Canine Urolithiasis and Concurrent Urinary Bladder Abnormalities: Symptoms, Haematology, Urinalysis and Comparative Radiographic and Ultrasonographic Diagnosis.
Canine urolithiasis is a common cause of emergency urinary tract disease requiring a rapid definitive diagnosis for immediate surgical and/or medical therapy. In dogs affected with urocystoliths, urocystoliths are difficult to palpate and physical examination findings are often normal unless the urethral obstruction is present, complete blood cell count (CBC) and serum biochemical analysis are usually normal and the clinical signs are not definitive.
The features recorded for each case were the duration of the illness, the severity of the problem, history of the previous ailment, along with the medication, clinical symptoms such like anorexia, lethargy, depression, weight loss, vomiting, enlargement of the abdomen, polydipsia, polyuria, dysuria, haematuria, vaginal discharge.
In the case of transitional cell papilloma, diagnosed in this study, pneumocystography has revealed a mass grown from cranioventral part of the urinary bladder into the lumen whereas ultrasonography shown hyperechoic mass with thickening of urinary bladder wall.
Uroliths can cause partial or complete urinary obstruction of the urethra leading to emergency situation that requires rapid detection and removal to avoid life threatening conditions such as postrenal azotemia, urinary bladder rupture and uroabdomen. In this respect, radiography and ultrasonography are excellent diagnostic tools for detection of urinary calculi each with
its own complementary superior aspects and limitations. In addition to the diagnostic imaging recommended for definitive diagnosis and confirmation of uroliths, routine clinical, physical, haematological and urine examinations are also highly valuable to detect underlying concurrent disease processes occurring with urolithiasis and/or consequent to it.
Vet Med Open J. 2019; 4(1): 18-26. doi: 10.17140/VMOJ-4-132
