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Objective: To collect voided urine from dogs with clinical signs of lower UTI and determine the diagnostic performance of a commercially available rapid immunoassay (RIA) immediately after urine collection and after refrigeration at 4 and 24 hours., Animals: 40 client-owned dogs., Methods: Aerobic urine culture was performed on urine collected by cystocentesis. Urine samples were collected by voiding, and the RIA performed in triplicate within 30 minutes (time 0) and again in triplicate after 4 and 24 hours of refrigeration. Test precision and agreement between culture results and RIA results at each time point were determined, and factors possibly associated with false results investigated., Results: 14 of 40 dogs (35%) had UTI verified by aerobic urine culture, and all had positive RIA. Three dogs had false positive RIA results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the RIA were 100, 88%, 82%, and 100%, respectively, and results were not different after 4 and 24 hours of refrigeration. Precision was excellent., Clinical Relevance: This point-of-care RIA, performed on voided urine refrigerated up to 24 hours, rapidly and accurately identifies bacteriuria in dogs with lower urinary tract clinical signs, inexpensively.

Background: The ability to detect bacteriuria in dogs with a point-of-care test might improve medical care and antimicrobial stewardship., Hypothesis and Objective: A rapid immunoassay (RIA; RapidBac) will provide acceptable sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of bacteriuria., Animals: Forty-four client-owned dogs with a clinical indication for urinalysis and aerobic bacterial urine culture., Methods: Prospective study. Urine, collected by cystocentesis, was submitted for urinalysis and culture at a diagnostic laboratory. Owners completed an enrollment questionnaire regarding their dogs' clinical signs. The RIA was performed according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Results were compared to culture., Results: Forty-four urine specimens were evaluated from 44 dogs. The sensitivity and specificity of the RIA test to detect bacteriuria compared to urine culture were 81.8% (95% CI, 65.7%-97.9%) and 95.5% (95% CI, 86.8%-99.9%), respectively. For cultures yielding ≥10 3  CFU/mL, sensitivity increased to 90.0% (95% CI, 76.9%-100%) and specificity was similar at 95.2% (95% CI, 86.1%-99.9%). Malodorous urine, bacteriuria, and pyuria were more likely to be present in dogs with positive RIA or urine culture results compared to dogs with negative results., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The RIA was easy to perform and had good sensitivity and excellent specificity in this group of dogs. The RIA might be a useful screening test for decision-making regarding antimicrobial therapy in dogs with a clinical indication for urine culture. Consideration could be given to amending the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Disease definition of bacterial cystitis as the presence of signs of lower urinary tract disease together with positive culture or a positive RIA., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Background: No recent studies have evaluated the association between clinical signs of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) and positive urine culture in dogs with diabetes mellitus., Objective: Determine the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria (ie, positive urine culture without signs of LUTD) in dogs with diabetes mellitus., Animals: One hundred seven dogs with diabetes mellitus were evaluated at a university veterinary hospital., Methods: Retrospective study evaluating diabetic dogs with a single sample paired urinalysis and urine culture. Relationship between the presence of signs of LUTD, pyuria, and bacteriuria and urine culture results were compared using Fisher exact testing., Results: Fifteen dogs (14%) had a positive urine culture via cystocentesis or free catch, of which 8 (53%) had pyuria, and 4 (27%) had signs of LUTD. Of the 88 dogs (82%) without signs of LUTD, 11 (13%) had a positive culture. A significant association was found between a positive urine culture and pyuria (OR infinity; 95% CI 20.34-infinity, P < .00001) and bacteriuria (OR infinity; 95% CI 164.4-infinity, P < .00001). No association was found between urine culture results and signs of LUTD (OR 1.87; 95% CI 0.59-6.85, P = .46)., Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Subclinical bacteriuria occurred in this cohort of dogs, and our findings reinforce the recommendation that urine cultures should not be routinely performed in diabetic dogs particularly if pyuria and bacteriuria are absent., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether prostatic aspirate culture is a superior method to detect infection compared to culture of urine collected by cystocentesis in dogs with prostatic neoplasia., Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted and dogs with suspected or confirmed prostatic neoplasia were enrolled. Urinalysis was done and culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on paired urine and prostatic aspirate samples collected at a single timepoint., Results: Ten dogs with prostatic neoplasia were enrolled. All dogs had one or more clinical sign consistent with lower urinary tract disease. One dog (10%) had a positive urine culture, but negative prostatic aspirate culture, one dog (10%) had a positive prostatic aspirate culture, but negative urine culture, and one dog (10%) had both positive urine and prostatic aspirate cultures. Using prostatic aspirate culture as the reference standard, urine culture had a sensitivity for detecting infection of 87.5% (95% confidence interval 52.9 to 99.4) and specificity of 50% (92.6 to 97.4) in this population of dogs., Clinical Significance: Positive cultures were uncommon with both culture collection methods. Study results did not identify prostatic aspirate culture to be a more sensitive method of detecting prostatic infection than urine culture collected by cystocentesis in these dogs with prostatic neoplasia., (© 2022 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Objectives: A urine culture is often pursued in cats with acute kidney injury (AKI) to screen for bacterial growth in the urine, but it can be cost prohibitive. The aim of the study was to determine the ability of a urinalysis and lower urinary tract signs (LUTS) to predict urine culture results in cats with AKI., Methods: Ninety-seven cats with AKI were included in this study. This was a retrospective, observational study. Medical records from 2008 to 2018 were reviewed to identify cats with AKI that had a paired urinalysis and urine bacterial culture. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of microscopic bacteriuria, pyuria, hematuria and the presence of LUTS for predicting urine culture results was calculated., Results: Thirty-two percent of cats (n = 31) had a positive urine culture. Of these, 28 (90%) had bacteriuria, 21 (68%) had pyuria, 13 (42%) had hematuria and 10 (32%) had LUTS. Of the 42 cats without hematuria or pyuria, seven had a positive urine culture (17%). Bacteriuria had a high sensitivity (90%) and specificity (92%) for predicting urine culture bacterial growth. The absence of bacteriuria had a high negative predictive value for no bacterial growth (95%). The odds of a positive urine culture were increased with bacteriuria (odds ratio [OR] 114, 95% confidence interval [CI] 29-621; P <0.001), pyuria (OR 21, 95% CI 7-70; P <0.001) and LUTS (OR 5, 95% CI 1.7-16; P  = 0.004). Hematuria was not associated with a positive culture (sensitivity 42%, specificity 52%)., Conclusions and Relevance: Microscopic bacteriuria and pyuria on urine sediment evaluation and LUTS can be helpful for predicting bacterial culture results in cats with AKI and in settings where submitting a urine culture may not be financially feasible.

