Analysis of canine urinary stones using infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy

Infrared spectroscopic analysis of 741 canine urinary calculi revealed that struvite stones, 58% of the total, were the ones most commonly to be found. Cystine stone disease, 21%, is also of great significance for dogs, whereas calcium oxalate, urate and brushite calculi occur only seldom. 3 cases of xanthine stone formation were also noted. SEM examination revealed structures similar to human stones such as bipyramidal weddellite, pseudomorphs from whewellite to weddellite, apatite deposits in cystine stones and characteristic mono-ammonium-urate needles. Other, unknown, structures were also discovered such as closely-knit intergrowths of cystine and brushite strata, mono-Na-urate and mono-K-urate intergrowths and Ca-urate. Of particular interest are the various forms of xanthine from compact spherical to lance-shapes in sheath-like arrangement.