Bovine Urinary Disorders Flashcards by Madeleine Gauthier

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)

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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you suspect a cow has cystitis. how do you rule out pyelonephritis?

palpation of kidneys + lack of systemic signs

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who usually causes cystitis in cattle?

E. coli
Corynebacterium renale

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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

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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)

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how do you tx calves with urachal remnants/adhesions that have cystitis?

Abs, sx

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what is the px for uncomplicated cystitis?

decent if client compliant

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how do you treat cystic calculi?

diet changes

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what are the common etiologies of pyelonephritis in adult cattle?

ascending infection from lower urinary tract (cystitis predisposing factor)

E. coli, Corynebacterium renale

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in calves, what can occur from umbilical artery infection (other than cystitis?)

septic nephritis and renal abscessation

pyelonephritis

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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

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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

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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

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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

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tell me the broad differences between Leptospira borgpetersenii Hardjo-bovis and Leptospira interrogans (who is infected, what type of infection)

L. BHB: host-adapted strain, dairy cattle most at risk, “milk drop syndrome” in adult dairies

L. I: most common pathogenic species in cattle, beef cattle (esp calves) on pasture most at risk, causes acute hemolytic crisis in calves

how does Leptospirosis manifest renally?

after infection + bacteremia, agglutination antibodies clear bacteremia, but don’t result in resolution of kidney infection

may produce chronic interstitial nephritis

protracted shedding of organism in urine, possible for life

renal lesions result of direct damage to vascular endothelium, hypoxia, tubular epithelial damage

what can Leptospirosis cause in calves?

severe hemolytic crisis, interstitial nephritis, tubular nephrosis

milk drop syndrome is caused by what strain of Leptospira?

Hardjo-bovis only

what are the C/S of leptospirosis? adults vs calves

- acute onset of fever, septicemia - non renal manifestations more common in adults (repro), acute hemolytic crisis more common in calves <2mo - hemolytic anemia, hemoglobinuria, inappetence, increased HR and RR, depression, ± petechial hemorrhages and jaundice - calves with acute hemolytic crisis usually found dead

acute hemolytic crisis in calves is caused by what strain of leptospirosis ?

any species, but most commonly interrogans

tell me the differences in lab diagnostics for leptospirosis strains

interrogans: serology (MAT best, can do ELISA) Hardjo-bovis: urine PCR PCR is best for detecting leptospira, but it doesn't tell you the strain. you can guess the strain based off the situation though ex. dairy cow adult with milk drop syndrome, positive PCR for leptospirosis, most likely has hardjo-bovis

tell me the tx of leptospirosos

calves with acute hemolytic crisis: whole blood transfusions + IV fluids Abx: based on organism (gram - aerobe = penicillin + streptomycin or streptomycin + tetracycline) tx usually successful at eliminating urinary shedding

how can you prevent leptospirosis?

vaccination! 1. 5-way leptospirosis bacterin against L. interrogans 2. monovalent L. borgpetersenii hardjo-bovis decide which vax to use based on geographical location, production system (beef vs dairy), and experience of farms nearby

is leptospirosis zoonotic?

yes yes yes yes YES

what causes enzootic hematuria?

bracken fern

what is the pathogenesis of enzootic hematuria?

initial consequence = hemorrhagic cystitis continued ingestion = bladder neoplasms

how does BPV-2 and bracken fern interact?

multiple types of urinary tract neoplasms and mets

what are the C/S of enzootic hematuria

- hematuria, often sever (chronic or intermittent) - eventual chronic blood loss --> tachycardia, tachypnea, exercise intolerance, pale mm, decline in BCS - bladder wall thickening, bladder neoplasia

what does acute bracken fern poisoning cause in cattle?

acute coagulopathy or fulminant septic crisis assoc w severe bone marrow suppression fever, profound weakness, epistaxis, petechial hemorrhages

how do you dx enzootic hematuria

- multiple animals affected - seeing bracken fern - necropsy (anemia, bladder neoplasia, hematuria)

Bacillary hemoglobinuria/red water: what is the cause and pathogenesis?

Clostridium haemolyticum (betatoxin = phospholipase C) hepatocellular damage (liver flukes) --> clostridium spores convert to vegetative organisms --> large necrotic infarct + systemic signs of hemolysis and toxemia

what are the C/S of bacillary hemoglobinuria

- peracute illness w/ high fever, elevated HR, anorexia, arched stance, evidence of abdominal pain - progressive anemia, hemoglobinuria, dyspnea = intravascular hemolysis - acute pasture death

what would you find on necropsy of a cow with bacillary hemoglobinuria

large anemic liver infarct and blackened kidney = pathognomonic

how do you tx bacillary hemoglobinuria?

almost never successful BUT high levels of IV Na or K penicillin, admin of whole blood, IV fluids

how do you prevent bacillary hemoglobinuria

vaccination! control of liver flukes

embolic nephritis in cattle may come about because of.,...?

- septicaemia cows + calves - cattle w/ GI obstruction or diarrhea --> severe dehydration --> renal infarcts (frequent)

what should arouse suspicious of renal failure in cattle? what should you do to help?

abnormal urine constituents in urine from dehydrated patients need to rehydrate, avoid nephrotoxic drugs, treat primary disease

what are the etiologies of toxic nephrosis in cattle?

- Abx (aminoglycosides, tetracycline, sulfa) - NSAIDs - heavy metals (Pb, Hg, arsenic) - plants (oxalates, oak, pigweed, rhubarb, sugar beet tops)

what is the most common cause of drug induced acute renal failure in cattle? ESPECIALLY AT HIGH DOSES AND IN DEHYDRATED CATTLE

oxytetracycline

why do NSAIDs cause toxic nephrosis in cattle?

reduced renal perfusion bc of over-use inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis

what are the C/S of toxic nephrosis?

non-specific (lol) w/ both septic/hypotensive and nephrotoxic AKI depression, anorexia, ± PU, ± kidney enlargement

how do you dx toxic nephrosis?

- USG isosthenuric (1.008-1.012) despite dehydration - urinalysis: RBCs, WBCs, **granular casts, proteinuria** - **azotemia**, mixed metabolic alkalosis and acidosis w/ hypochloremia, **hyponatremia**, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypermagnesemia, fibrinogenemia

what is the most definitive dx of toxic nephrosis in cattle?

renal biopsy

how do you tx toxic nephrosis in cattle?

- aggressive fluid therapy (NaCl w/ supplemental KCl) - 2L hypertonic saline followed by oral fluids

tell me how to determine px of toxic nephrosis in cattle

- failure to produce urine in the face of high vol fluids or hypertonic saline alongside diuretic admin = negative px sign prolonged azotemia = more likely to develop chronic renal failure