The most common problem of the urinary system that we perform in dogs is for urinary bladder stones. Stones can be caused by infection, diet and metabolic issues. We go in surgically to remove them from the bladder and then close the bladder back up.  The urinary bladder is one of the quickest tissues in the body to heal and it heals back to its original strength, so there is a low complication rate with this surgery. When the stones have been removed we always submit them for testing to determine what they are composed of. Knowing this information, we are able to tailor a treatment plan that will, hopefully, prevent future occurrences or at least maximize the time in between stone development.

In cats, the most common urinary surgery I do is for cats that build up crystals, grit and mucous in the urethra, and as a result, they are blocked and are unable to urinate.  After this has happened multiple times and they have proven to us that they are not going to respond to medical treatment, these cats are good candidates for surgery. The surgery is called a perineal urethrostomy (PU). In this procedure we dissect out the urethra of the cat to a level that has a much larger diameter then previously. When we get to that level we suture the urethra to the skin to keep it open.  Once cats have this procedure, they can urinate out the grit and other things that they build up because the urethra is larger and therefore not obstruct anymore.

As long as there is no (or minimal) damage to the opposite kidney, the cats and dogs can live without the other kidney. Although we do not remove kidneys commonly, when we do, it is usually a result of a mass on the kidney, severe infection to the kidney or trauma to that kidney or vessels that supply blood to it. The procedure is moderately involved and once we have the kidney removed we can submit it to the lab to find out the problems with it.