Equine Diseases of the Urinary Tract

Question 1

When is a horse polydipsic?

Answer 1

Intake is more than 100ml/kg/day

Question 2

Which drugs should you use to allow for examination of the penis in the horse?

Answer 2

Sedate with an alpha-2 agonist (butorphanol) plus ACP

Question 3

What are the two ways to collect urine of urinalysis in a horse?

Answer 3

Midstream or catheterised

Question 4

What is the value on USG of isothenuric urine in the horse?

Answer 4

1.008-1.014

Question 5

What can the water deprivation and anti-diuretic hormone challenge test show?

Answer 5

Hyposthenuric polyuria
Primary (psychogenic) polydipsia v. central or nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

Question 6

What is the clinical sign of a patent urachus?

Answer 6

Dripping urine from the umbilicus

Question 7

What are the three mechanisms of ARI in horses?

Answer 7

Pre-renal failure
Intra-renal failure
Post-renal failure

Question 8

List four broad catagories of causes of glomerulonephritis

Answer 8

Immune-mediated
Ischaemia
Toxic insults
Infection

Question 9

Which antibiotics should you use for equine urinary tract infections and why?

Answer 9

TMPS effective as get high concentration in the urine.

Question 10

List the common sites of urolithiasis in order of where they are most commonly found

Answer 10

Bladder > kidneys > ureters > urethra

Question 11

Describe the steps for calculus formation in horses.

Answer 11

Nucleation of urine crystals (supersaturation of urine)
Crystal growth (equine urine is very alkaline, favouring crystallisation)

Question 12

What are the three main types of neoplasia in the penis?

Answer 12

Melanoma, sarcoid or papilloma

Question 13

List two causes of urinary incontinence in the horse

Answer 13

Upper motor neuron, lower motor neuron or myogenic disorders
Sabulous urolithiasis (bladder is full of sediment)