Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bacterial causes of urinary tract disease in Australian cats
By Litster, Annette et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2007·School of Veterinary Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of bacterial species in cats with clinical signs of lower urinary tract disease: recognition of Staphylococcus felis as a possible feline urinary tract pathogen.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with signs of lower urinary tract disease, like frequent urination or straining to urinate, was tested for bacterial infections. Researchers found that the most common bacteria was E. coli, but they also identified a new type of bacteria called Staphylococcus felis, which was linked to more concentrated urine and the presence of crystals. This study suggests that S. felis could be a potential cause of urinary issues in cats. Understanding these bacteria can help veterinarians choose the right treatment for affected cats.
People also search for: cat urinary tract infection symptoms · Staphylococcus felis in cats · treatment for cat urinary crystals
Abstract
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.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17169507/