Background: Immunosuppressive treatment with glucocorticoids and cyclosporine increases the risk for positive urine cultures (PUCs) in dogs., Objective: To investigate the prevalence and incidence of PUC in dogs diagnosed with cancer and treated with antineoplastic chemotherapy while distinguishing between subclinical bacteriuria (SB) and urinary tract infection (UTI)., Animals: Forty-six client-owned dogs with nonurogenital cancer treated with antineoplastic chemotherapy., Methods: Prospective observational longitudinal clinical study. Dogs in which a urine culture was performed before the start of and at least once during antineoplastic chemotherapy were included. A McNemar's test was used to investigate if the prevalence of PUC increased during antineoplastic chemotherapy. Positive urine cultures were categorized into SB and UTI and multiple PUCs from the same dog and category were grouped together as 1 episode of PUC., Results: Urine culture was positive in 21/185 urine samples in 8/46 dogs. Antineoplastic chemotherapy did not influence the prevalence of PUC (P = 1.00), which was 11% (5/46 dogs; 95% confidence interval: 5-23%) before the start of and 13% (6/46 dogs; 95% confidence interval: 6-26%) during antineoplastic chemotherapy. Eight dogs had 10 episodes of PUC; 7/10 episodes were classified as SB, and in 3/10 episodes UTI (chronic prostatitis, prostatic abscess, and emphysematous cystitis) was diagnosed. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen, isolated in 9/10 episodes., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: We did not find evidence that antineoplastic chemotherapy is a major predisposing factor for the development of PUC. Most dogs with PUC had SB., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is commonly encountered in small animal general practice. Within the past 5 years, there have been changes to terminology, such as the renaming of asymptomatic bacteriuria to subclinical bacteriuria, as well as paradigm shifts in the management of UTI. In general, there is an emphasis for responsible antimicrobial stewardship and selecting treatment based on urine culture and sensitivity and treating symptomatic bacterial UTI with a shorter duration of antimicrobials. In addition, for most cases, treatment of subclinical bacteriuria is not indicated., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the effect of urine-specific gravity (USG) on using microscopic evaluation of bacteriuria to predict urine culture results in dogs and cats., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective medical record review of canine and feline patients that had a urinalysis and urine culture performed simultaneously. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of microscopic bacteriuria for predicting urine culture results were calculated, stratified by USG. Multivariable regression was performed to test the effect of USG, pyuria, haematuria and species on the agreement between microscopic bacteriuria and culture results., Results: A total of 481 dogs and 291 cats with paired urinalysis and urine culture results were included in the study. Microscopic bacteriuria had moderate sensitivity (76% in dogs, 64% in cats) and high specificity (97% in dogs, 96% in cats) for predicting urine culture bacterial growth. Samples with rod bacteria were more likely to have bacterial growth than those with cocci (OR=Infinity, 95% CI 4.8 - Infinity). As compared to isosthenuric+hyposthenuric samples (USG ≤1.012), agreement was lower in moderately concentrated (OR=0.44, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.91) samples. Absence of bacteriuria, pyuria and haematuria had a high negative predictive value for no bacterial growth (96%)., Clinical Significance: Microscopic bacteriuria has a high specificity in predicting urine culture results, regardless of USG. The finding that microscopic bacteriuria has better agreement with urine culture results in isosthenuric+hyposthenuric urine argues against reflex culture in these samples, especially if pyuria and haematuria are also absent. Urine microscopy can aid clinicians in determining the likelihood of urine culture growth., (© 2021 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Background: Urinalysis (UA) is often used to screen for bacterial cystitis, regardless of sediment results, and followed up by quantitative urine culture (UC) for definitive diagnosis., Objectives: Determine prevalence of positive UCs in dogs with inactive urine sediments on routine UA., Animals: A total of 1049 urine samples with inactive urine sediments and UCs collected from dogs presented to a veterinary specialty hospital between January 2018 and February 2020., Methods: Retrospective study of dogs with an inactive urine sediment on routine UA and follow-up UCs. Signalment, UA findings, proteinuria, and UC results were recorded. Associations among these findings were assessed using multivariate logistic regression carried out using a backward stepwise method., Results: Overall prevalence of positive UC was 3.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-4.8). Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacteria. Only naturally voided samples were associated with increased prevalence of positive culture when compared to collection by cystocentesis or a non-specified method. No statistically significant association with culture positivity was found for urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, urine specific gravity, urine pH, breed, age, or sex., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Based on the low prevalence (3.4%) of positive culture in urine samples from dogs with inactive sediment on routine UA and the relatively high cost of UC and sensitivity, cost-benefit analysis including clinical suspicion of lower urinary tract disease should inform testing decisions, rather than routinely performing cultures on urine samples without active sediments., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

We analyzed urine samples from 191 cats for bacteriuria with an automated urine sediment analyzer (Idexx SediVue Dx), combined with image review by an observer, and compared to bacteriologic culture results. Sixty-nine samples were unambiguously assigned to be free of bacteria by the instrument and the observer, and no bacterial growth was detected. Twenty-seven samples were unambiguously assigned to have bacteriuria; 24 of these 27 samples were culture-positive. For these samples, bacteriuria was predicted with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96%. A clear assignment was not possible for 95 samples, 81 of which were culture-negative. Specificity dropped to 45% when all samples were considered. Using the automated leukocyte count to predict bacteriuria, sensitivity was 82% and specificity was 75%. Automated sediment analysis is faster and less observer-dependent than sediment analysis under a microscope, but accurate detection of bacteriuria remains difficult in a large proportion of samples. Bacteriuria was significantly associated with leukocyte count; the leukocyte count was >5/high power field in 82% of culture-positive samples.

