Vol. 8, Issue 5, Part A (2023)

Author(s): Jupaka Shashank, K Satish Kumar, VVV Amruth Kumar, B Anil Kumar and M Lakshman

Abstract: The present study was carried out to investigate the physical, chemical and microscopical changes of urine in geriatric dogs with urolithiasis. The total number of adult dogs (>6 years) brought to the medicine outpatient ward of Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar with various medical problems during the study period (January 2021 to April 2022) was 7280. Out of these total adult dogs, 620 were geriatric, and out of which, 362 dogs that were showing the clinical signs indicative of lower urinary tract disorders (LUTD), such as haematuria, pollakiuria, stranguria, dysuria, periuria, urethral discharge, dribbling of urine, straining while defecation, tenesmus, lameness and stiffness of limbs etc., were taken up for detailed study. Subsequently, 246/362 geriatric dogs were diagnosed with various lower urinary tract disorders viz., bacterial lower urinary tract infection (134/246), urolithiasis (71/246) prostate diseases (29/246) and transitional cell carcinoma (12/246) of urinary bladder. Urine was collected by using catheterisation or USG guided cystocentesis. The colour of the urine was dark yellow to reddish, transparency was cloudy to turbid and odour was slight ammonical to bad foul smell and specific gravity in the range of 1.000-1.015. Dipstick (Chemical) examination revealed alkaline pH in 45 and acidic pH in 26 geriatric dogs. Haematuria was a common finding that was observed with different intensity and also noticed pyuria and proteinuria. Microscopic examination of the urine sediment showed more number of erythrocytes (RBC-++++), leucocytes (WBC-+++), epithelial cells (+++), crystals (struvite, calcium oxalate and bilirubin) and bacteria (++).