The Minnesota Urolith Center (MUC) at the University of Minnesota has reportedly analyzed its 2 millionth urinary stone sample, marking a milestone in its 45-year history of urolith research and diagnostic support for veterinary practices. The sample, an ammonium urate stone from Gizmo, a four-year-old Shih Tzu in New Jersey, was submitted by Dr. Brett Lynn and the team at MountainView Veterinary Hospital in Denville, N.J. Ammonium urate stones are commonly associated with portosystemic vascular abnormalities or genetic mutations affecting uric acid metabolism. Gizmo is a 4-year-old Shih Tzu from New Jersey. He provided the 2 millionth sample received by the University of Minnesota Urolith Center (MUC). Founded in 1981, the MUC maintains the largest database of animal uroliths and provides complimentary analysis of nearly 100,000 submissions each year. This is made possible largely by a philanthropic educational grant from Hill's Pet Nutrition. Photo courtesy University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Urolith Center, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. “This milestone speaks to the vast number of pets who suffer from urinary stones and to the dedication of veterinarians, owners, the MUC team, and our partner, Hill's Pet Nutrition, to doing our best to understand and stop stones,” says Dr. Eva Furrow, co-director of the MUC. Founded in 1981, the MUC receives nearly 100,000 submissions annually from veterinary practices worldwide and maintains what it describes as the largest database of animal uroliths. Analysis is provided at no cost, supported largely through a philanthropic educational grant from Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Research based on the center’s database has contributed to advances in therapeutic nutrition, minimally invasive stone removal, identification of genetic mutations associated with early-onset urolithiasis, and investigation of the urinary microbiome. The center reports that its work has also included the development of two forms of urohydropropulsion.