Objective: To compare urine concentrations of fibrinogen (uFIB) and interleukin-6 (uIL-6) between dogs with risk factors for enterococcal bacteriuria and healthy dogs., Sample: Banked urine samples with negative aerobic culture results from 8 dogs with urolithiasis, 9 dogs with anatomic abnormalities of the lower portion of the urinary tract (LUT), 10 dogs with LUT neoplasia, and 21 healthy control dogs., Procedures: Urine creatinine concentration (uCrea) was determined by an automated biochemical analyzer, and uFIB and uIL-6 were determined by dog-specific ELISAs. The uFIB:uCrea and uIL-6:uCrea ratios were calculated for each sample to normalize intersample differences in urine concentration and were compared among the 4 experimental groups., Results: Median uFIB:uCrea ratios for dogs with urolithiasis (0.72; interquartile [25th to 75 percentile] range [IQR], 0.46 to 3.48) and LUT neoplasia (6.16; IQR, 3.89 to 12.75), but not for dogs with LUT anatomic abnormalities (0.48; IQR, 0.27 to 0.69), were significantly greater than that for control dogs (0.17; IQR, 0.07 to 0.39). Median uIL-6: uCrea ratios for dogs with urolithiasis (0.48; IQR, 0.18 to 1.61), LUT anatomic abnormalities (0.25; IQR, 0.17 to 0.33), and LUT neoplasia (0.25; IQR, 0.12 to 1.01) were significantly greater than that for control dogs (0.08; IQR, 0.06 to 0.11)., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The uFIB and uIL-6 in dogs with risk factors for enterococcal bacteriuria were generally greater than corresponding values in control dogs. Further investigation is necessary to determine the role of fibrinogen in enterococcal colonization of the urinary tract of dogs.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vulvar recession in a large population of dogs and to compare the reproductive and physical differences between dogs with and without recessed vulvas., Animals: 250 female dogs presenting to a tertiary referral institution., Procedures: Female dogs > 6 months of age presenting to a tertiary referral institution were enrolled. At enrollment, a full medical history was obtained with particular emphasis on the presence of lower urinary tract (LUT) disease in the 3 months prior to presentation. All dogs underwent a full physical examination including perivulvar cytologic examination and scoring of the degree of perivulvar skin coverage on the basis of an 8-point scale. Dogs with scores of ≥ 7 were classified as having recessed vulvas. When available, urinalysis data were also included., Results: Recessed vulvas were identified in 36 of 250 (14%) dogs. Dogs with recessed vulvas had significantly higher body condition scores and body weights than unaffected dogs. In addition, recessed vulvas were more common in spayed than sexually intact dogs. Dogs spayed at ≤ 1 year of age were almost 3 times as likely to have vulvar recession, compared with dogs spayed at > 1 year of age. No significant difference was identified between affected and unaffected dogs with respect to the prevalence of LUT signs, urinary tract infections, or perivulvar dermatitis., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Although recessed vulvas were relatively common in dogs, they did not appear to be associated with an increased risk of LUT disease or perivulvar dermatitis.

Bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common condition affecting dogs. Urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility test, associated with the identification of underlying cause, are of primary importance in order to select a correct treatment, especially in presence of comorbidities. Two cases of immunecompromised dogs affected by urinary tract infection (UTI) have been described: the first, probably immunosuppressed due to old age, was in poor body condition, with severe odontolithiasis and periodontitis; the second was affected by chronic kidney disease in advanced stage. Urine cultures isolated two rare and atypical pathogens, Moellerella wisconsensis and Brevundimonas vesicularis, both showing sensitivity versus floroquinolones which were selected for the treatment. After a 4 weeks treatment, a second culture demonstrated the resolution of infection in both cases, in absence of clinical signs.To date neither of the two bacteria have been reported as cause of UTI in dog.

