Veterinary Medicine Essentials: Urinary tract disease

The frequent visits through the doggie door or to the litter box. ?The straining. Possible blood in the urine. The pain that your clients might not even be aware of in their pets. There's likely a medical cause, but urinary tract disorders can also result from stress in the animal's environment. We've compiled our best articles on teasing out the cause of the infection and how to get it to just go away. We've even got lots of tips on how to get that urine sample in the first place.

Updates on urinary tract disease

Technicians and cystocentesis: A closer look at veterinary supervision

Mar 22, 2017

Highly trained and experienced team members with the proper credentials can handle delicate procedures as well as-or better than-their bosses. So why do veterinarians have to be involved at all? ...

Feline ureteral obstruction: Stent to save the kidneys?

Mar 22, 2017

Placing a ureteral stent in cats with benign ureteral obstruction may preserve renal function. ...

Can you guess the No. 1 medical conditions in dogs and cats?

Apr 07, 2016

The results are in! Nationwide announces the top medical conditions of 2015 and the average cost to treat. Does their list match up with what you see most in your veterinary practice? ...

Journal Scan: Is there an optimal food type for cats with idiopathic cystitis?

Jan 11, 2016

Feeding a cystitis-prevention diet may be of benefit, but the exact food components responsible for the beneficial effect is unclear. ...

Lecture Link: Diagnosing and treating urinary tract infection in cats

Aug 10, 2015

Practical tips for working up and treating cats with urinary signs. ...

Journal Scan: Do you need only three days to treat an uncomplicated UTI?

Jun 25, 2012

This study explored the efficacy of a three-day course of enrofloxacin in dogs. ...

How to identify inappropriate feline elimination

May 01, 2011

The most common concern expression by clients about their cats' behavior involves inappropriate elimination. ...

Diagnosing urinary tract disease

Ins and outs of using contrast medium to evaluate the urinary tract

Veterinary radiologist Dr. Anthony Pease's thoughts on this quick and easy form of assessment. ...

21 tips to enhance your crystalluria interpretation

Use this list of dos and don'ts the next time you process a veterinary urine sample. ...

Nonobstructive idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease: How to approach a puzzling disorder

Researchers have yet to pin down the cause or causes of this frustrating and often painful disease, so a definitive treatment protocol remains elusive. Current recommendations include lifestyle changes such as stress relief and increased water intake. ...

The diagnostic approach to hematuria

This article and the accompanying algorithms are intended to guide practitioners through the series of steps necessary to confirm the presence of hematuria, localize the source of the RBCs, and identify the specific cause. ...

What is the significance of pyuria?

A significant number of bacteria associated with pyuria indicates the inflammatory lesion is active. ...

Difficult bacterial urinary tract infections: recurrent infections

Any time bacteria are identified, a "breakthrough" infection should be suspected. ...

Diagnostic caveats for difficult bacterial urinary tract infections

The objective of part one of this two-part series is to summarize diagnostic caveats derived from our experience with medical management of urinary tract infections (UTI) during the past 35 years. ...

Treating urinary tract disease

Antimicrobials and UTIs-What's the best treatment option?

Veterinary pharmacologist Dawn Boothe runs down the drugs that you should, and shouldn't, use in empirical treatment. ...

How to perform a feline perineal urethrostomy

A step-by-step surgical guide, tips to optimize results, and revision techniques, just in case. ...

Managing bacterial cystitis in the ER

An overview of diagnostic and treatment options for veterinary patients with signs of lower urinary tract disease. ...

Video: Asymptomatic UTIs

Dr. Dawn Boothe discusses whether you should treat patients that have chronic bacteria in their urine yet no signs of infection. ...

Managing routine and difficult urinary tract infections in dogs (Proceedings)

Urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria colonize portions of the urinary tract that are normally sterile (i.e., kidney, ureter, bladder, and proximal urethra). ...

Leading Off: New guidance for treating bacterial UTIs

Dr. Joseph Bartges discusses how a new set of guidelines provide an important framework. ...

Associated conditions

Journal Scan: Is there an association between the severity of CKD and risk of UTIs in cats?

A study looks at the association between chronic kidney disease and UTIs in cats. ...

Recessed vulva: An overlooked cause of chronic UTI in dogs

Why you should consider this anatomic anomaly in female dogs with recurrent urinary tract infections-and how you can fix it. ...

Urinary tract infection in dogs after surgery for intervertebral disk extrusion

Study results indicate possible need for testing in these patients. ...

Pandora syndrome: Rethinking our approach to idiopathic cystitis in cats

Look outside the urinary tract-as well as in the cat's environment-for diagnostic and therapeutic answers. ...

Stalking stones: An overview of canine and feline urolithiasis

Urolithiasis is common in dogs and cats, causing morbidity and, occasionally, mortality. ...

Arming your team

Need a urine sample? Urine luck!

We've collected 9 of our favorite tips compiled from the pages of Veterinary Medicine to help you collect that free-catch urine sample from your veterinary patients. ...

5 steps to reduce the recurrence of bladder stones

Sick of seeing "stoned" cats and dogs at your veterinary practice? Don't pass the chance to stop the strain by preventing recurring bladder stones in dogs and cats. ...

BizQuiz: Marking cats vs. eliminating cats

Use this quiz to help determine whether a cat is marking or eliminating. ...