Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hidden bacterial urinary infections in older female cats
By Litster, Annette et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2009·The School of Veterinary Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Occult bacterial lower urinary tract infections in cats-urinalysis and culture findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of older female cats without any signs of urinary problems was tested for hidden bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs). Out of 132 urine samples, 38 showed positive cultures for bacteria, indicating an infection. The infected cats had higher levels of certain cells in their urine, suggesting inflammation. The most common bacteria found were Enterococcus faecalis and E. coli. This study highlights that UTIs can occur even when cats don’t show typical symptoms, especially in older females.
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Abstract
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.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19056189/