Association analysis of stone composition with characteristics of canines and stones.

The elemental content of the canine stones was compared to physical (age, sex, and reproductive status) or dietary characteristics of the dog. The elemental content of the canine stones was also compared to mineral type of each stone. The linear regression function between element content in canine stone and dog age at time of stone collection was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (r2). The remaining categories were tested by standard t-test between element content in stone and category value. “Sex” category indicates whether dog was male or female, regardless of reproductive capacity. “Male Status” category indicates whether male dog was intact or neutered; female dogs were not compared due to few stones from intact female dogs. “Food Type” category indicates whether dog was predominantly fed commercial dry pellets or canned food. “Stone Surface” category indicates whether the surface of the canine stone was determined to be predominantly (>99%) COM or COD; stones with mixed mineral types were not included in this analysis. The mineral type at the core of the canine stone was not compared because most (>90%) stones had cores containing COM, regardless of the surface mineral type. A value of “p<0.05” indicates that the specific element significantly correlated with a specific value of the category. “NA” indicates that too few (n<3) points were available for comparison for the specific element and category value. Association analysis of stone composition with characteristics of canines and stones.