Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bladder wall thickening on ultrasound in healthy dogs
By François, Chloé et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and characteristics of bladder wall thickening in dogs without lower urinary tract disease: an ultrasonographic study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 136 dogs without any signs of lower urinary tract disease underwent abdominal ultrasounds, and researchers found that about 43% had thickening of the bladder wall. This thickening was most often seen in the cranio-ventral area and was more common when the bladder was only mildly or moderately full. The study suggests that this thickening is usually normal and not a sign of a problem like cystitis (bladder inflammation). It's important for pet owners to understand that mild bladder wall thickening can be a normal finding in healthy dogs.
People also search for: dog bladder wall thickening · why is my dog's bladder thick · ultrasound bladder findings in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Assessment of bladder wall thickness by ultrasound is influenced by bladder distension and body weight, complicating interpretation. In the author's experience, cranial or cranio-ventral bladder wall thickening is commonly observed in dogs without lower urinary tract disease. One of our main hypotheses is that this thickening reflects physiological mucosal folding, which becomes more pronounced as bladder distension decreases. However, bladder thickening remains poorly documented in healthy dogs. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of bladder wall thickening in dogs without lower urinary tract disease. METHODS: Medical data of 136 dogs without lower urinary tract disease signs, undergoing abdominal ultrasound and urinalysis, were retrospectively reviewed. Ultrasound data included bladder wall thickening presence and localization (cranial, ventral, cranio-ventral, …, generalized), aspect of the luminal surface (smooth-irregular) and the urine, and bladder distension (empty, mild, moderate, severe). A wall thickness ratio (maximum/minimum thickness) was calculated in cases of asymmetrical thickness. Multivariate logistic regression ( < 0.05) assessed associations between bladder wall thickening and other medical and ultrasound data. RESULTS: Bladder wall thickening was observed in 42.6% of cases, predominantly in the cranio-ventral region (22.1%), followed by the cranial (11%), generalized (8%), and ventral (5%) regions. Thickening was more frequent in mildly (29.4%) and moderately (10.3%) distended bladders. Significant associations were found between thickening and age (OR = 1.16), gastrointestinal (OR = 5.49), and renal diseases (OR = 5.57). Sterilized dogs were less likely to exhibit cranio-ventral thickening (OR = 0.36). The median thickness ratio was not statistically significant across bladder sizes ( = 0.82): 2.0 for mildly, 1.95 for moderately, and 1.9 for severely distended bladder. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that mild cranio-ventral/cranial bladder thickening is common in dogs without lower urinary tract disease with a median thickness ratio ≤ 2.0 and should not be confound with cystitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41427127/