Canine Flash Notes - Urolithiasis Flashcards
what is the classic case presentation of a dog with oxalate or struvite urolithiasis?
hematuria, pollakiuria, dysuria, & stranguria
what signalment of cat is affected by urolithiasis?
males more common
struvite stones tend to occur in younger animals
what dog breeds are predisposed to urolithiasis? what about in regards to sex?
mini schnauzers, lhasa apso, bichon frise, & mini poodles
oxalate uroliths - males more common
struvite uroliths - females more common because of UTIs
what are the tests of choice for diagnosing urolithiasis?
urinalysis & urine culture/sensitivity
abdominal rads - radiopaque calculi anywhere in the urinary tract
urolith analysis & culture
what is the prognosis for urolithiasis?
good but recurrence is common
how is urolithiasis prevented? what about specifically for oxalate uroliths? what about struvite uroliths?
diets high in moisture content & promoting water consumption
oxalate - moderate magnesium, phosphorus (hill’s u/d or w/d in dogs, c/d in cats)
struvite - low magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, chloride, fiber, & moderate protein (hill’s c/d or w/d in cats)
medical dissolution of uroliths can only be used for what stone type? how long does it take?
struvite
may take around 3 months
uroliths can cause what medical emergency? how is it addressed?
urethral obstructions - medical emergency, need to relieve the obstruction & place an indwelling urinary catheter if indicated
what treatment is used for urolithiasis?
relieving urethral obstruction
urohydropulsion & catheter assisted retrieval or cystoscopic assisted retrieval
surgical removal
lithotripsy
medical dissolution for struvite only
what is the classic clinical presentation of a blocked cat? what steps are used to treat it?
usually neutered male cats that are very vocal/painful, unable to pass urine, very firm bladder chemistry will show azotemia, hyperkalemia, & metabolic acidosis
massage distal urethra to break apart
urethral plug and GENTLY compress urinary bladder
flush the plug using an open-ended catheter
follow with retrograde urethral flushing
radiograph to verify that uroliths are in the bladder
place an indwelling urinary catheter & maintain a closed collection system
follow with removal/medical dissolution/etc
what are 3 essential tests used for diagnosing either oxalate or struvite urolithiasis?
urinalysis and culture and sensitivity
abdominal radiographs
urolith analysis
what is a major predisposing risk factor for the development of struvite urolithiasis in dogs?
almost always associated with urinary tract infection involving
urease-producing bacteria
what key message should be communicated to the owner of an animal with oxalate or struvite urolithiasis?
recurrence is COMMON
T/F: in dogs, struvite uroliths are usually associated with UTI in dogs, but not in cats
true
