Livestock Urinary - VanMetre

Question 1

This is a normal structure, an outpocketing of the urethral lumen located at the level of the ischium.

Answer 1

Urethral recess

Question 2

This is the skin appendage from which the penis extrudes during breeding.

Answer 2

Sheath

Question 3

This is the thick mucosal lining (actually stratified sq epith) of the interior of the sheath. This mucous membrane reflects onto the penis

Answer 3

Prepuce

Question 4

Why is it nearly impossible to pass a retrograde urinary catheter into the bladder of a male of castrated male ruminant, camelid, or pig?

Answer 4

The catheter will almost always become enlodged in the urethral recess

Question 5

This is a common site for urinary calculi to become lodged and obstruct the urethra in cattle - due to its narrow diameter and abrupt change in direction

Answer 5

Sigmoid flexure

Question 6

This is the narrowest part of the urethra in small ruminants (sheep and goat); urinary calculi tend to become lodged at this site. The second most common site in small ruminants is the _____

Answer 6

1. Urethral process “Pizzle”

2. Sigmoid flexure

Question 7

Why are female ruminants, pigs, and camelids less likely (rare actually!) to have urethral obstruction from calculi?

Answer 7

They have much shorter urethras, which are not surrounded by a fibrous tunic which allows them to easily distend

Question 8

The ______ _______ is caudal and ventral from the urethral orifice in female ruminants, pigs, and camelids

Answer 8

Urethral diverticulum

*Can help you find the urethral orifice during palapation

Question 9

Occasionally, the urachus (conduit for urine to exit the fetal bladder in utero) will remain open post-partum. What is the term for this?

Answer 9

Patent urachus

This should be kept in mind when evaluating a neonate with evidence of a UTI

Question 10

Pigs, camelids, and small ruminants have a smooth, bean-shaped kidney similar to those of humans and domesticated animals. Which species has a lobulated kidney?

Answer 10

Bovine!

Question 11

How do you collect urine in cattle? Cows vs bulls

Answer 11

Cows: Gently rub the perineum immediately ventral to the vulva - cow usually has to be standing

Cattle: lightly rub the preputial mucosa (sick your finger in the prepuce… yuuuuck)

Question 12

How do you collect urine in a sheep?

Answer 12

Hold off its nose - the sheep typically urinate once they begin to struggle against the restraint

Question 13

Normal USG in ruminants/camelids

pH?

Protein?

Answer 13

1.020-1.050

pH is usually alkaline (7-8.5)

usually negative for protein, but a trace + on urine dipstick is common

Question 14

When would ketones be elevated?

Answer 14

Negative for ketones in the normal animal; ketones can be elevated in postpartum dairy cows in a negative energy balance or small ruminants with pregnancy toxemia

Question 15

What is the common name for Ulcerative Posthitis? What causes it? If the penis is involved, what is a more appropriate description?

Answer 15

Pizzle Rot!

Corynebacterium renale

Balanoposthitis

Question 16

This bacteria is part of the normal flora of prepuce of small ruminants, and it proliferates under conditions of high urea in the urine

Answer 16

Corynebacterium renale

• high protein feeds induce high conc of urea in urine
  (e. g. alfalfa hay, legume hay)
• the extra nitrogen is metabolized to urea

Question 17

How do you treat pizzle rot?

Answer 17

Remove high protein diet!

```
Systemic antimicrobial
Penicillin) therapy and or/topical Abx ointment (triple antibiotic
~~~

Question 18

This is a sporadic metabolic disease of intact and castrated male ruminants, camelids, and pigs. ____ form from precipitation of urinary minerals. Obstruction usually occurs in the _____

Answer 18

Urolithiasis

Calculi

Urethra

Question 19

What are the major risk factors for urolithiasis?

Answer 19

1. Dietary mineral imbalance - Ca, Mg, Pi
2. Water intake - dry weather, unpalatable water, freezing
3. Castration - smaller urethral diameter
4. Gender - males&raquo_space;» females

Question 20

Phosphatic Calculi. These urolits are usually ____. They are finely granular, white to brown, and easily crumbled. Typical signalment is feedlot calves and lambs, show animals, on a high-grain diet, and pet goats on inappropriate diets.

Answer 20

Phosphatic Calculi - STRUVITES

Question 21

Why are high grain diets a risk factor for phosphatic calculi (struvites)?

Answer 21

They are inherently high in phosphorus and low in calcium, they alsoinduce less rumination (cud chewing) & Less salivation (saliva normally aids in Pi excretion) so less saliva = more Pi excreted in urine

Question 22

These are commonly found in range animals in the western US and Canada. The calculi are firm, beige to tan, and usually spherical

Answer 22

Silicate Calculi

The native rangeland grasses have high silicon content. Intermittent water deprivation assoc’d with grazing arid rangeland causes concentrated urine and silic acid precipitates to form silicate calculi

Question 23

These are common with high Ca diets such as clover and alfalfa hays or pastures, and when commercial diets designed for lactating animals are used in non-lactating animals. These stones are typically gold in color and resemble BBs.