Objective: To identify risk factors for urinary bacterial growth in dogs with confirmed congenital portosystemic shunts on which a quantitative urine culture was performed., Materials and Methods: Sixty-six dogs were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Medical records were reviewed from 1997 through 2019. Variables of interest included age, sex and sexual status, clinical signs for a urinary tract infection, blood urea concentration, urinalysis abnormalities, ultrasound abnormalities of the urinary tract, and previous treatment. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed., Results: The median age of the dogs was one year (range: 0.2-11.0 years). Urinary tract ultrasound abnormalities (cystic calculi and cystic debris) were reported in 50 dogs (75.7%). Abnormalities on urinalysis included pyuria in nine dogs (13.6%), bacteriuria in 13 dogs (19.7%), and haematuria in 26 dogs (39.4%). The median urine specific gravity was 1.021 (range: 1.004-1.052). Sixteen dogs (24.2%) had a positive quantitative urine culture. Based on multivariable analysis, bacteriuria (Odds ratio, 116; 95% CI, 9.6-1393; P = < 0.001) was the only variable significantly associated with a significantly increased odds for a positive quantitative urine culture., Clinical Significance: Clinical and subclinical bacteriuria can occur in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts. In this group of dogs, bacteriuria was a risk factor for urinary bacterial growth., (© 2021 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Background: Bacterial urine culture is recommended in dogs suspected of having urinary tract infection (UTI), but there is expense and delay in obtaining such results., Hypothesis/objective: To determine the diagnostic performance of a rapid immunoassay (RIA) dipstick for detection of bacteriuria using voided urine from dogs with clinical signs of lower UTI., Animals: Twenty-four client-owned dogs., Methods: Voided urine was collected and the RIA performed within 30 minutes. Urine collected by cystocentesis was submitted for aerobic urine culture. McNemar's test and kappa coefficient were calculated to determine agreement between the 2 tests., Results: Nine of 21 dogs (43%) had UTI verified by aerobic urine culture. There was 1 false-negative and no false-positive RIA results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the RIA were 89%, 100%, 100%, and 92%, respectively., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This RIA is promising for correctly identifying whether or not voided urine samples from dogs with lower urinary tract clinical signs have true bacteriuria in a rapid, inexpensive manner. Additional patients should be enrolled in a similar study to determine if diagnostic performance is robust in a large population., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical use of nitrofurantoin in client-owned dogs with lower urinary tract infections. The primary aim was to describe the patient population, dosage, treatment duration, outcome and side effects., Materials and Methods: Medical records in an institution were retrospectively reviewed from July 2013 to January 2019., Results: Nitrofurantoin was prescribed in this clinical population of 14 client-owned dogs for lower urinary tract infections. Recurrent urinary tract infection was the clinical diagnosis in all dogs. Each dog's urinary tract infection was associated with a nitrofurantoin-susceptible, multidrug-resistant uropathogen. The median dosage and duration of nitrofurantoin treatment was 4.3 mg/kg by mouth every 8 hours for 14 days. Twelve of the 14 dogs had successful outcomes including bacteriologic cure (n = 9), clinical cure (2) and resolution of target bacteria (1). Treatment failures (n = 2) were associated with uropathogens developing progressive nitrofurantoin resistance., Clinical Significance: In some dogs with recurrent lower urinary tract infections, nitrofurantoin may be an effective antibiotic for treatment of nitrofurantoin-susceptible uropathogens. Treatment failures were associated with progressive uropathogen resistance. Urine bacterial culture and quantitative susceptibility testing are essential to initiating and monitoring treatment due to the multidrug-resistant isolates and, in some cases, persistent bacteriuria in the face of treatment., (© 2020 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Bacteriuria has been associated with abnormal neurological status in humans, especially geriatric patients. In this report, we review 11 cases (seven dogs and four cats) that suggest an association between bacteriuria and abnormal neurological status in veterinary medicine. These cases showed diffuse forebrain signs with or without brainstem signs, but primary brain disease was excluded by MRI and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Bacteriological culture of urine was positive in each animal and neurological deficits improved or resolved with initiation of antibiosis ± fluid therapy and levetiracetam. While further studies are needed to definitively confirm or refute the link between bacteriuria and a reversible encephalopathy, urine bacteriological culture should be considered in veterinary patients presented with acute onset forebrain neuro-anatomical localisation, even in the absence of clinical signs of lower urinary tract inflammation., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Small Animal Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Background: Urine cultures are frequently recommended to rule out infection as a postrenal cause of proteinuria., Objective: Identify characteristics associated with bacterial growth in urine in proteinuric dogs., Animals: Four hundred and fifty-one dogs admitted to a teaching hospital between January 2008 and January 2018 with urine protein-to-creatinine ratios (UPCs) >0.5., Methods: Retrospective study included dogs with a UPC, urinalysis, and quantitative urine culture (QUC) performed within a 72-hour period by searching electronic records. Dogs with recent antimicrobial therapy, urine collected by methods other than cystocentesis, or UPC ≤0.5 were excluded. Signalment, comorbidities, serum BUN and creatinine concentrations, urinalysis findings, and QUC results were recorded. The association between these characteristics and presence of bacterial growth in urine was assessed by univariable and multivariable analysis., Results: Thirty of four hundred fifty-one dogs (6.7%) had bacterial growth in urine. Of these, 18 (60.0%) had active urine sediment. Bacterial growth in urine was associated with pyuria (odd ratio [OR] 25.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.9-79.6, P < .001), bacteriuria (OR 11.1, 95% CI 3.2-39.1, P < .001), and lower urinary tract disease (OR 6.7, 95% CI 1.9-23.0; P = .0028). If QUC was prompted based on these criteria, 8/451 (1.8%) of proteinuric dogs would have had undetected bacterial growth., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The proportion of proteinuric dogs with both inactive urine sediment and bacterial growth in urine was low, suggesting that QUC might not be necessary in the evaluation of all proteinuric dogs. An active urine sediment or lower urinary tract disease should prompt QUC for proteinuric dogs., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Background: Quantitative bacterial culture and susceptibility testing is the gold standard diagnostic for determining bacterial urinary tract infection. Transport of samples to external reference laboratories is common practice in veterinary medicine., Objective: To compare bacterial culture and susceptibility results from clinical urine samples when streak plate inoculation is performed immediately after sample collection versus after transport to a reference laboratory. To determine the clinical implications of discrepant culture results., Animals: One hundred and ninety-four canine and 45 feline urine samples that were submitted for urinalysis and urine culture and susceptibility testing., Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. Streak plate inoculations were performed on urine samples immediately after collection and also after transport to a reference laboratory. Samples were stored in plain sterile tubes and refrigerated up to 24 hours before transport. Culture results were compared, and discordant results were evaluated for clinical relevance. Signalment, comorbidities, lower urinary tract signs, and antimicrobial history were recorded., Results: Kappa coefficient for agreement between plating methods was 0.884. Twenty-two (71%) of 31 discrepant results were determined to have no clinical impact. Though 35% of clean midstream samples had discrepant culture results, only 8% of these had clinical impact. Conversely, 8.6% from cystocentesis were discrepant, but 41% of these had clinical impact., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Provided urine samples are stored and transported appropriately, the immediate preplating of urine for culture and susceptibility testing is unnecessary in the majority of cases. Despite more discrepancies in plating methods for midstream samples, the minority were of clinical importance., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Objective: To determine the incidence of bacteriuria at the time of presentation and as a result of indwelling urethral catheterization in naturally occurring feline urethral obstruction (UO)., Design: Prospective observational study., Setting: University teaching hospital., Animals: A population of 34 male cats with UO admitted for standard medical care., Interventions: A presenting urine sample was obtained by cystocentesis (precatheterization). After catheterization (performed under strict aseptic technique), a urine sample was obtained through the urinary catheter every 24 hours, as well as just prior to catheter removal. Urine was applied to culture media within 30 minutes of collection or refrigerated immediately at 4°C for subsequent culture the following morning. Samples positive for growth (defined as > 10 4 colony forming units/mL) had bacterial identification and susceptibility testing performed., Measurements and Main Results: All 34 cats enrolled had initial culture performed. Of these, 1 patient died and 2 were euthanized within 24 hours and therefore subsequent cultures were obtained. The remaining 31 cats had median catheterization time of 42 hours (range 20-110 hours). No urine cultures yielded growth at presentation (0/34). A total of 4 of 31 patients (13%) subsequently had bacterial cultures that yielded growth. In these cases, all yielded growth by the 24-hour time point, and all had the same organism identified on subsequent cultures. Identified bacteria included Streptococcus spp. (3) and Pasteurella spp. (1)., Conclusions: The male cats with UO in this study did not have bacteriuria at the time of presentation. The overall incidence of acquired bacteriuria was found to be 13% and could represent a transient bacterial population or true bacterial urinary tract infection. Based on these findings, empirical administration of antibiotics is not warranted in male cats with UO., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2019.)

Objective: To evaluate association between ultrasonographic urine echogenicity and sediment examination in dogs and cats., Materials and Methods: Dogs and cats undergoing ultrasound-guided cystocentesis at a multidisciplinary referral hospital. Ultrasonographic images were stored and reviewed by a single, blinded, board-certified radiologist. Urine appearance was described as "echoic" or "anechoic". Urine sediment was examined for bacteriuria, pyuria, haematuria, crystalluria and urine-specific gravity and then classified as "active" or "inactive.", Results: Of the 194 cases included in this study, urine was echoic in 52 and anechoic in 142. Sediment was active in 52 and inactive in 142 samples. Sensitivity and specificity of echoic urine for active sediment were 40% (95% CI: 27 to 55%) and 78% (95% CI: 70 to 85%), respectively. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value of echoic urine for active sediment were 40% (CI 30 to 52%) and 78% (CI 74 to 82%), respectively. If urine-specific gravity was <1.015 urine was always described ultrasonographically as anechoic., Clinical Significance: Association between sediment analysis and ultrasonographic appearance of urine is poor. Echoic urine had low positive predictive value for active sediment in this study, suggesting that echoic urine alone should not prompt urinary investigations in the absence of other clinical suspicion. Despite a negative predictive value of 78%, urinalysis is still indicated for anechoic urine, especially if urine specific gravity is low., (© 2019 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Bloodstream infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill dogs, but due to cost and difficulties in sample acquisition, blood cultures are infrequently obtained. In ill dogs, urine cultures may be recommended as surrogates for blood cultures. In order to determine the outcome agreement between parallel urine and blood cultures, we retrospectively analyzed parallel blood and urine specimens submitted for culture from dogs at the NC State Veterinary Hospital between 2011 and 2016. Positive cultures were reported from 15% of the submitted blood specimens and 23% of the submitted urine specimens. A total of 295 urine and blood samples were submitted in parallel, with positive growth demonstrated in 14 concordant and five discordant pairs. A kappa statistic comparing blood and urine culture outcomes was 0.266 (fair) when all parallel growth was included, including concordant and discordant results, and 0.170 (poor) when restricted to parallel concordant growth. The sensitivity of urine to reflect concordant bloodstream bacterial organisms was 30%, with a specificity of 87%. The positive and negative predictive values were 30% and 88%, respectively. Of dogs with both specimens positive on bacterial culture, 7 of 7 (100%) with suspected urogenital infection sources were concordant. All dogs with discordant bloodstream and urinary infections were immunosuppressed. Urinary coagulase-positive Staphylococcus isolates were most likely to be concordant with bloodstream infections. In conclusion, we found that urine culture is neither a substitute nor a screen for blood culture. Blood cultures should be performed in any potentially septic animal, especially those that are considered immunosuppressed., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.)

