Treatment is based on the results of the diagnostic tests and determination of the stone type. The veterinarian will prescribe an antibiotic if an infection is present.
A special stone-dissolving diet may be prescribed to eliminate struvite stones. This food must be fed exclusively in order for it to be effective. The veterinarian will monitor the cat's response to the diet by follow-up exams and repeated bladder x-rays. If the diet fails to dissolve the stones, surgical removal will have to be considered.
Most of the other bladder stones do not respond to medications; thus, alternative methods of removal will be required. If the stones are very small, a procedure called urohydropropulsion can be performed to flush the stones out of the bladder. However, larger stones will need to be removed surgically through an operation called a cystotomy. This is done after the cat is put under general anesthesia; it involves incisions into the abdomen and the bladder.
