stones confirmed by x-ray but remind 
     veterinarian the most commonly-seen urate stones in Dalmatians
     may not visualize under normal x-ray procedures. Urates
     require skillful "indirect radiography" to be visualized in situ. 

     Non-surgical clearing of the obstruction can be often
     accomplished by "hydropropulsion" whereby, under anesthesia,
     the stones are flushed back up into the bladder. This sometimes
     must be done two to three times, also under anesthesia, before
     a free urinary stream is sustained. If stones quickly move down
     and constantly re-obstruct after short periods of time, then
     bladder surgery may be unavoidable to restore normal urinary flow.
     Request "Isofluorane" for the anesthetic if surgery is
     unavoidable. "Urethrostomy" is not "bladder surgery!" It is a
     surgical creation of a false urinary opening generally at the base
     of the scrotal sacs and should be considered A LAST RESORT after
     all other anti-stone procedures have failed. It should be
     performed only by an experienced surgeon, preferably one who is
     "Board certified." 

     Have Dalmatian started on antibiotics for existing urinary
     infection or to prevent the onset of one. A bacteriology culture
     including "antibiotic discing" may point to the most effective
     antibiotic for the species of bacteria inducing the infection. 

     Shift the stone-former to distilled water, only. 

     Rush either stones passed or catheterized or removed surgically - or
     sediment centrifuging out during urinalysis - to one of the two
     urinary stone centers listed to confirm assay by electron
     micrography, chromatography and other highly specialized testing
     procedures.  (Minnesota Urolith Center does not charge.) 


Carroll Weiss
Study Group on Urinary Stones
Research Committee
Dalmatian Club of America

August 1996