Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urinary tract infection risk in dogs with disc herniation and bladder
By Bubenik, Loretta & Hosgood, Giselle·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2008·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Urinary tract infection in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation and urinary bladder dysfunction managed by manual expression, indwelling catheterization or intermittent catheterization.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) that caused urinary bladder problems were treated using different methods: manual expression, an indwelling catheter, or intermittent catheterization. Unfortunately, 21% of these dogs developed urinary tract infections (UTIs), with the risk increasing the longer they needed bladder management. The study found that the method used didn't matter as much as the duration of treatment; each extra day raised the risk of a UTI by 1.5 times. It's important for pet owners to be aware that managing bladder issues for a long time can lead to infections, so treatment should be as brief as possible.
People also search for: dog urinary tract infection treatment · intervertebral disc disease bladder problems · how to manage dog bladder dysfunction
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors for lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) that had manual expression (ME), indwelling catheterization (IDC) or intermittent catheterization (ITC) for urinary bladder management. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized-clinical trial. ANIMALS: Dogs (n=62) treated with urinary bladder dysfunction requiring surgery for IVDD and control dogs (n=30) that had surgery for reasons other than IVDD. METHODS: Treated dogs were randomly assigned to ME, IDC, or ITC. Urine was collected for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing before and after treatment. Incidence and risk factors for UTI were evaluated. Bacterial isolates and antimicrobial resistance patterns were described. RESULTS: Mean (+/-SD) time to urination was significantly longer for IDC dogs (7.4+/-2.75 days) than ME dogs (4.2+/-2.63) and ITC dogs (4.9+/-3.12). Thirteen treated dogs (21%) and no control dogs developed UTI: 4/25 (16%) ME, 8/25 (32%) IDC, and 1/12 (8%) ITC. Enterobacter sp. was most frequently isolated (4/13; 31%). Duration of treatment was the only risk factor for UTI and each additional day of treatment increased the risk of UTI 1.5 times. CONCLUSION: For dogs with acute IVDD, the duration of required urinary bladder management establishes the risk of UTI, not the urinary bladder management technique. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Duration of treatment for urinary bladder dysfunction is a risk factor for UTI in dogs recovering from acute IVDD. Treatment for urinary bladder management should be limited where possible and no method of treatment is preferred. For dogs managed by IDC, voluntary urination might occur before clinically suspected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19121176/