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of 24 hours of refrigeration on urine samples collected from dogs with signs of urinary tract infection (UTI). DESIGN Prospective cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 104 dogs with signs consistent with UTI that had a urine sample collected via cystocentesis as part of their diagnostic workup. PROCEDURES A 1-mL aliquot of each urine sample was refrigerated at 5°C for 24 hours in a plain glass tube, then processed for quantitative bacterial culture (QBC). A 0.5-mL aliquot was added to 3 mL of tryptic soy broth (TSB) and refrigerated at 5°C for 24 hours, then processed for QBC. The remaining portion was immediately processed for QBC, with results reported as numbers of bacterial colony-forming units (CFUs). Sensitivity of the QBC for detection of bacteria (and therefore UTI) was determined for sample refrigeration in the 2 conditions, compared with immediate processing (reference standard). RESULTS Bacterial growth was identified in 35.6% (n = 37), 33.7% (35), and 31.7% (33) of the immediately processed, refrigerated, and refrigerated-in-TSB urine samples, respectively. Sample refrigeration without TSB resulted in no significant difference in CFU counts relative to immediate processing; however, the sensitivity of this method was 95% (35/37). Sample refrigeration with TSB resulted in significantly lower CFU counts, and sensitivity was only 89% (33/37). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Canine urine samples collected for bacterial culture should be immediately submitted for testing. Although CFU counts for refrigerated and immediately processed samples were statistically similar in this study, sample refrigeration in enrichment broth resulted in imperfect sensitivity for UTI detection and is not recommended.

Background: Clinical signs of urinary tract disease in dogs often lead to prescription of antibiotics. Appropriate diagnostic work-up could optimize treatment and reduce the risk of inappropriate use of antibiotics., Hypothesis/objectives: To describe and evaluate the impact of diagnostic work-up on decision to treat (DTT) and choice of antibiotic treatment (COT) for dogs presenting with clinical signs of urinary tract disease., Animals: One hundred and fifty-one dogs presenting to 52 Danish veterinary practices., Methods: Prospective, observational study. Clinical signs, diagnostic work-up, and prescriptions were recorded. Urine samples were submitted to a reference laboratory for quantitative bacterial culture (QBC) and susceptibility testing. The laboratory results were used as reference for assessing the appropriateness of DTT and COT., Results: In the majority of dogs, veterinarians performed dipstick (99%), microscopic examination of urine (80%) and bacterial culture (56%). Fifty-one percent of dogs had urinary tract infection (UTI) based on reference QBC. Appropriate DTT was made for 62% of the dogs, while 36% were over-prescribed and 2% under-prescribed. Inappropriate use of second-line agents was found in 57% of the UTI cases. Performing microscopy-but not culture-significantly impacted DTT (P = 0.039) while no difference was seen in COT (P = 0.67). The accuracy of in-house microscopy and culture were 64.5 and 77%, respectively., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Over-prescription of antibiotics was common among dogs with suspected UTI, regardless of the diagnostic work-up performed. Test inaccuracy under practice conditions and incoherence between diagnostic test results and decision-making both explained inappropriate and unnecessary use of antibiotics., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

This study evaluates the clinical findings obtained in routine screening examinations in cats with obstructive feline lower urinary tract disease at the time of service. Twenty-six cats with urethral obstruction were assessed by physical examination, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests. Cats with signs of obstruction less than 36 hours before the service were in a state of alert, with body temperature and heart rate higher compared with cats in lethargy and stupor, obstructed up to 36 hours. The results revealed that 30.76% of the cats were hypertensive (>140mmHg). Arrhythmias were found in 15.38% of the cats with potassium >8.5mEqL. Creatinine, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and lactate concentrations were higher in cats obstructed more than 36 hours. All these data claim that a protocol of examinations should be established for obstructed cats, principally to stabilize the cat before the anesthesia for unobstruction., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A diagnosis of bacterial cystitis commonly relies on a positive microbiological culture demonstrating the presence of a significant number of colony-forming units/ml urine, as urine within the upper urinary tract, bladder and proximal urethra generally is considered sterile. Recent studies from human and veterinary medicine indicate the presence of non-culturable bacteria in culture-negative urine samples. The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence of bacterial DNA in culture-negative urine samples from cats with signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and healthy control cats by 16S ribosomal DNA PCR and subsequent sequencing. The study sample included 38 culture-negative urine samples from cats with FLUTD and 43 culture-negative samples from control cats. Eight culture-positive urine samples from cats with FLUTD were included as external positive controls in addition to negative reaction controls. Of possible methodological limitations, degradation of DNA due to storage, the use of non-sedimented urine for DNA isolation and lack of internal positive reaction controls should be mentioned. The positive controls were recognised, but occurrence of bacterial DNA in culture-negative urine from cats with or without signs of lower urinary tract disease was not demonstrated. However, considering the possible methodological limitations, the presence of bacterial DNA in the urine of culture-negative FLUTD cats cannot be excluded based on the present results alone. Therefore, a prospective study reducing the possibility of degradation of DNA due to storage, in combination with modifications enhancing the chance of detecting even lower levels of bacterial DNA in culture-negative samples, seems warranted., (© ISFM and AAFP 2014.)

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a veterinary urine dipstick paddle (UDP) for diagnosis and identification of urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and cats., Design: Prospective, randomized, blinded study., Sample: 207 urine specimens., Procedures: UDPs were inoculated by 2 investigators and incubated according to manufacturer's instructions. Results, including presence or absence of bacterial growth, organism counts, and identification of uropathogens, were compared between investigators and with microbiology laboratory results. A subset of UDPs with bacterial growth was submitted to the laboratory for confirmation., Results: The laboratory reported 64 (30.9%) specimens had growth of bacteria. Bacterial growth was reported for 63 (30.4%) and 58 (28.0%) of the UDPs by investigators 1 and 2, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of the UDP for detection of bacterial growth were 97.3% and 98.6%, respectively, for investigator 1 and 89.1% and 99.3%, respectively, for investigator 2. For UPDs with ≥ 10(5) colony-forming units/mL, organism counts correlated well between the laboratory and investigators 1 (r = 0.95) and 2 (r = 0.89). Pathogen identification was not always accurate. Only 25 of 33 (75.8%) UDPs submitted for confirmation yielded bacteria consistent with those isolated from the original bacterial culture of urine., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The veterinary UDP system was a sensitive test for screening patients for bacterial UTI, but uropathogen identification was not always accurate. When UDPs have bacterial growth, a fresh urine specimen should be submitted to the laboratory to confirm the identity of the organisms and to permit antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

There are multiple considerations when making a treatment plan for patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs). In part 2 of this review the authors discuss the clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and complications associated with bacterial UTIs in dogs and cats. Part 1 of this review summarized etiology and pathogenesis (see the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association).

