Retrospective evaluation of urinary indwelling catheter type in cats with urethral obstruction (January 2014 to December 2014): 91 cases.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of urinary catheter type on recurrence rate (rUO) in cats with urethral obstruction. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Two private referral hospitals. ANIMALS: Ninety-one cats diagnosed with urethral obstruction treated with a 3.5-Fr Argyle (AR) or 3.5-Fr red rubber (RR) indwelling catheter presenting in 2014. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One hundred sixty-six cats were identified using diagnostic code search with 91 cats meeting inclusion criteria. All were treated with IV fluids, buprenorphine, prazosin, and an indwelling urethral catheter with a closed collection system. Catheter groups did not differ statistically in baseline characteristics, medication treatment, or catheterization time. Follow-up was available for 91 cats at 24 hours, 86 cats at 7 days, and 84 cats at 30 days. There was no statistical difference in rUO between cats with different catheter types at any time in this retrospective study. CONCLUSIONS: No difference in rUO was found in cats treated for urethral obstruction with a 3.5-Fr AR or RR catheter, however, due to the retrospective nature of this study the inability to detect a difference may be due to the small sample size of this study. Recurrent urethral obstruction in this study at 30 days was 11%.