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My dog has bladder stones & UTIs. How long should I give antibiotics?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Japanese Chin | Female | spayed | 7 years old | 8 lbs
My dog has a bladder stone we are trying to dissolve with diet she has gotten a couple bladder infections since September of last year due to the stone she now has another one. I have at home uti testing kits and extra clavamox tabs 62.5mg to give twice a day for this reason. Should I give the clavamox for 7, 10 or 14 days?
1 Answer
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on February 16th, 2018
If Monkey has had bladder infections and is on a diet to dissolve the stone, then your vet most likely suspects that the stone is a type of stone called a struvite stone. I am attaching a handout on struvite stones below.
https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=460
Whenever we are trying to dissolve struvite stones with diet, we need to keep a dog on antibiotics for the entire time we are dissolving the stone. I am including a quote from the handout below.
"The therapeutic diet must be the only food fed until the stone is dissolved. Antibiotics are needed as long as stones are in the bladder (bacteria are encrusted within the stone and as the stone dissolves, they are released). Every 4 to 6 weeks, new radiographs are taken to evaluate the stone size. If it is at least 20 percent smaller, the process is continued. A urinalysis is also checked to be sure the proper urinary conditions for dissolution are being created by the diet."
So, I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian, but if Monkey has been on the diet since September, it may be time to take x-rays again to make sure that the diet is working and you will need to keep Monkey on antibiotics as long as you are trying to dissolve the stone.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=460
Whenever we are trying to dissolve struvite stones with diet, we need to keep a dog on antibiotics for the entire time we are dissolving the stone. I am including a quote from the handout below.
"The therapeutic diet must be the only food fed until the stone is dissolved. Antibiotics are needed as long as stones are in the bladder (bacteria are encrusted within the stone and as the stone dissolves, they are released). Every 4 to 6 weeks, new radiographs are taken to evaluate the stone size. If it is at least 20 percent smaller, the process is continued. A urinalysis is also checked to be sure the proper urinary conditions for dissolution are being created by the diet."
So, I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian, but if Monkey has been on the diet since September, it may be time to take x-rays again to make sure that the diet is working and you will need to keep Monkey on antibiotics as long as you are trying to dissolve the stone.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful