Diagnosis, medical treatment, and prognosis of feline urolithiasis

• Published in: The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice Vol. 26; no. 3; p. 589
• Main Authors: Osborne, C A, Lulich, J P, Thumchai, R, Bartges, J W, Sanderson, S L, Ulrich, L K, Koehler, L A, Bird, K A, Swanson, L L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-05-1996
• Subjects: Animals; Cat Diseases - diagnosis; Cat Diseases - prevention & control; Cat Diseases - therapy; Cats; Crystallization; Diet - standards; Diet - veterinary; Female; Male; Prognosis; Radiography - methods; Radiography - veterinary; Ultrasonography - methods; Ultrasonography - veterinary; Urinary Calculi - diagnosis; Urinary Calculi - therapy; Urinary Calculi - veterinary; Urinary Tract - pathology; Urinary Tract - surgery; Urography - methods; Urography - veterinary
• ISSN: 0195-5616
• DOI: 10.1016/S0195-5616(96)50087-2

Radiographic or ultrasonographic evaluation of the urinary tract is required to consistently detect feline uroliths. Evaluation of clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings facilitate "guesstimation" of the mineral composition of uroliths. Therapy should not be initiated before appropriate samples have been collected for diagnosis. The objectives of medical management of uroliths are to arrest further growth and to promote urolith dissolution by correcting or controlling underlying abnormalities. For therapy to be effective, it must induce undersaturation of urine with calculogenic crystalloids by (1) increasing the solubility of crystalloids in urine, (2) increasing the volume of urine in which crystalloids are dissolved or suspended, and (3) reducing the quantity of calculogenic crystalloids in urine.