Prevalence of Urinary Calculi in Dogs and Cats

These data from Banfield Pet Hospital readily demonstrate that uroliths are common and should be included on the differential diagnosis list in both dogs and cats with urinary tract signs. Most of the urolithiasis cases reported in these data likely had cystic calculi, but this diagnosis could also include nephroliths, ureteroliths, and urethroliths. Comparing these data to previously published epidemiologic studies in dogs and cats is difficult1 because urolith type is not reported.

The following tables outline the prevalence of urinary calculi in dogs and cats presented to Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2014. Urinary calculi in cats are discussed in Feline Struvite & Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis (in this issue).

*NOTE: Age group and reproductive status totals do not match overall totals. Age groups are derived from visit age in 2014; some pets may have been counted in multiple age categories (eg, a pet that visited as a juvenile and then as a young adult in 2014). Reproductive status totals do not match due to animals of unknown sex or reproductive status.

Path to Pet Wellness: It is interesting to note that, in dogs, the incidence of all uroliths, including nephroliths, appears to be inversely proportional to body size. Although the urolith types would be different, the number of male and female animals with uroliths is remarkably similar. In this data set, the prevalence of urolithiasis was lower in intact male and female dogs and cats, possibly because many of the intact animals were also younger in age. Uroliths are relatively rare in dogs and cats less than one year of age.