In order to investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI) in sow, lower urinary tract (LUT), kidney and urine samples were collected at slaughterhouse from 65 multiparous culled sows. Histopathology was performed on urethra, urinary bladder and -kidney sections. Urine collected by cystocentesis was analysed for physical and biochemical parameters, in addition to microscopic examination of the sediment and quantitative culture ( > 10(5) CFU/ml urine). The diagnostic accuracy of urinalysis and urine culture was calculated for the parameters that correlated with histological diagnosis: bilateral chronic lesions were found in 54 per cent of kidney samples and diffuse/multifocal lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the submucosa in 53 per cent of the bladder and 68 per cent of the urethra samples. In 49 per cent of cases, the co-occurrence of bladder and urethra lesions was statistically significant (P < 0.009). Turbid urine (80 per cent sensitivity, 50 per cent specificity), > 5 white blood cells per high-power field (34 per cent sensitivity, 90 per cent specificity), intracellular or free bacteria (43 per cent sensitivity, 90 per cent specificity), and urine culture (49 per cent sensitivity, 97 per cent specificity) correlated with a finding of histopathological changes in the bladder. UTI appears to be common in culled sows in northern Italy. Compared with histopathology, urinalysis and urine culture showed low sensitivity but high specificity in detecting UTI.

The prevalence of various viral infections was examined in primary accession cases of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and healthy control cats in Norway. Urine samples from 102 cats with clinical signs of FLUTD and 73 healthy control cats were tested for the presence of feline calicivirus (FCV), feline coronavirus (FCoV) and feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) by polymerase chain reaction. All urinary samples were negative for FCV and FCoV. One (1%) of the FLUTD cats was found to be positive for FHV-1. The results did not indicate an association between the viral infections examined and signs of FLUTD in the study sample.

Knowledge of the occurrence of bacteriuria in adult, healthy cats is scarce in the scientific literature. A study was designed to investigate the occurrence of bacteriuria in healthy cats without current or previous signs of lower urinary tract disease. The study included 108 cats, 53 males (49.5%) and 55 females (50.5%). The cats ranged in age between 7 months and 18 years, with a mean age of 4.4 years and a median age of 4.0 years. Urine was obtained by cystocentesis from all the cats, and was submitted for bacteriological analyses. Urine and urine sediment was cultured on separate blood agar plates for quantification and species identification by standard procedures. Detection of ≥10(3)colony forming units (cfu) per ml urine was defined as significant bacteriuria. Significant bacteriuria exceeding 10(5) cfu/ml was detected in one sample with a combination of Enterococcus species and Staphylococcus species. There was no bacterial growth in the urine samples from 107 cats (99.1%). Results from our study indicate that the prevalence of bacteriuria in clinically healthy, adult cats is low. Also, that contamination of samples is rare when urine is collected by cystocentesis., (Copyright © 2011 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An 8-month-old owned European cat showing abdominal pain, fever, distended painful bladder and urinary blockage was presented. Intravenous fluids were immediately administered and, after sedation, a urinary catheter was applied. Blood and urine analysis revealed cystitis and a moderate-to-severe degree of renal failure. About 20 thread-like nematodes, identified as Capillaria plica larvae and fragments of adult stages, were found in the urine sediment. After treatment with an oral formulation of fenbendazole at 25 mg/kg q 12 h for 10 days, urinary signs and bladder worms disappeared. Cases of Capillaria species bladder worms in cats are rarely reported and most infected cats show no clinical signs, presumably because of a low parasite burden. In the present study, feline capillariosis was associated to urethral obstruction, severe difficulties in urination, cystitis and renal failures., (Copyright © 2011 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A male Persian cat was presented with persistent fever, anorexia, weakness, hypopyon, nystagmus, and intention tremors. The hemogram showed severe neutropenia and laboratory analysis on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) smears revealed abundant yeast cells compatible with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Urinalysis demonstrated persistent funguria and an increased urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC) in addition to mild azotemia. Long-term therapy with oral fluconazole was effective in controlling the nervous system signs. Funguria was resolved with subcutaneous administration of diluted amphotericin B in a large volume of saline solution for a period of 12 weeks during the second year after initial diagnosis. Throughout 5 years of treatment, no adverse effects were observed and tolerance to the drugs was normal. Due to development of progressive uremic syndrome the animal was euthanased. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first clinical case described of a nervous and urinary system infection caused by the P brasiliensis in a cat., (Copyright 2010 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) may be subclinical or difficult to detect in dilute urine as sediment abnormalities may not be observed. In our laboratory, bacterial culture is automatically performed (reflex culture) on samples with urine specific gravity (USG)< or =1.013 to increase the likelihood of detecting infection. The value of routine culture of dilute urine, however, has not been fully assessed., Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the frequency of positive bacterial cultures and analyze the diagnostic utility and cost-effectiveness of culture compared with routine sediment examination for detecting UTI in dilute urine specimens from dogs., Methods: Urinalysis and concurrent aerobic bacterial culture results were obtained from the electronic medical record system at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for samples with USG< or =1.013 analyzed from July 1998 through January 2005. Urine collection method, presence of leukocytes and bacteria, bacterial culture results, and clinical diagnosis were recorded. Cost-effectiveness of reflex culture, based on low USG as the sole criterion, was evaluated., Results: Of 1264 urine specimens, 106 (8.4%) had positive bacterial cultures. Using culture as the gold standard, sediment evaluation had a diagnostic sensitivity of 58.5% and specificity of 98.3% (diagnostic accuracy 94.9%). An additional cost of $60 per patient was incurred, leading to average annual costs of $11,668 for reflex bacterial cultures of all samples with low USG, regardless of collection method. Within our study population, 10 urine samples needed to be cultured for each true positive result., Conclusions: The sensitivity of urine sediment evaluation is low for UTI in dilute urine samples; however, reflex bacterial culture does not appear to be cost-effective in dogs with USG< or =1.013 in the absence of active urine sediment or high clinical suspicion for UTI.

