TCC vs. Urinary Stones in Dogs Explained

Blood in the urine, straining to urinate, frequent urination, and urinary obstruction can occur with BOTH bladder stones and transitional cell carcinoma — but these diseases are very different. In this video, we break down *canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC/urothelial carcinoma) vs urinary stones (urolithiasis)* and explain how veterinarians tell them apart. 🐶 We cover: 🪨 Common types of urinary stones 🔬 Struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, and cystine uroliths 🧬 TCC pathophysiology and common locations 🩸 Clinical signs and urinalysis findings 🦠 The relationship between UTIs and certain stones 🩻 Radiographs and ultrasound findings 🔬 Urine testing and tumor diagnostics 💊 Medical and surgical treatment options ⚙️ Mechanisms of action of commonly used medications 💧 Stone prevention and increasing water intake 🚨 Why obstruction can become an emergency 🔎 How a mobile mineral structure differs from an invasive bladder mass The biggest takeaway: *urinary stones may move and often cast an acoustic shadow, while TCC is typically an attached, invasive mass—commonly involving the bladder trigone—and may obstruct the urinary tract or metastasize.* This video is intended for veterinary students, pre-vet students, veterinary technicians, veterinarians, and anyone interested in learning more about veterinary medicine. 🎮 Dogtor’s Game by Sillydog Studios — making veterinary medicine a little more fun to study. If you would like to donate to our video and game development, reach out to dogtorsgame@gmail.com. Educational content only. This video is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian.