The life threatening veterinary emergency of urinary obstruction and bladder stones

Urinary obstruction can be a life threatening veterinary emergency. This is especially fatal to male cats, where the inability to urinate leads to a rapid buildup of toxic substances that if left untreated can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and death.

What is urinary obstruction?

Urinary obstructions may occur in cats, dogs, and other species such as ferrets. Although males are commonly affected, it can occur in both males and females. Caused typically by bladder stones that are lodged in the urethra, it prevents the passage of urine. It can also be caused by muscle spasms in the urethra, cystitis, mucous plugs, and even certain cancers.

What are the signs of urinary obstruction?

Signs in both dogs and cats are similar. They will often be straining to urinate only to produce only a few drops or no urinate at all. Many animals will appear to be in pain as they attempt to urinate or may vocalize this pain. In cats, it may also cause extreme lethargy, vomiting, or even collapse. Check the litter box for signs of no urine or just a few discolored drops of urine.

What to do if you suspect urinary obstruction?

Left untreated, especially in male cats, can be deemed particularly life threatening. With appropriate and rapid treatment, most pets can be saved. Because it is difficult for owners to differentiate between a urinary obstruction and the less serious condition of a bladder infection, it is advised that you get your pet to the vet as soon as possible for an examination.

How is urinary obstruction treated?

Initial treatment is done by stabilizing the pet, often through intravenous fluids and pain medications. Once stabilized, then they are sedated and a urinary catheter is placed in the urethra to unblock it. Once achieved, your pet will be treated with the appropriate fluids or other medications that are required depending on your pet’s individual condition. The next step is to review why your pet became blocked in the first place. Is it cystitis and will need medical management? Is it bladder stones that will require surgical removal? From that point on, your vet will devise a tailored treatment pertaining to your pet’s current condition.

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dog health, cat health

There's An App For That: Pet Care In Your Pocket

Smartphones, when smartly employed, are a powerful but often overlooked way to enhance patient care and client perceptions. Following are 5 ways to improve patient care by leveraging clients’ smartphones.

There's an app for that!

Following are some of the many apps clients can use that will help them and their veterinary team provide better care for their pets.

The App	The Application
Evernote Google Keep	Clients can keep digital journals of the pet’s activities
BPM Tap VetCalc+	Clients can use to check their pet’s heart or respiratory rate
RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker RVC Pet Diabetes	Both help clients keep disease logs and remind them about specific disease care (eg, injection sites and times for diabetic pets)
Medisafe Meds & Pill Reminder	Clients can track multiple medications
Vet2Pet PetDesk	Clients can use for scheduling appointments, ordering medications and pet food, and more
Pet Poison Helpline ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center	Both provide clients with information on pet toxicity and connect pet owners with a poison control center
SloPro	Allows clients to video and document pet injuries (eg, lameness) in slow motion

 

Monitoring Diseases

At-home management of certain diseases can overwhelm clients. Smartphones offer a lot of ways of easing the overload that comes with rigorously detailed treatments.

Basic applications like Evernote and Google Keep enable clients to keep digital journals of their pet’s activities that can be easily shared with their vet and remain in sync across devices.

Apps like BPM Tap or VetCalc+ have built-in tempo counters that allow clients to simply tap the screen corresponding to the heart or respiratory rate they are trying to count. These apps automatically output the rate based on the taps, and some will even store logs.

Some organizations are leading the way in disease-specific apps. The Royal Veterinary College has 2 apps worth checking out: RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker6 and RVC Pet Diabetes.7 Both can help clients keep disease logs, access trusted reference information, and store the practice’s contact information. The diabetes app helps remind clients to rotate injection sites, provides graphical displays of glucose measurements, and even incorporates a validated tool to help track quality of life. Simply search the app store for “Royal Veterinary College.”

Helping with Medications

Clients dealing with pets on multiple medications may benefit from one of the many apps available that help organize and remind pet owners. One stand-out app, Medisafe Meds & Pill Reminder, has a visual interface that imitates a pill box that is easy to use and is particularly helpful because clients can track their own medications, other family member medications, and pet medications all in one place.

Accessing Trusted Information

Google, although the fastest way to get an answer, is not always the safe or right answer. Always look to trusted reference resources, like Pet Poison Helpline and ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Each has their own apps, which provide information on pet toxicity.

Built-In Go-Tos

Last but not least, look no further than the built-in functionality of most modern smartphones. Lights, cameras, microphones, speakers, GPS, and accelerometers extend superpowers to those who hold these tiny pocket computers.

The camera app is a useful tool that allows clients who are describing findings. Pro-tip: Record with video rather than still photography. Even when documenting skin lesions, live video can assist the veterinary team by giving clearer context. Apps like SloPro are available to help clients document video in slow motion (eg, lameness documentation at home).

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What Does a Skin Scraping Reveal in Dogs?

As you might know from our article on 5 common dog skin diseases, skin problems and constant scratching from itchiness are common disorders found in dogs and other animals. Finding the reason for the problem is important in order to appropriately approaching an effective treatment or cure.

What’s a skin scraping test?

A skin scraping is a collected sample of skin cells that are evaluated under a microscope. Skin scraping tests are typically performed to aid in diagnosing certain skin inflammations, fungal infections, and skin cancer, along with being an effective way of determining the presence of mites.

What does a skin scraping reveal in dogs?

A skin scraping can reveal the presence of abnormal cells in the superficial layers of the skin. It can reveal certain fungi, bacteria, cancer cells, and parasites. Determining the underlying cause of a skin disorder leads to appropriate treatment.

How are skin scrapings done?

With the use of a scalpel blade, a sample of skin cells are collected. The blade is used to gently scrape layers of the skin, usually until a small amount of blood is seen so that cells that are deep in the skin are gathered. This is important because parasites often live deep in the skin. Once the skin cell sample is collected, it is placed on a microscope slide, mixed with oil, and evaluated under a microscope. Results are typically available within 30 minutes, unless a veterinarian may need a second opinion and it is submitted to an outside lab.

Are skin scrapings painful to dogs?

The level of pain varies from one dog to another and is more likely to cause discomfort rather than pain. Neither sedation nor anesthesia is needed in order to perform a skin scraping. Most dogs tolerate this procedure relatively well.

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Feline Skin Diseases: When is licking more than just grooming?

Dermatopathies (skin diseases) are quite common in cats. Studies indicate that between 6% and 15% of feline patients have at least one dermatopathy and many cats suffer from more than one. A recent study done by Cornell University Hospital for Animals showed that 22% had two skin diseases and 6% have three distinctive skin diseases.

The skin is the largest organ in a cat’s body, which comprises up to a quarter of its body weight. It also has many important functions, such as a protective barrier to the environment and regulates body temperature.

The skin of a cat is composed of:

The epidermis

The epidermis is the top layer that provides protection.

The dermis

The dermis is the supportive layer underneath the epidermis, which provides nourishment to the top layer.

The subcutis

The subcutis is the innermost layer that contains protective and insulating muscles and fat.

The appendages

The appendages include the claws, sebaceous glands that lubricate the skin and hair, and tiny muscles called arrector pili that can make hair stand on end.

Leading causes

Numerous conditions, from parasites to allergies, can cause skin diseases in cats. The geographic location is also linked to the prevalence of certain conditions. In upstate New York, for example, the most common causes of skin disease in cats seen by dermatology specialists are allergies to airborne particles, food, or flea and mosquito bites. On the other hand, in other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, studies show that abscesses are the most common cause of skin disease in feline patients.

A cat’s lifestyle, gender, or breed can also affect their risk of various skin conditions. Outdoor cats for example, have a greater chance of infestation by external parasites (such as fleas) and a higher risk of injury and abscesses from fighting with other cats or animals. Additionally, male cats are more likely than female cats to engage in aggressive behavior that may result in bite wound-induced abscesses. There are also certain breeds, like Himalayans, which are more prone to skin disease than other cat breeds.

Common (clinical) signs of skin disease in cats include:

• Excessive scratching, licking, or chewing of the fur

• Loss of fur

• Scabby, scaly, or flaky skin,

• Swellings or bumps on the skin

Treatment of skin disease in cats

The treatment of feline skin disease depends on its specific cause. Flea infestation is treated by using certain flea control products to eliminate fleas from both the cat and its environment. Food allergies are typically treated by a set diet that does not contain ingredients in which the cat is allergic to. Abscesses are treated by draining the infected site and putting the cat on antibiotics to fight any bacterial infections. Fungal disease is treated with anti-fungal medications. Often in cases, the cause of skin disease in cats may transfer to other cats (and in some cases, to people), so preventing transmission from animal or human is often an important element in a treatment plan.

Cats with a skin disease will often suffer from dermatitis (skin inflammation). The inflammation may result from the process that starts the disease (like food allergies or the cat itching and scratching in response to the irritation stemming from the disease). In both cases, inflammation leads to itchiness, and thus scratching expedites skin damage (triggering a possible, yet relentless cycle of inflammation and skin damage). Careful consultation with your vet can help you arrive at the best strategy to treat your cat’s skin disease.

Prognosis of skin disease in cats

Depending on severity or cause of feline skin disease, the predicted outcome for cats is often favorable. There are rare exceptions where skin disease in cats is an indicator of a more serious illness, however by visiting your vet and following the treatment plan closely with your feline, the result will lead to resolution of the problem.

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feline health