A Dalmatian dog presents with urinary stones. Which stone type is most likely?

A Dalmatian dog presents with urinary stones. Which stone type is most likely?

• A. Oxalate
• B. Silica
• C. Urate
• D. Cystine

Answer: (C)

Dalmatian dogs have a hereditary defect that causes high uric acid in the urine (hyperuricosuria). The liver’s ability to take up and process uric acid is impaired, so uric acid is excreted in urine in excess. When urine contains high uric acid, crystals can form and develop into urate stones. This breed-specific predisposition makes urate stones the most likely cause of urinary stones in Dalmatians. Other stone types can occur in dogs in general, but they are not associated with this breed as a pattern. Managing this risk often involves reducing purine intake and, in some cases, therapies that lower uric acid production.

Dalmatian dogs have a hereditary defect that causes high uric acid in the urine (hyperuricosuria). The liver’s ability to take up and process uric acid is impaired, so uric acid is excreted in urine in excess. When urine contains high uric acid, crystals can form and develop into urate stones. This breed-specific predisposition makes urate stones the most likely cause of urinary stones in Dalmatians. Other stone types can occur in dogs in general, but they are not associated with this breed as a pattern. Managing this risk often involves reducing purine intake and, in some cases, therapies that lower uric acid production.