Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe the perioperative and postoperative complications as well as short-term and long-term outcomes in cats with ureteral obstructions treated by placement of a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) device without imaging control. The second objective of this study was to compare cats treated by SUB device with cats treated by traditional surgical intervention. Methods Data were obtained retrospectively from the medical records (2014-2016) of cats that underwent SUB placement (SUB cats) and cats that underwent traditional ureteral surgery (C cats). Results Nineteen SUB devices were placed without fluoroscopic, radiographic or ultrasonographic guidance in 13 cats. Fifteen traditional interventions (ureterotomy and neoureterocystostomy) were performed in 11 cats. Successful placement of the SUB device was achieved in all cats with only one major intraoperative complication (kinking of the kidney catheter) and one minor intraoperative complication (misplacement of the kidney catheter). Eleven SUB cats recovered from the surgical procedure; two SUB cats and three C cats died during the anaesthesia recovery period. Postoperative SUB complications included anaemia (n = 2), urinary tract infection (UTI) (n = 4), non-infectious cystitis (n = 5) and SUB device obstruction (n = 1). Postoperative traditional surgery complications included anaemia (n = 7), UTIs (n = 6), non-infectious cystitis (n = 1), re-obstruction (n = 4) and ureteral stricture (n = 1). Median postoperative duration of hospitalisation (3 days) was significantly shorter for SUB cats than for C cats ( P = 0.013). Ten SUB cats (76.9%) and four C cats (40%) were still alive at a median follow-up of 225 days and 260 days, respectively. Owners were completely (90%) or mostly (10%) satisfied with the SUB device placement. Conclusions and relevance SUB device placement appears to be an effective and safe option for treating ureteral obstruction in cats, and this study has shown that fluoroscopic guidance is not essential in all cases.

A penetrating injury, more than three radiographic lesions, or both together seemed to be indicative of the need for a thoracotomy. In the absence of these criteria, systematic bite wound explorative surgery is recommended, with extension to thoracotomy if thoracic body wall disruption is observed.

BackgroundSubarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction. Most of the 100 cases of subarachnoid cysts described since the first report in 1968 were apparently not true cysts. Reported cysts are usually situated in the cervical area and occur in predisposed breeds such as the Rottweiler. The purpose of this retrospective study, from May 2003 to April 2012, was to describe the distinctive features of thoracolumbar spinal subarachnoid cysts, together with their surgical treatment and outcome in 6 chondrodystrophic dogs.ResultsFive Pugs and 1 French Bulldog were examined. Images suggestive of a subarachnoid cyst were obtained by myelography (2/6) and computed tomography myelography (4/6), and associated disc herniation was observed in 3/6 dogs. A hemilaminectomy was performed. The protruding disc eventually found in 5/6 dogs was treated by lateral corpectomy. The ventral leptomeningeal adhesions observed in all dogs after durotomy were dissected. No or only mild post-operative neurological degradation was observed. Follow-up studies (7 months to 4 years) indicated good outcome and no recurrence.ConclusionsAll the thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts described in these 6 chondrodystrophic dogs were associated with leptomeningeal adhesions. Good results seemed to be obtained by dissecting and removing these adhesions. A protruding disc, found here in 5/6 dogs, needs to be ruled out and can be treated by lateral corpectomy.