Small Animal Urinary (asynch) Flashcards
Built in Standard to Measure Kidney
length of L2 vertebra on a VD view
Why don’t we use lateral views to measure kidneys?
You technically CAN but have to account for magnification artifact, so VD is the best view
Dog kidney shape
bean shaped
cat kidney shape
more rounded than the dog’s bean
positions of kidney in the dog
right kidney is more cranial, typically within the rib cage and makes contact with caudate process of the caudate lobe of the liver
left kidney just behind the last rib, surrounded by retroperitoneal fat (harder to be seen in skinny animals)
kidney position in the cat
more caudally located in the dog, often at the same level, can be palpated in the abdomen (rarely under rib cage)
2 Most Common Reasons for Imaging the Kidneys
- Hematuria
- Renal insufficiency on lab work (such as azotemia or urea levels)
Abnormally Small Kidneys
chronic disease or congenital disease
Abnormally Large Kidneys
hydronephrosis, acute kidney failure, hyperplasia, mass/cyst
Cortex Echogenicity
Hyperechoic (light gray/white)
Medulla Echogenicity
hypoechoic (dark gray)
Renal Pelvis Echogenicity
anechoic (black)
exception: cats have more fat so will be hyperechoic
Stones Visible on Radiographs
phosphate or oxalate stones
Stones NOT Visible on Radiographs
cysteines or urate stones
Why use radiographs for stones?
can see both kidneys and most of urinary tract in a single view
