Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound signs of grass awns in dog and cat bladders
By Cherbinsky, Ofer et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2010·Atascadero Pet Hospital and Emergency Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ultrasonographic features of grass awns in the urinary bladder.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of three male Yorkshire terriers and one female domestic short-haired cat were brought in with signs of lower urinary tract issues, such as difficulty urinating. An ultrasound revealed the presence of grass awns, which are sharp plant structures that can cause problems in the urinary bladder, appearing like bladder stones or linear shapes on the scan. During surgery, the grass awns were confirmed and removed. All pets were treated successfully, and their urinary symptoms improved after the grass awns were taken out.
People also search for: dog urinary problems grass awn · cat urinary tract issues · Yorkshire terrier bladder stones · grass awn removal surgery
Abstract
Grass awns are a common cause of foreign body disease in animals, but little is known about their presence in the lower urinary tract. The ultrasonographic features of grass awns in vivo and in vitro have been described in detail. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical and sonographic features of grass awns in the urinary bladder of dogs and cats. Three male Yorkshire terriers (one of which was examined twice) and one female domestic short-haired cat were evaluated for signs of lower urinary tract disease, and an intravesicular grass awn was suspected based on ultrasound examination. The grass awn appeared ultrasonographically as a bladder stone (n = 1) or a linear hyperechoic structure (n = 4) with or without acoustic shadowing that was easy to identify due to contrast with surrounding urine. The presence of a grass awn within the urinary bladder was confirmed during exploratory surgery. In all patients, the route of entry of the grass awn was thought to have been retrograde migration from the urethral opening. The ultrasonographic appearance of grass awns in the bladder is consistent with that in other tissues.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20806881/