Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (LUTD) in Geriatric Dogs

The clinical manifestations of lower urinary tract diseases (LUTD) are common but non-specific to any particular disease among geriatric dogs. Diagnosis and confirmation of the specific lower urinary tract disease is a biggest challenge for a successful treatment plan.

Geriatric dogs that were presented with signs suggestive of lower urinary tract diseases were subjected for detailed clinical examination followed by complete urinalysis, culture and microscopic examination of the urine sample that was collected by ultrasound guided cystocentesis. Abdomen radiography and ultrasonography was also performed to confirm the specific LUT disease. Fine needle aspiration of prostate was also carried out in few selected cases.

A total of 52 geriatric dogs were diagnosed for various lower urinary tract diseases such as cystitis, cystic calculi, prostate infection, transitional cell carcinoma and both calculi with cystitis. Stranguria, dysuria, malodorous urine, blood-tinged urine, oliguria, urinary incontinence and anuria were few common signs recorded. Apart from RBCs, WBCs and other cellular debris, various types of crystals were also detected on microscopic evaluation of the urine sample. Struvite or triple phosphate crystals (coffin-lid shape) were of predominant, followed by calcium oxalate dihydrate (octahedron or envelope shape), calcium oxalate monohydrate (picket fence shape) and ammonium urate or biurate (irregular shape). Most commonly calculi were retrieved from bladder and in few male dogs from urethra. In addition to cystic calculi, transitional cell carcinoma was also recorded among few cases that were reported with hematuria. Enlarged prostate and abscess were common abnormalities of prostate among geriatric dogs.