Large Animal Urinary Tract Disease Flashcards
How common are Urolithiasis in farm animals?
Common in cattle and small ruminants
but uncommon in horses
What predisposes large animals to Urolithiasis? (4)
Castrated males- lack of hormones for penile development
Obesity
Diet- high concentrate, low roughage
Hard water- high calcium
What are the main Uroliths that ruminants suffer from and why?
Calcium- diet
Phosphate- high grain diet
Silicate- silica rich soil grazing
Oxalate- plants e.g. sugar beet tops
Where is the most common site for Urolithiasis to be found in small ruminants?
Urethral process
Distal Sigmoid flexure
What are some clinical signs of Urolithiasis in ruminants?
Haematuria, stranguria
Tail flagging
Colic signs
Preputial swelling
Abdominal distension
Urolithiasis in Ruminants can lead to…
Bladder rupture
Urethral rupture (and oedematous prepuce)
Hydronephrosis
How is Urolithiasis managed in ruminants?
Medical (poor success rate)
Surgery- urethral process amputation, tube cystotomy
What is involved in a tube cystotomy cure for Urolithiasis?
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
What group of horses are more commonly effected by Urolithiasis?
Males
When would we use manual removal of Urolithiasis in horses as oppose to surgical removal?
in female horses only we can manually palpate the uroliths if they are in the lower urinary tract
When may we expect to see Amyloidosis in ruminants?
In cattle with chronic infections such as mastitis, pericarditis etc.
(rare in horses and small ruminants)
Why does amyloidosis occur?
Inflammation increases serum amyloid A production leading to it being deposited in the kidneys
How can we diagnose and treat Amyloidosis?
diagnose due to the presence of proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and azotaemia
Treat by treating underlying cause
What causes Ulcerative Posthitis/ Vulvitis aka Pizzle Rot?
Caused by ulcerative bacterial infection of the prepuce or vulva mucuous membranes
Cornyebacterium renale (part of the normal flora)
How does diet predispose an animal to Pizzle rot?
High protein diet increases urea concentration in urine- bacteria break down urea to ammonia which causes irritation of the skin allowing bacteria to invade
How is Pizzle rot treated?
Isolate the affected!
Clipping and cleaning of area
Topical or systemic antimicrobials
What is the most common renal disease seen in cattle and why?
Pyelonephritis- ascending infection after parturition & servicing (of which cows undergo plenty of lol)
How do we diagnose Pyelonephritis in cattle?
Rectal palpation- can feel swollen kidneys and/or enlarged ureters
Cows will also have pyuria, haematuria, proteinuria
How is Pyelonephritis treated in Cattle?
Long term broad spectrum antimicrobials (14-21 days) e.g. Trimethoprim Sulphonamide, Cephalosporins, Tetracyclines
How should we approach umbilical hernias?
small hernias will probably resolve over 2 months
larger hernias will require surgery to mitigate the risk of intestinal strangulation
What causes enzootic haematuria and how does this effect the bladder?
animals eat bracken fern which contains carcinogens and immunosuppressive compounds, causing bladder wall neoplasia
What causes primary renal injury in Horses?
NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, acorn toxicity
Can we treat renal failure in Horses?
if acute- can give fluid therapy to establish renal perfusion
if chronic- no cure
A 2-3 days old foal presents with stranguria, depression and abdominal distension- what is the likely diagnosis?
Bladder rupture- usually the dorsal aspect of the bladder
How can we treat bladder rupture in foals and what is the prognosis?
surgical repair- good outcome (80% repair)
