Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Subclinical urinary infections and surgery wounds in dogs with knee
By Garcia, Cheslymar et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2020·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Subclinical bacteriuria and surgical site infections in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 155 dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease was studied to see how common subclinical bacteriuria (SBU), or bacteria in the urine without symptoms, was and if it affected the risk of surgical site infections (SSI) after surgery. They found that 6.5% of the dogs had SBU, which was only seen in female dogs. After surgery, 22.3% of the dogs developed SSI, but only 2 out of 6 dogs with SBU had infections compared to 23 out of 106 without SBU. The study suggests that testing for SBU may not help reduce infection risk before surgery for CCL disease.
People also search for: dog CCL disease surgery infection risk · female dog urinary bacteria · cranial cruciate ligament disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria (SBU) in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease, the clinical variables and clinicopathologic data associated with SBU, and the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in dogs with and without SBU. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, clinical cohort study. ANIMALS: One hundred fifty-five dogs with CCL disease. METHODS: Dogs had a urinalysis, sediment examination, and aerobic urine culture performed. Age, breed, sex, body weight, body condition score, clinical history, and physical examination findings were recorded. Dogs with SBU were not treated for bacteriuria or with postoperative antibiotics. Standard perioperative antimicrobials were provided for all dogs. Dogs that received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were not excluded. Dogs that underwent an osteotomy were followed for at least 1 year to determine incidence of SSI. Outcomes and variables associated with SBU were assessed. RESULTS: In 155 dogs with CCL disease, the prevalence of SBU was 6.5%, and SBU occurred exclusively in female dogs (11.4%). The incidence of SSI was 22.3% (25/112). Two of six dogs with SBU and 23/106 dogs without SBU developed SSI. Organisms isolated from SSI were different from those isolated from urine. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of SBU in dogs with CCL disease was similar to that in other studies in which SBU was evaluated in various populations of dogs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Screening for and treatment of SBU may not be beneficial prior to tibial osteotomy for CCL disease. Additional studies are required to determine whether dogs with SBU have a greater risk of SSI.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32790953/