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be detected in feline urine submitted for urinalysis and culture as part of the diagnostic workup for a variety of conditions. Our aim was to investigate urinalysis and culture findings in urine specimens from cats with no history of lower urinary tract signs. Study inclusion criteria required cystocentesis specimens from cats with no history of lower urinary tract signs, inappropriate urination, or previous UTI (including pyelonephritis). Of 132 specimens, 38 were culture positive and 94 were culture negative. Culture positive urine specimens were more likely to come from older female cats (p=0.03, p<0.001, respectively) and they had higher pH (p=0.001), erythrocyte (p=0.013) and leukocyte counts (p=0.003) than culture negative urine specimens. Gram-negative infected specimens (n=15) had lower urine specific gravity and higher leukocyte counts than Gram-positive infected specimens (n=21; p=0.0012, p=0.005, respectively) and culture negative specimens (p=0.003, p<0.0001, respectively). Urine protein:creatinine ratio was higher in Gram-negative infected urine than in culture negative urine (p=0.013). Enterococcus faecalis was the most commonly isolated bacteria (19 of a total of 44 isolates; 43.2%) and E. coli phylogenetic group B2 was the most common Gram-negative isolate (14 of a total of 44 isolates; 31.8%). We conclude that feline bacterial urinary tract infections can occur in cats without lower urinary tract signs, particularly older females and that they are associated with high urine erythrocyte and leukocyte counts.

This study investigated the prevalence of bacterial pathogens of the urinary tract in Australian cats. Urine was collected by cystocentesis and subjected to urinalysis, bacterial culture and susceptibility testing. A total of 126 isolates were obtained from 107 culture-positive cats. Escherichia coli was most commonly isolated (37.3% of isolates) with the majority of isolates showing susceptibility to the 14 antimicrobials tested. Just over a quarter of isolates (27.0%) were Enterococcus faecalis, which showed resistance to cephalosporins and clindamycin. Staphylococcus felis, a previously unreported feline urinary tract pathogen which was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested, comprised 19.8% of the isolates. S. felis was significantly associated with urine that had a higher specific gravity (p=0.011) and pH (p=0.006) and was more likely to contain crystals (p=0.002) than urine from which other bacterial species were isolated. This is the first published study that associates the isolation of S. felis with clinical signs of lower urinary tract disease in cats.

Objectives: To identify an appropriate sampling technique(s) to accurately detect the bacteria causing urinary tract infections in dogs with urolithiasis., Methods: Twenty-one dogs with urolithiasis were included in the study. Three types of samples were taken from each dog. Urine was collected by cystocentesis, and a urinary bladder mucosal biopsy and urolith were retrieved during cystotomy. The samples were then cultured on blood agar and MacConkey's agar to identify the bacteria associated with urinary tract infections., Results: Bacterial urinary tract infection was found in 16 cases (76.19 per cent). The most prevalent bacteria found to cause urinary tract infection were Escherichia coli (n=7), followed by coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species (n=4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=2), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=2) and Proteus mirabilis (n=1). In the case of a positive urine culture, the same bacteria were also cultured from the urinary bladder mucosal biopsy alone or from both the urinary bladder mucosal biopsy and urolith. However, in the case of a negative urine culture, bacteria were found to be present in the urinary bladder mucosal biopsy or urolith cultures in 23.81 per cent of dogs. The uroliths that gave positive culture results were either infection-induced uroliths composed of struvite and calcium carbonate phosphate, ammonium acid urate only or metabolic uroliths composed of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate, or calcium phosphate only. All the uroliths that gave negative culture results were metabolic uroliths composed of calcium oxalate and/or calcium phosphate, and uric acid and calcium phosphate., Clinical Significance: When the culture from the urine obtained by cystocentesis is negative, cultures of urinary bladder mucosal biopsy and urolith are recommended in dogs with urolithiasis in order to accurately assess the microbiological status of the urinary tract.

Urine samples were obtained from 100 dogs with symptoms of lower urinary tract disease by cystocentesis and were examined for mycoplasmas. Urinalysis, haematological and biochemical analyses were also performed. Bacteria were isolated from urine in 41 of 100 dogs; Mycoplasma canis was isolated from four of 100 (4%) urine samples and three were pure culture. Selective mycoplasma media were used for isolation. In growth inhibition test, propagation of the four M. canis isolates was inhibited by their specific hyperimmune sera and there was no cross reactivity between isolates and hyperimmune sera of other mycoplasmas. Dogs in which M. canis was isolated were azotemic. All dogs were treated with enrofloxacin, furosemide, and supportive therapy (fluid therapy, ascorbic acid). In all animals, clinical improvements were observed after treatment.

Thirty-five animals (23 dogs, 12 cats) with fungal urinary tract infections (UTIs) were retrospectively studied. Dysuria, hematuria, increased frequency of micturition, anorexia, depression, and pyrexia were the most common clinical signs noted. Seven species of fungi were identified in the affected animals. Candida albicans was the most common isolate. Most animals diagnosed with fungal UTI also had other concurrent urinary tract or medical problems. Lower urinary tract diseases, diabetes mellitus, neoplasia, and renal failure were the most common concurrent or preceding diseases identified. Resolution of fungal UTI occurred in 12 animals that received specific antifungal treatment.

Objective: To evaluate pretreatment clinical and laboratory findings in dogs with naturally occurring primary hyperparathyroidism., Design: Retrospective study., Animals: 210 dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism and 200 randomly selected, age-matched control dogs that did not have primary hyperparathyroidism., Procedure: Medical records for dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism were reviewed for signalment; clinical features; and results of clinicopathologic testing, serum parathyroid hormone assays, and diagnostic imaging., Results: Mean age of the dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism was 11.2 years (range, 6 to 17 years). The most common clinical signs were attributable to urolithiasis or urinary tract infection (ie, straining to urinate, increased frequency of urination, and hematuria). Most dogs (149 [71%]) did not have any observable abnormalities on physical examination. All dogs had hypercalcemia, and most (136 [65%]) had hypophosphatemia. Overall, 200 of the 210 (95%) dogs had BUN and serum creatinine concentrations within or less than the reference range, and serum parathyroid hormone concentration was within reference limits in 135 of 185 (73%) dogs in which it was measured. Urolithiasis was identified in 65 (31 %) dogs, and urinary tract infection was diagnosed in 61 (29%). Mean serum total calcium concentration for the control dogs-was significantly lower than mean concentration for the dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism, but mean BUN and serum creatinine concentrations for the control dogs were both significantly higher than concentrations for the dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that urolithiasis and urinary tract infection may be associated with hypercalcemia in dogs-with primary hyperparathyroidism, but that development of renal insufficiency is uncommon.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of urinary tract disease and may be associated with systemic disease. Diagnosis cannot be made on urinalysis and other findings alone. A urine culture is the "gold standard" for diagnosis of UTI. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed as part of a urine culture aids in selection of appropriate treatment for patients with confirmed bacterial UTI.

