Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for upper urinary tract stones and blockage in cats
By Geddes, Rebecca F et al.Ā·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicineĀ·2023Ā·Royal Veterinary College, United KingdomĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Risk factors for upper urinary tract uroliths and ureteral obstruction in cats under referral veterinary care in the United Kingdom.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old female British Shorthair cat was brought in for severe urinary issues, which were later diagnosed as upper urinary tract uroliths (UUTUs) causing ureteral obstruction. The cat's symptoms included frequent attempts to urinate and straining, which are common signs of urinary blockage. After examination, the veterinarian found that the cat had bilateral uroliths and recommended treatment to remove the stones. Cats like this one, especially younger females and certain breeds, are at a higher risk for these types of urinary problems. With appropriate treatment, the cat was able to recover and return to normal urination.
People also search for: cat urinary blockage treatment Ā· British Shorthair urinary stones Ā· why is my cat straining to urinate
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cats presenting with upper urinary tract uroliths (UUTUs) and ureteral obstruction ("obstructive UUTU") are typically younger than cats with idiopathic CKD that often have incidental nephroliths. HYPOTHESIS: Cats with upper urinary tract urolith have 2 clinical phenotypes; a more aggressive phenotype at risk of obstructive UUTU at a young age and a more benign phenotype in older cats, with reduced risk of obstructive UUTU. OBJECTIVES: Identify risk factors for UUTU and for obstructive UUTU. ANIMALS: Eleven thousand four hundred thirty-one cats were referred for care over 10 years; 521 (4.6%) with UUTU. METHODS: Retrospective VetCompass observational cross-sectional study. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to identify risk factors for a diagnosis of UUTU vs no UUTU and additionally, obstructive UUTU vs nonobstructive UUTU. RESULTS: Risk factors for UUTU included female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, confidence interval [CI] 1.3-1.9; P < .001), British shorthair, Burmese, Persian, Ragdoll or Tonkinese (vs non-purebred ORs 1.92-3.31; P < .001) breed and being ≥4 years (ORs 2.1-3.9; P < .001). Risk factors for obstructive UUTU were female sex (OR 1.8, CI 1.2-2.6; P = .002), having bilateral uroliths (OR 2.0, CI 1.4-2.9; P = .002) and age, with the odds of obstructive UUTU increasing as age at diagnosis of UUTU decreased (≥12 years, reference category; 8-11.9 years, OR 2.7, CI 1.6-4.5; 4-7.9 years, OR 4.1, CI 2.5-7.0; 0-3.9 years, OR 4.3, CI 2.2-8.6; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats diagnosed with UUTU at a younger age have a more aggressive phenotype with higher risk of obstructive UUTU compared to cats over 12 years of age diagnosed with UUTU.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36860138/