A much-loved dog with urinary stones has surprised vets ahead of Valentine’s Day as one of her stones amazingly resembled the shape of a heart.
Eight-year-old Willow, a cross breed, was successfully operated on at Pets’n’Vets in Glasgow, where the romantically shaped stone was removed.
Willow had been taken to us by her worried owner because she was lethargic, lost her appetite and was not passing urine.
Ross Allan, clinical director at Pets’n’Vets Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Pollokshaws, said: “Removing urinary stones is not uncommon, but the shape of a stone like a Valentine’s heart is certainly not one we’ve seen before!”
X-Ray of urinary stones in Willow
Unfortunately for Willow, the urinary stones had grown to such a size that surgery was the only option to remove them as they were too big for dissolution or urohydropulsion, which don’t involve an operation.
Elaine Stewart, the lead vet who carried out the operation along with veterinary surgeon Julia White, said: “A heart shaped urinary stone was one in a number of stones we removed from Willow. The challenge of the surgery was removing such large stones through the bladder while minimising any tissue damage.
“The surgery was successful but the challenge will now be on trying to reduce the incidence of them recurring so Willow has been started on an appropriate urinary diet.”
Urinary stones post-surgery
Willow’s owner, Chris McConnell from Glasgow, said: “We were worried about Willow as she just wasn’t her normal self, so we took her to Pets’n’Vets, and thanks to Elaine and Julia our beloved pet is back home with the stones removed.”
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