Urinary tract

Question 1

what should be examined when presented with a suspected case with urinary issues?

Answer 1

history - all clinical signs
frequency/ease of urination
urine - smell/appearance
rectal - left kidney, bladder (pain?)
external anatomy (uroliths, pus, urine stain…)

Question 2

why is catheterising ruminants difficult?

Answer 2

suburethral diverticulum (females)
sigmoid flexure

Question 3

what needs to be done when placing a urinary catheter in female ruminants?

Answer 3

put finger into suburethral diverticulum to block it so the catheter doesn’t go into it

Question 4

what is the rough pH of herbivore urine?

Answer 4

slightly alkaline

Question 5

what is the range of normal specific gravity for herbivores urine?

Answer 5

1.020 to 1.045

Question 6

what are the clinical signs of urinary disease?

Answer 6

abdominal pain
dysuria
haematuria, pyuria, calculi
polyuria
anuria
oliguria
proteinuria

Question 7

if the animal begins to look a lot brighter after having a suspected urinary blockage, what could have happened?

Answer 7

bladder has recently ruptured - start to decline rapidly after a few hours

Question 8

what is haematuria?

Answer 8

blood in urine

Question 9

what are some possible differentials for haematuria?

Answer 9

pyelonephritis
cystitis
urolithiasis
enzootic haematuria
acute bracken poisoning
toxic nephrosis (acorns)
glomerulonephritis

Question 10

what are some differentials for haemoglobinuria?

Answer 10

babesiosis (redwater)
post parturient haemoglobinuria
bacillary haemoglobinuria (Clostridium haemoliticum)

Question 11

what is hypospadia?

Answer 11

the urethra doesn’t close properly (can be managed to fattening with proper management)

Question 12

what is the classic bacteria associated with pyelonephritis?

Answer 12

Corynebacterium renale (E. coli common)

Question 13

what is the usually route of pyelonephritis transmission?

Answer 13

via ascending infection (also haematogenous)

Question 14

what are the clinical signs of pyelonephritis?

Answer 14

chronic weight loss
mild pyrexia
appetite usually fine
dysuria
blood/pus in urine

Question 15

how is pyelonephritis treated?

Answer 15

long course of penicillin or oxytetracycline

Question 16

what are the clinical signs of cystitis?

Answer 16

chronic weight loss
mild pyrexia
appetite usually fine
dysuria
blood/pus in urine
(similar to pyelonephritis but with more straining)

Question 17

what is amyloidosis?

Answer 17

deposition of amyloid produced by antigen/antibody complexes

Question 18

what are some clinical signs of amyloidosis?

Answer 18

off food and general illness
profuse diarrhoea
generalised subcutaneous oedema
polydipsia/polyuria
proteinuria
low plasma albumin

Question 19

what is the classical finding of amyloidosis on post mortem examination?

Answer 19

pale swollen kidneys

Question 20

what are the main differentials for haematuria?

Answer 20

enzootic haematuria
bracken poisoning
toxic nephritis
pyelonephritis (with pus)

Question 21

why does long term ingestion of bracken lead to?

Answer 21

enzootic haematuria

Question 22

what effect does bracken ingestion have in sheep?

Answer 22

blindness - sheep retinal atrophy

Question 23

what effect does bracken have on the body?

Answer 23

bone marrow toxicity - pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia
petechiae in mouth, conjunctiva, vulva…
subcutaneous bruising
blood clots - urine, faeces…
pyrexia and depression
bloody diarrhoea
death

Question 24

what causes toxic nephrosis?

Answer 24

oak (acorn) poisoning - tannins cause kidney damage

Question 25

what are the clinical signs of toxic nephrosis?

Answer 25

anorexia, depression, bloat (ruminal stasis), constipation, fetid diarrhoea, death

Question 26

how can toxic nephrosis be treated? (acorn poisoning)

Answer 26

charcoal, rumenotomy, move other animals (often already absorbed tannin and little you can do)

Question 27

what bacteria is associated with bacillary haemoglobinuria?

Answer 27

Clostridium haemolyticum

Question 28

where is Clostridium haemolyticum found dormant?

Answer 28

soil and liver

Question 29

what parasite can trigger Clostridium haemolyticum?

Answer 29

migrating fluke larvae (blacks disease)

Question 30

what are the clinical signs of bacillary haemoglobinuria?

Answer 30

pyrexia, jaundice, anaemia, oedema, haemoglobinuria (fatal)

Question 31

how can Clostridium haemoglobinuria be controlled?

Answer 31

fluke control vaccinate - blacks disease

Question 32

what causes babesiosis?

Answer 32

Babesia divergens

Question 33

what spreads Babesia divergins?

Answer 33

ticks (Ixodes ricinus)

Question 34

what type of immunity do animals get to Babesia divergins?

Answer 34

inverse age - expose them when young

Question 35

what are the clinical signs of babesiosis?

Answer 35

pyrexia anaemia haemoglobinuria diarrhoea (later constipation)

Question 36

what is the treatment for babesiosis?

Answer 36

imidocarb

Question 37

what are the two treatment regimes for babesiosis?

Answer 37

curative - low dose subcutaneous injection preventative - high dose subcutaneous injection

Question 38

what needs to be done if you give imidocarb to an animal with babesiosis?

Answer 38

contact divisional veterinary manager due to long meat withhold

Question 39

what cows is post-parturient haemolglobinuria associated with?

Answer 39

older high yielding dairy cows

Question 40

how is post parturient haemoglobinuria treated?

Answer 40

phosphorous - vigophos blood transfusion

Question 41

what is used as the anticoagulant in blood transfusions?

Answer 41

sodium citrate (heparin metabolised much slow which could cause the cow to bleed out)

Question 42

what are the three animals that present with urolithiasis?

Answer 42

2-4 month old ram lambs mature early castrated goats bull beef calves

Question 43

what are the risk factors for urolithiasis?

Answer 43

calcium:phosphorous imbalances high concentrates water deprivation history of diet change forage quality/concentrate intake inappropriate feed - pig nuts in goat mix...

Question 44

what are the clinical signs of urolithiasis?

Answer 44

restlessness - mild/severe abdominal pain and straining (hiccups) dysuria/anuria preputial crystals/sand urethral/bladder rupture (swelling, fluid thrill)

Question 45

what are the most common sites for blockages in the urinary tract of males?

Answer 45

sigmoid flexure vermiform appendage urethral recess

Question 46

do sheep cope if you cut their vermiform appendage off?

Answer 46

yes

Question 47

how can urolithiasis be treated?

Answer 47

remove vermiform appendage tube cystotomy stabilise - IV fluids

Question 48

what needs to be done to be able to exteriorise the end of the penis in early castrate goats?

Answer 48

sedate and local GA then place forceps into prepuce and cut down prepuce to exteriorise

Question 49

if cutting off the vermiform appendage doesn't work to unblock the animal, what is done next?

Answer 49

percutaneous bladder catheterisation (if bladder is full and visible on ultrasound)

Question 50

how is a urethrostomy carried out?

Answer 50

standing/epidural anaesthesia midline incision below anus blunt dissect and transect the penis distally place catheter and leave for a few days

Question 51

if an animal has water belly due to rupture of the bladder/urethra, how is this treated?

Answer 51

incise in multiple locations to drain bath/spray with salt water regularly antibiotic cover and fly control

Question 52

how can urolithiasis be prevented?

Answer 52

urinary acidification - ammonium chloride check diet

Question 53

why is not indicated to use alpha 2 agonists in suspected urolithiasis cases?

Answer 53

can cause increased urination