Bovine Urinary Disorders Flashcards
what is important to keep in mind when using reagent strips to test urine in cattle?
- highly alkaline urine may give false positives for proteinuria
- post-parturient cattle may give false positives for proteinuria (mixing of urine and vag D/C)
what is the normal colour, pH, and USG for urine in cattle?
colour: straw to amber
pH: 8
USG: 1.030-1.045 (1.006-1.024 in lactating dairy and milk-fed calves)
what are the 3 etiologies of cystitis in adult cattle?
- bladder paralysis that allows urine stasis (sacral nerve injuries caused by intrapelvic injury during dystocia, crushing injuries to sacrococcygela spine from rising injuries)
- dystocia w/ ascending contamination from urethra
- chronic irritation from cystic calculi
what is the common etiology for cystitis in calves?
Urachal or other umbilical remnants acting as a nidus of infection or that prevent complete bladder emptying by traction of fibrous adhesions
what are the C/S of cystitis?
frequent attempts to urinate small vols, stranguria, tail swishing, irritability, scalding of perineum from urine dribbling (if sacral nerve damage has caused relative bladder atony)
fever NOT common
true or false: with cystitis in cattle, it’s common to have a fever and systemic signs
false! it is NOT COMMON to have a fever, and likely absent systemic signs
how do you dx cystitis?
- dysuria, possibly gross hematuria or pyuyria if seen voiding
- abnormal urine constituents on Multistix (+ blood, protein, variable pH)
- sacral nerve injury –> rectal of bladder reveals distended atonic bladder
- not sacral nerve injury –> palpation of bladder reveals firm, thickened, baseball sized bladder
you suspect a cow has cystitis. how do you rule out pyelonephritis?
palpation of kidneys + lack of systemic signs
who usually causes cystitis in cattle?
E. coli
Corynebacterium renale
what should you do while waiting for C&S for cystitis? (coz you should do a C&S)
implement Abx that has good MIC in urine, min 7 days
what is the tx and px of cystitis if caused by sacral nerve injury?
Abx, at least 7 days
high risk of relapse and ascending infection –> guarded to poor px (euthanize)
how do you tx calves with urachal remnants/adhesions that have cystitis?
Abs, sx
what is the px for uncomplicated cystitis?
decent if client compliant
how do you treat cystic calculi?
diet changes
what are the common etiologies of pyelonephritis in adult cattle?
ascending infection from lower urinary tract (cystitis predisposing factor)
E. coli, Corynebacterium renale
in calves, what can occur from umbilical artery infection (other than cystitis?)
septic nephritis and renal abscessation
pyelonephritis
what are the C/S of pyelonephritis?
fever, anorexia, major drop in milk production, cystitis signs if concurrent infection, possible signs of colic if ureteral obstruction with fibrin and blood clots, stranguria, polyuria, arched stance, gross hematuria and pyuria
chronic pyelonephritis C/S may be more vague
how can you dx pyelonephritis?
field: C/S, gross appearance of urine, palpation of enlarged kidney (usually L)
gross appearance of fibrin, blood clots, casts in voided urine
urinalysis: hematuria, pyuria, significant proteinuria, bacteriuria
enlarged ureters on rectal/vag palp
how to you tx pyelonephritis in cattle?
- long term Abx based on C&S
- supportive care
- nephrectomy for chronic, unilateral pyelonephritis w/ abscessation and hydronephrosis
tell me 2 ways to determine the px for pyelonephritis
- concurrent azotemia = bilaterale involvement, 75% kidney function loss = renal failure = poorer px
- isosthenuria in the face of dehydration = poorer px