Urinary System Disorders in Pets: Causes and Care

Problems related to urinary system are common in occurrence and more frequently encountered in urban areas where risk of spread from contagious disease such as leptospirosis is always present. Kidney failure is quite common in aged, old male pets leading to interstitial nephritis, pyelonephritis, nephrosis and urolithiasis or stone formation. Sometimes, hydronephrosis and pyelitis are also seen in dogs. Cystitis, a disease condition related to urinary bladder is fairly widespread in both the sexes, but more in females.

Causes

• Nephritis: Bacteria or virus, the common cause being infection of Leptospira species.
• Pyelonephritis: Caused by Corynebacterium renale.
• Nephrosis: Caused by various poisons and toxins.
• Urolithiasis: Renal calculi usually made up of phosphates.
• Cystitis: Streptococci, Staphylococci and forms of Escherichia coli, mechanical damage to the urinary bladder lining due to presence of calculi.

Clinical Symptoms

Nephritis: Frequent urination with strong smell, fishy smelling breath, small quantity of very dark urine, thick tarter on teeth, gradual loss of condition, increased thirst and vomiting.

Pyelonephritis: Presence of purulent material and blood in urine, obstruction to the passage of urine, arched back and restlessness.

Nephrosis: Decreased urine output in the beginning followed by complete suppression of urination, presence of blood cells and albumin casts in urine.

Urolithiasis: The first signs observed are usually the passage of blood and presence of purulent material in the urine, severe pain, cry, licking at the area of urinary bladder, discomfort to the animal, passage of urine drop by drop with thickening and stone formation.

Cystitis: Passing of small quantity of cloudy or blood stained urine, straining and pain after urination, inflammation of the urinary bladder, fever with occasionally vomiting and diarrhoea, urine strong smelling and dark coloured.

Incontinence: The condition may result due to damaged kidneys. There is unconscious passing of urine with loss of appetite, increased thirst, loss of body weight, large quantity of pale urine.

Blockage of urethra: The pet tries to pass urine but it does not come out.

Enlarged Prostate Gland: This is the of old age usually seen in male pets. There may be blood mixed passing of urine in bursts rather than even flow.

Water Diabetes: This is a rare condition seen in fat and flappy dog with increased thirst and pale urine.

Sugar Diabetes: The main symptoms observed are severe thirst, sickly sweet smelling breath, passing large quantity of urine, loss of weight, unwell, frequent urination with leading weakness.

The most common clinical signs in urinary disease are pain and dysuria, presence of blood, pus cells, albumin casts, bacteria and crystals in urine leading to oedema and uraemia in terminal stages of the illness.

Treatment

(1) Try broad spectrum antibiotics (Norflox) with urinary antiseptics after doing urine culture and sensitivity test for antibiotics. Nitrofurans and Ampicillin group of antibiotics are quite useful for a prolonged therapy of 12-15 days because infections of the urinary tract are quite complicated and difficult to eradicate.

(2) Urinary sedatives may be tried in cystitis and urethritis.

Soda bicarb	1 gm
Tr. Hyoscyamus	1 ml
Aqua Chloroform	5 ml
Syrup	4-5 ml

(3) Diuretics, though not much use, may be given with caution to help excretion of toxic and metabolic waste products from the urinary system during oedema and ascites problems.

Spirit Ammonia Aromaticus	1.5 ml
Potassium Acetas	0.5 gm
Soda-Salicylas	0.5 gm
Aqua	8-10 ml
Syrup	4-5 ml

(4) Injection of Lasix (Frusemide) and Neptal given IM in prescribed doses is also useful in ascites. APC tablet may also be given for temporary relief. Omnacortil – 10 is a drug of choice for nephritis.

(5) Use of drinking water as much as possible for flushing the urinary system is quite advantageous to the ailing pet.

(6) In case of dehydration, the pet should be subjected to rehydration therapy as and when required.

(7) Ciprofloxacin 8-10 mg/kg body weight by oral route is a drug of choice for urinary tract infection and other bacterial infections.

(8) Avoid feeding protein rich diet to ailing pet and put him on feed containing milk puddings, condensed milk and shark liver oil.

Homeopathic Remedies

• Lycopodium 30 (For Prostate)
• Insulin 30 (For Diabetes)
• Belladonna 30 (For Cystitis)
• Thuja 30 (For Blockage)
• Causticum 30 (For Nephrosis)
• Cantharis 30 (For Urinary Tract Infection)
• Aconite 30 (For Sudden Onset)
• Calcerea carb 30 (For Urolithiasis)