Abstract
Silica calculus is unusual in urolithiasis in dogs. We conducted epidemiological study on silica calculus in dogs around Kagoshima area. Information questionnaires from veterinarians and clients indicated that silica urolithiasis was not related to food and dog's habit (eating clod), but was associated with drinking tap water. Silica concentration of tap water in Kagoshima area was obviously higher than that in another area in Japan. A brand of mineral water made in Kagoshima area also had high silica level. Though intake of high level silica in water did not affect urine silica concentration experimentally, our results indicated that it is beneficial to use low silica level water to prevent silica urolithiasis in dogs.
