NAVLE 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The association between certain types of urinary stones and underlying health conditions is crucial for veterinary diagnosis and treatment. In the case of portosystemic shunts in dogs, the type of urinary stone that is most commonly found is urate stones.

Portosystemic shunts lead to increased concentrations of ammonia and other nitrogenous waste in the blood due to impaired liver function. This condition often results in the formation of urate stones because the excess ammonia can be converted into uric acid, which can precipitate and form stones in the urinary tract. Breeds that are particularly predisposed to developing portosystemic shunts, such as Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese, also show a higher incidence of urate urinary stones.

In contrast, other stones like calcium oxalate, xanthine, and struvite stones have different metabolic and dietary associations. Calcium oxalate stones, for example, commonly arise from hypercalcemia or certain dietary factors, while struvite stones are often associated with urinary tract infections. Xanthine stones, though they can occur in some dogs, are generally less prevalent and typically linked to specific genetic defects in purine metabolism, rather than secondary to liver dysfunction.

As such, understanding the connection between ur