Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urethral atracurium helps bladder emptying in dogs and cats
By Galluzzi, F et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2015·Veterinary Clinic Castellarano, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of urethral infusion of atracurium besylate on manual bladder expression in dogs and cats with spinal cord injuries: a randomised trial.
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 dogs and 6 cats with urinary retention due to spinal cord injuries were treated with a medication called atracurium to help them empty their bladders more easily. Before treatment, the pets had difficulty with bladder expression, but after receiving the atracurium infusion, they showed significant improvement. The treatment made it much easier for the veterinarian to manually express their bladders compared to those who received a placebo. Importantly, no side effects were noted from the treatment, suggesting it was safe and effective.
People also search for: dog urinary retention treatment · cat bladder problems spinal cord injury · atracurium for pets
Abstract
The aim of this randomised trial was to assess the effect of urethral infusion of atracurium besylate in dogs and cats with signs of urinary retention secondary to lesions affecting spinal cord segments T3-L3. Eighteen dogs and six cats with urinary retention were examined and scored before treatment on the degree of difficulty of inducing bladder emptying by manual bladder compression. Animals were subsequently treated in a blinded fashion by the same operator with urethral infusion of 2-4 ml of either a solution of 0.5 mg/ml of atracurium (treatment group) or placebo (control group) and, after five minutes, a second attempt was made to induce bladder emptying by manual compression and a post-treatment score assigned. Pretreatment scores did not differ between the treatment and control groups (5.6±0.8 v 6.2±0.7, respectively; P=0.22); however, post-treatment scores were significantly lower in the treatment group compared with the control group (2.9±0.4 v 5.9±0.3; P<0.05). Urethral infusion of atracurium facilitates manual bladder expression in dogs and cats with urinary retention secondary to spinal cord injuries. No side effects were recognised.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25920417/