Vets save dog with bladder stone ‘the size of an orange’

21 November 2016

Twelve-year-old crossbreed, Sheba, was immediately rushed into theatre for emergency surgery after x-rays detected a huge stone, which could easily have caused a fatal blockage.

PDSA senior vet, Aimee Labbate, from the charity’s Derby Pet Hospital, said: “We couldn’t believe the sheer size of the bladder stone and it was no wonder Sheba was in a great deal of pain. The team at the hospital had never seen anything quite like it before!”

“The life-threatening stone was over 7cm wide - bigger than a large bar of soap - and was completely whole when we removed it. It’s very rare for a stone to stay intact as they normally fragment.”

Sheba’s owner, Sabrina Goodman (35), from Allenton, Derby, said: “I was so worried when Sheba was taken in. She was in a lot of discomfort and I knew something was desperately wrong when she kept trying to go for a wee every five minutes.

“She’s a member or the family and the kids absolutely adore her. So we were all completely devastated to find out how serious it could have been if the stone wasn’t detected and removed.”

Vet Aimee said that if the stone hadn’t been removed immediately, it could have blocked the bladder, causing a “potentially fatal rupture” for Sheba:

“The operation took an intense one-and-a-half hours, but she was a fantastic patient and was able to go home that very same evening.

“Bladder stones can be a difficult condition to diagnose as there is no real explanation as to why they form in the first place, although a pets’ diet does have a role to play.”

PDSA vets have sent the stone for analysis and hope to use the results to prescribe a special diet for Sheba and help prevent the condition reoccurring.

Sabrina and her family said they were delighted to have their playful furry friend back.

“We couldn’t believe how quickly Sheba recovered from the major operation – we’re over the moon that she’s back to her happy self again.”

“The PDSA staff were absolutely brilliant and did all they could do ensure Sheba had the very best care. They've always been great and I don’t know what we would have done without them!”

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