Do dog bladder stone shapes (urate, struvite) look different on X-ray?

The back legs are tucked up over the bladder, so it is hard to say for certain, but I do not see any large stones in the urinary bladder. I would need to spin down a sample of urine and look at it under a microscope to see if there are urinary crystals since those do not show up on x-rays.

Yes urinary stones can be present even though there are no signs at the moment, as antibiotics could possibly mask the signs. I would suggest either to stop antibiotics and see if the signs reoccur or to take an x-ray and rule out radiopaque stones. Alternatively ultrasound can be performed to rule out ALL type of stones (some of them cannot be seen with x rays). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It is hard to look at x-rays through the PetCoach system, but I do not see any bladder stones. There does appear to be some gas in the bladder, which may have been inadvertently introduced through catheterization or could indicate the presence of a gas-producing bacteria. The prostate is significantly enlarged, to the point where it could constrict the urethra and cause straining to urinate. The urinalysis shows a possible infection, which could come from the bladder or prostate. I would not start urinary alkalizers without the certainty of oxalate stones. I would start antibiotics appropriate for a prostate infection and have Sheldon neutered ASAP, which can help with BPH https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/prostate-enlargement/

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.

Yes you should still switch him to the prescription diet, in an xray crystals cannot be seen unless they already formed a stone, so it does not mean that he doesn't have crystals in his bladder, it just means that the crystals have not formed bladder stones just yet. the prescription diet will prevent crystal formation as well as bladder stones.

From the x rays only the urinary stones (Calculi) are visible. I cannot see any evidence of a tumor. Stones should be dislodged if possible with a retrograde flush and then removed when they are inside the urinary bladder.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to see on the attached x-ray if there is any problem with the urinary tract or. Some of the bladder stones come up on a plain x-ray and can be easily seen. I cannot see any obvious stone obstructing the bladder / urethra. However, some stones are radiolucent (do not come up on x-rays) and the cat would need a constrast x-ray or ultrsound of the bladder to detect them. In general, urethral blockage in young female cats are very uncommon. If Marshy is able to pass urine, other urinary tract diseases should be investigated. Urine analysis should be the next step of investigation (to rule in/out infection or bladder crystals) followed by an ultrasound of the abdomen and a blood test.