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Friday, May 23, 2008

Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections in Cats

Eggertsdottir, A. V., H. S. Lund, et al. (2007). "Bacteriuria in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease: a clinical study of 134 cases in Norway." J Feline Med Surg 9(6): 458-65.

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common diagnosis. Idiopathic cystitis is considered the most common cause, with bacterial cystitis traditionally accounting for less than 2% of cases in cats under the age of 10 years. In this retrospective study, 134 cats that presented with signs of lower urinary tract disorders were included in a project at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. All the cats had a physical examination, blood samples were collected for haematology and clinical chemistry, and a full urinalysis with culture was performed. The urine samples were collected as voided mid-stream urine samples, by catheter or by cystocentesis. Of the 134 cats included in the study, 37% were diagnosed as having obstructive and 63% as having non-obstructive FLUTD. In total, 44 cats (33%) were diagnosed with bacteriuria. No significant difference was found between the sampling methods performed with regard to bacteriuria. This study indicates that bacteriuria may have been underdiagnosed in Norwegian cats with clinical signs of FLUTD. Further research is needed to establish the prevalence of the causes of FLUTD in Europe and the USA.
>> PubMed abstract

Related articles:
Dru Forrester, S. and P. Roudebush (2007). "Evidence-based management of feline lower urinary tract disease." Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 37(3): 533-58.
>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library


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