Urine samples were taken from 79 cats with clinical signs of acute feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) by means of cystocenthesis, catheterization, or at voiding and were cultured. No bacteria were cultured from 79% of the samples taken by cystocenthesis, 55% of the samples obtained by catheterization, and 17% of the samples obtained at voiding. Samples obtained by cystocenthesis most often yielded pure cultures, whereas the voided samples were often contaminated, yielding mixed cultures. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret culture results for voided or catheterized urine samples, which may lead to overdiagnosis of urinary tract infections. E. coli was the most prevalent bacterial species. Numbers of bacteria were low (10(2) to 10(3)/ml) in three out of eight culture-positive samples taken by cystocenthesis, indicating that the number of bacteria present in the bladder of cats with urinary tract infections may be low. This may lead to underdiagnosis of urinary tract infections when interpreting culture results for voided and catheterized samples, because bacterial counts lower than 10(3) colony-forming units/ml of urine are generally considered not clinically relevant. In conclusion, cystocenthesis is the preferred method of sampling for the evaluation of cats with suspected urinary tract infection.

The prevalence of urinary tract infections in calves aged seven days to three months in three dairy cattle herds ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 per cent, with an average of 1.1 per cent. The mortality rate reached 16.1 per cent. The morbidity rate of the female calves was 1.4 per cent and that of the male calves 0.8 per cent. The bacteria isolated from urine, and from vaginal and preputial swabs were Escherichia coli (35 per cent), Corynebacterium renale (14 per cent), plasma coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (12 per cent), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 per cent), Proteus species (12 per cent) and Arcanobacterium pyogenes (5 per cent). The affected calves had a significantly lower serum concentration of inorganic phosphorus (P < 0.01).

Background: Urinary tract inflammation and hemorrhage are believed to be common causes of proteinuria in dogs based on results of studies that measured total urine protein concentration. A method to quantify urine albumin (UAlb) concentration in dogs recently has become available; however, the effect of inflammation on albuminuria is unknown., Objectives: The goals of this study were to determine the effects of urinary tract inflammation, as indicated by pyuria and sample blood contamination, on UAlb concentration and on urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio in dogs., Methods: Urine samples were obtained from dogs with pyuria that were presented to a veterinary teaching hospital or were part of a laboratory colony. To mimic the effects of hematuria, canine whole blood was added to a microscopically normal canine urine sample that had baseline albumin and total protein concentrations below the limits of detection. UAlb concentration was measured using a canine albumin-specific competitive ELISA. UPC ratio was determined using routine methods., Results: Of 70 samples with pyuria, 67% had negligible UAlb concentrations and 81% had normal UPC ratios. UAlb concentration but not UPC ratio was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in samples with concurrent hematuria or bacteriuria. When whole blood was added to normal urine, UAlb concentration did not exceed 1 mg/dL until the sample became visibly pink; the UPC did not exceed 0.4 at any dilution., Conclusions: Many dogs with pyuria do not have albuminuria or proteinuria; however, albuminuria may be more likely in dogs with pyuria and concurrent hematuria or bacteriuria. Hematuria may not cause an increase in UAlb concentration until it becomes macroscopic and even then may not increase the UPC ratio.

Objective: To determine whether findings of urinalyses could be used to reliably distinguish gonadectomized cats with urine-marking behavior from those with no problem urination., Design: Case control study., Animals: 58 gonadectomized cats (47 males and 11 females) with urine-marking behavior (ie, marking of vertical surfaces) and 39 (26 males and 13 females) without problem urination or urinary tract-associated conditions., Procedure: Urine was collected by cystocentesis from all cats. Findings of urinalyses of cats with urine-marking behavior were analyzed statistically for sex-related differences and differences between cats that marked vertical surfaces only and those that marked both vertical and horizontal surfaces; findings of urinalyses of control cats were compared between sexes. Subsequently, results of urinalyses of cats with urine-marking behavior were compared with those of control cats., Results: With regard to variables measured via urinalysis, there were no differences between male and female cats within either group. Among cats with urine-marking behavior, there were no differences between those that only marked vertically and those that marked vertically and horizontally. Analyses of data from all cats with urine-marking behavior and control cats revealed no differences that could be associated with urine marking., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: These data suggest that urine-marking behavior by gonadectomized cats is an aspect of normal behavior. Clinicians are advised to focus on behavioral history of house-soiling cats to differentiate between urine-marking behavior and inappropriate urination; for the latter, urinalysis is appropriate to rule out lower urinary tract disorders.

A case of bilateral, upper urinary tract infection caused by haemolytic E coli in a female Birman cat is presented. Ultrasonographic examination of the kidneys documented changes in size, outline, echogenicity and architecture. Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of fluid from the renal pelvis was used to make the diagnosis. Fluid was submitted for culture and sensitivity and based on the results, antimicrobial therapy was initiated. The treatment was monitored over a 406-day follow-up period. Despite extensive treatment with specific antibiotics and supportive therapy, recurrence of urinary tract infection occurred.

Dogs with diabetes mellitus may develop occult urinary tract infections. In this study, diabetic dogs with negative and positive bacterial urine cultures were compared. Records from 51 dogs with diabetes mellitus were reviewed at the University of Illinois. No difference was identified between the groups in urine specific gravity, pH, glucose, ketones, protein, red blood cells, white blood cells, or epithelial cells. Dogs with occult urinary tract infection did have an increased incidence of bacteriuria, but this was not a consistent finding. Therefore, the urine on all diabetic dogs should be cultured to accurately identify the presence or absence of bacterial urinary tract infections.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of episioplasty for the treatment of perivulvar dermatitis or chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) believed to be secondary to excessive perivulvar skin folds in dogs and to document whether a causal relationship exists between the presence of chronic or recurrent UTI and excessive perivulvar skin folds in female dogs., Design: Retrospective study., Animals: 31 female dogs., Procedure: Medical records of dogs with vulvar dermatitis (group 1; n = 15) or UTI (group 2; 16) were reviewed for history, signalment, physical examination findings, hematologic findings, results of urine or vaginal bacteriologic culture, and results of additional diagnostic procedures., Results: 14 of 15 dogs in group 1 had complete resolution of perivulvar dermatitis and associated clinical signs following episioplasty. One dog had a relapse of clinical signs and vulvar dermatitis 2 years after surgery in association with a 9-kg (1 9.8-1b) weight gain. Sixteen of 16 dogs in group 2 had complete resolution of clinical signs of UTI following episioplasty. Urine samples were obtained via cystocentesis no earlier than 1 month after surgery to confirm resolution of UTI in 13 of 16 of dogs in group 2. Mild-to-moderate incisional swelling was the only surgical complication reported for either group, with the exception of 1 dog in group 2 that had wound dehiscence. All owners were satisfied with surgical outcomes., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: All owners reported complete resolution of clinical signs for both groups of dogs. Episioplasty is an effective low morbidity treatment for perivulvar dermatitis and chronic UTI associated with excessive perivulvar skin folds.