Answer 23

Ca Carbonate

Question 24

These occur in animals eating high Ca diet. There may be some additional risk by ingestion of plants containing ___ = such as rhubarb, peanuts, pig weed, and lambs quarters. Overzealous dietary supplementation with _____ acid (vit C) can promote these.

Answer 24

Ca oxalate

oxalate

Ascorbic acid
- this is metabolized in the liver to oxalate, which is excreted in the urine

Question 25

What is the “Pet Small Ruminant Rule”

Answer 25

Any ill male small ruminant or wether is BLOCKED until proven otherwise!!

Question 26

What do you think when an owner says their animal is constipated?

Answer 26

Constipation in food animals is VERY rare - they may have mistaken stranguria for constipation

Question 27

Uroliths cause _______ on US

Answer 27

Acoustic shadowing

Question 28

Pt has pitting edema along the prepuce, in the inguinal tissues, or within the ventral abdominal wall. The affected tissues are warm and painful initially; however, with time there is tissue necrosis and they may be cool and non-painful. The animals are usually dehydrated and depressed, they are azotemic. their breath smells of ammonia

Answer 28

Rupture of urethra

Question 29

Blood results with uroabdomen

Answer 29

hyponatremic, hypochloremic, hyperkalemic, severe azotemia

Question 30

DDx for Uroabdomen - 5 F’s

Answer 30

1. Fat - omental fat deposits
2. Fluid - free in the abdomen
3. Fetus - pregnancy
4. Flatus (flatulence)
5. Food

Question 31

Partial urethral obstruction can lead to hydronephrosis - how? what is this?

Answer 31

urine is able to dribble out, which spares the urethral or bladder from rupturing - but pressure builds up in the bladder. This pressure can transfer up both ureters to both kidneys. If sustained for too long the nephrons are crushed under the fluid pressure.

Grave prognosis - should US kidneys to evaluate prior to sx or major workup

Question 32

How to treat urolithiasis in ruminants?

Answer 32

Difficult to catheter - cant flush out

if its a struvite you can infuse bladder with Walpole’s solution to acidify and break down

Either sx or humane euth

Question 33

Why put salt on feed?

Answer 33

Increase salt intake –> increases thirst –> more water intake = more dilute urine

***MUST be done responsibly (always access to water)

Question 34

Ascending UTI:

1. urethra to bladder?
2. bladder to one or both ureters?
3. ureters to kidney(s)?

Answer 34

1. cystitis
2. ureteritis
3. pyelonephritis

Question 35

UTI and Cornyebacterium renale

Answer 35

Confined cattle UTIs: Vulva to vulva contact

aka contagious bovine pyelonephritis

Question 36

UTI caused by E coli

Answer 36

Souces of infection are most commonly due to fecal contamination. Damage to lower urinary tract defenses or heavy urogenital contamination with feces increases the risk of ascending UTI with coliforms.

Question 37

How to differentiate cystitis from pyelonephitis (brief)

Answer 37

CBC: Inflammatory leukogram

CASTS of WBCs/debris on sediment

*if azotemia exists, this implies bilateral involvement

Question 38

The ___ kidney is palpable per rectum in adult ruminants, and lies on the roof of the abdominal cavity, roughly ____

Answer 38

Left

On midline

Question 39

How does vaginal palpation aid in the diagnosis of pyelonephritis?

Answer 39

Can frequently feel distended ureters(s)

Question 40

UTI Tx in food animals: you much select an Abx with _____ concentrations in the urine.

You may need to treat for __________ period of time

Rough rule: ___ wk min for cystitis; ___ wks for pyelonephritis

Whats the best?

Answer 40

high

extended

1 wk

2 wk

Penicillin, ampicillin, or sulfonamides

Question 41

Other than ascending infection, how can the kidneys be infected?

Answer 41

Hematogenous nephritis

Question 42

What agent is notorious as a hematogenous “kidney-infector”

which spp is often affected?

Answer 42

Lepto!

Primarily cattle

Question 43

What is host-adapted?

Answer 43

Strain of agent sets up shop in the host, but doesnt want to kill the host.

Question 44

This is a host-adapted agent of cattle. Who is susceptible?

Answer 44

Leptospirosis hardjo

Fetus!

Question 45

What are non-host adapted?

Answer 45

These cause more severe damage!

These cows are SICK

Question 46

Reminder to review (NAVLE)

Answer 46

Bracken Fern
Nephrotoxin plants
Non-plant nephrotoxins

Renal amyloidosis