Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate causes for feline urethral obstruction and determine whether the frequency of radiographic diagnoses differs between cats radiographed before or after unobstruction of the urethra. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of cats with naturally occurring urethral obstruction was performed. Only cats presenting for their first urethral obstruction in which radiography was integrated in the initial evaluation were included. The diagnosis frequency (overall and for each disease type) was compared between cats radiographed before or after unobstruction of the urethra. Results: Eighty cats (52%) had radiographs obtained before unobstructing the urethra and 73 cats (48%) had radiographs taken after unobstructing the urethra. Cats radiographed before unobstruction had a greater frequency of radiographic diagnoses than those radiographed after unobstruction (61% versus 45%). This difference was largely due to a greater frequency of urethral plugs detected before unobstruction versus after unobstruction (45% versus 5.5%). Clinical Significance: Radiographs obtained before unobstructing the urethra provided a diagnostic advantage for detecting a cause for urethral obstruction compared to radiographs obtained after unobstructing the urethra. Urethral plugs were the most common diagnosis.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 365-372 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Small Animal Practice |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 British Small Animal Veterinary Association
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article