Dissolving Struvite Stones in a Female English Bulldog

In many dogs, struvite stones can be dissolved without surgery. Your vet will prescribe a dissolution diet and, because most struvite stones in dogs follow a bladder infection, antibiotics based on a urine culture. Sterile struvite stones usually dissolve within 2 to 5 weeks; infection-related stones often take 1 to 3 months.

Your dog must eat only the prescription food during dissolution, and your vet will recheck X-rays every few weeks. Watch for straining or producing little urine, which can mean a stone is blocking the urethra and needs emergency care. If the stones don't shrink, they may be a different type and need removal.

See bladder stones in dogs for more.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.