Exam 3 - Ureteral Obstructions Flashcards
why are dogs more amenable to stents for ureteral obstructions than cats?
cats have ureters that enter the bladder further distally than dogs, so stents sit very closely if not in their urethra which is painful
what is the kidneys’ immediate response to obstruction?
ureteral pressures increase immediately
renal blood flow decreases
pressure in bowman’s capsule goes up & GFR/blood flow decreases
vasoactive mediators are released leading to more vasoconstriction & further decreased blood flow
WBC influx
fibrosis - chronicity -> permanent damage!!!
T/F: time is of the essence when dealing with a patient with blocked ureters
true - 5 days in dogs & 4 days in cats if you’re aiming to get them back to normal function
what is the most common cause of ureteral obstructions in dogs & cats? why is this important?
ureterolithiasis - calcium oxalate stones
NOT DISSOLVABLE!!!
behind calcium oxalate stones causing ureteral obstruction, what commonly can cause it dogs & cats?
dogs - struvite stones
cats - blood calculi/pus balls
what is the normal size of a cat ureter?
1 mm
if you have a cat that you palpate a large kidney on, but don’t see any stones on rads, what should you do?
do an ultrasound - could be blood calculi causing the obstruction
is bilateral disease associated with ureteral obstruction more common in dogs or cats?
cats
what are the indications of when you should intervene for nephrouteroliths?
if they obstruct urine flow
if they grow in the face of appropriate therapy
associated with serving as a nidus for infection
associated with serious pain or hematuria
how do circumcaval ureters cause issues in cats?
more likely to be seen in cats ~15%
usually the right ureter wraps around the cava, which causes compression over time
what is the best way to diagnose circumcaval ureters in a cat?
CT
what is usually seen on physical exam of patients with ureteroliths?
asymmetrical kidney palpation & pain
or could also not have any pain
what is the common signalment of animal affected by ureterolithiasis?
middle aged to older animals is most common
can happen in young animals
why is it important to do a urine culture for a dog with a ureteral obstruction?
50-75% of them will have a positive urine culture!!!! indicates the need for antibiotics
high incidence of concurrent UTI & pyelonephritis
if you palpate asymmetric kidneys on physical exam, what should you suspect?
obstructed kidneys!!!!
will an animal be azotemic if they have one of two healthy kidneys become obstructed? why?
no - takes a minimum of 75% of renal mass loss to see azotemia
minimum of 60% of functional nephron loss in animals with chronic kidney disease
what clin path abnormalities do you expect to see in a cat with a ureteral obstruction?
azotemia
hyperkalemia
hyperphosphatemia
normocytic, normochromic anemia
positive urine culture
hypercalcemia
what clin path abnormalities do you expect to see in a dog with a ureteral obstruction?
positive urine culture
azotemia
leukocytosis