07/24/2026
Meet Xenia! 💙
Xenia was diagnosed with uroliths after her dad found a stone that she had passed in her urine and became concerned. When she arrived at EVC, X-rays revealed that several large uroliths were still present in her bladder.
A urolith is a mineral deposit that forms in the bladder and can cause blood in the urine, frequent urination, discomfort, and, in severe cases, urinary obstruction.
After determining the type of stones through urinalysis and ultrasound, we recommended a therapeutic prescription urinary diet as an alternative to surgery.
These diets are specially formulated to change the chemistry of the urine, creating an environment where certain bladder stones can gradually dissolve while helping reduce the risk of new stones forming.
Over time, her uroliths became smaller and smaller. Throughout treatment, Xenia also remained on antibiotics to eliminate bacteria released as the stones dissolved. Infection-related bladder stones can harbor bacteria within them, making antibiotics an important part of treatment in cases like hers.
Thanks to therapeutic nutrition, Xenia safely dissolved her stones and continued passing them naturally at home until they were completely gone.
The stones shown in these photos may still look surprisingly large, but they actually started out even larger inside her bladder before dissolving enough to pass without surgery.
Although Xenia's stones are gone, her journey doesn't end here. To help reduce the risk of recurrence, she will remain on her therapeutic urinary diet as part of her long-term treatment plan.
This is a wonderful example of why veterinary therapeutic nutrition is considered medicine, not simply food. When used for the right patient and condition, nutrition can be one of the most powerful treatment tools we have.
Not every bladder stone can be dissolved with diet alone. Different stone types require different treatments, which is why diagnostics are so important before deciding on the best treatment plan.
Xenia’s dad has mentioned that she is more energetic and acting years younger since passing these stones. We're incredibly proud of Xenia and her family for their dedication throughout this process. Their commitment made this wonderful outcome possible. 💙
