Large Animal Urinary Tract Disease

Question 1

How common are Urolithiasis in farm animals?

Answer 1

Common in cattle and small ruminants
but uncommon in horses

Question 2

What predisposes large animals to Urolithiasis? (4)

Answer 2

Castrated males- lack of hormones for penile development
Obesity
Diet- high concentrate, low roughage
Hard water- high calcium

Question 3

What are the main Uroliths that ruminants suffer from and why?

Answer 3

Calcium- diet
Phosphate- high grain diet
Silicate- silica rich soil grazing
Oxalate- plants e.g. sugar beet tops

Question 4

Where is the most common site for Urolithiasis to be found in small ruminants?

Answer 4

Urethral process
Distal Sigmoid flexure

Question 5

What are some clinical signs of Urolithiasis in ruminants?

Answer 5

Haematuria, stranguria
Tail flagging
Colic signs
Preputial swelling
Abdominal distension

Question 6

Urolithiasis in Ruminants can lead to…

Answer 6

Bladder rupture
Urethral rupture (and oedematous prepuce)
Hydronephrosis

Question 7

How is Urolithiasis managed in ruminants?

Answer 7

Medical (poor success rate)
Surgery- urethral process amputation, tube cystotomy

Question 8

What is involved in a tube cystotomy cure for Urolithiasis?

Answer 8

Surgically remove stones in bladder then pull bladder to abdominal wall and suture a catheter in- this allows the urethra to heal and swelling to go down

Question 9

What group of horses are more commonly effected by Urolithiasis?

Answer 9

Males

Question 10

When would we use manual removal of Urolithiasis in horses as oppose to surgical removal?

Answer 10

in female horses only we can manually palpate the uroliths if they are in the lower urinary tract

Question 11

When may we expect to see Amyloidosis in ruminants?

Answer 11

In cattle with chronic infections such as mastitis, pericarditis etc.
(rare in horses and small ruminants)

Question 12

Why does amyloidosis occur?

Answer 12

Inflammation increases serum amyloid A production leading to it being deposited in the kidneys

Question 13

How can we diagnose and treat Amyloidosis?

Answer 13

diagnose due to the presence of proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and azotaemia
Treat by treating underlying cause

Question 14

What causes Ulcerative Posthitis/ Vulvitis aka Pizzle Rot?

Answer 14

Caused by ulcerative bacterial infection of the prepuce or vulva mucuous membranes
Cornyebacterium renale (part of the normal flora)

Question 15

How does diet predispose an animal to Pizzle rot?

Answer 15

High protein diet increases urea concentration in urine- bacteria break down urea to ammonia which causes irritation of the skin allowing bacteria to invade

Question 16

How is Pizzle rot treated?

Answer 16

Isolate the affected!
Clipping and cleaning of area
Topical or systemic antimicrobials

Question 17

What is the most common renal disease seen in cattle and why?

Answer 17

Pyelonephritis- ascending infection after parturition & servicing (of which cows undergo plenty of lol)

Question 18

How do we diagnose Pyelonephritis in cattle?

Answer 18

Rectal palpation- can feel swollen kidneys and/or enlarged ureters
Cows will also have pyuria, haematuria, proteinuria

Question 19

How is Pyelonephritis treated in Cattle?

Answer 19

Long term broad spectrum antimicrobials (14-21 days) e.g. Trimethoprim Sulphonamide, Cephalosporins, Tetracyclines

Question 20

How should we approach umbilical hernias?

Answer 20

small hernias will probably resolve over 2 months
larger hernias will require surgery to mitigate the risk of intestinal strangulation

Question 21

What causes enzootic haematuria and how does this effect the bladder?

Answer 21

animals eat bracken fern which contains carcinogens and immunosuppressive compounds, causing bladder wall neoplasia

Question 22

What causes primary renal injury in Horses?

Answer 22

NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, acorn toxicity

Question 23

Can we treat renal failure in Horses?

Answer 23

if acute- can give fluid therapy to establish renal perfusion
if chronic- no cure

Question 24

A 2-3 days old foal presents with stranguria, depression and abdominal distension- what is the likely diagnosis?

Answer 24

Bladder rupture- usually the dorsal aspect of the bladder

Question 25

How can we treat bladder rupture in foals and what is the prognosis?

Answer 25

surgical repair- good outcome (80% repair)