BackgroundUreteral stent and subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) placement are commonly used for managing ureteral obstructions. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a recognized complication.ObjectivesTo determine postoperative incidence of positive urine cultures in cats undergoing ureteral stent and SUB placement and to identify risk factors associated with positive urine cultures.DesignRetrospective study.AnimalsForty‐three cats that underwent 48 surgical events.ProceduresMedical records were reviewed. Cats were included if urine cultures were performed before and after surgery. Variables were compared to identify risk factors.ResultsUrine cultures were positive postoperatively pre‐discharge in 5/20 (25%) cats. Median duration of follow‐up post‐discharge was 209 days (range, 11‐2184 days), with a total of 143 urine cultures performed in cats post‐discharge. Of these, 16 (11%) were positive in 12/48 (25%) cats. Nine different bacteria were identified; Enterococcus spp. (n = 8) predominated as monomicrobic or mixed infections. In 14/16 instances of positive urine cultures, affected cats had lower urinary tract signs, signs of pyelonephritis or both. Cats that received antibiotics postoperatively were significantly less likely to have a positive urine culture compared to those that did not (odds ratio, 0.2, 95% confidence interval, 0.05, 0.8, P = 0.02). Chronic kidney disease, renal implant type and postoperative urinary catheterization were not associated with positive urine cultures.Conclusions and Clinical RelevancePostoperatively, occurrence of positive urine cultures was similar to previous reports. Subclinical bacteriuria was less common than UTI. Postoperative urinary catheterization has been speculated to increase risk of bacteriuria, but this was not the case in this cohort.

The potential role of cats in transmitting Coxiella burnetii to humans was highlighted in a Q fever outbreak, linked to a caesarean section in a breeding queen, in an Australian small animal veterinary hospital. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the C burnetii seroreactivity of the breeding queen and other cats residing at the same breeding cattery (n = 27) and to evaluate C burnetii infection of the breeding queen by molecular and histological methods. Three assays [complement fixation test (CFT), indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)] were used for serological evaluation. Additionally, uterine and ovarian samples collected from the breeding queen 11 weeks post-parturition were assessed by routine and specialised histological methods and polymerase chain reaction. The breeding queen showed strong seropositivity using CFT (titre 1/32), IFA (titre phase I 1/8192 and phase II 1/8192) and ELISA; however, the reproductive tract showed no evidence of pathology or C burnetii infection. A number of cattery-confined cats were identified as seropositive to phase II and/or phase I C burnetii. Serological detection of C burnetii in a breeding cattery linked to a Q fever outbreak indicates likely infection by this bacterium in Australian feline populations, re-confirming the relevance of this zoonosis.

Background: Urolithiasis is an important upper and lower urinary tract disease in cats that results in morbidity and mortality.Objective: To describe trends in composition of uroliths in cats and evaluate risk factors related to age, breed, sex, urolith location, and bacterial urolith cultures. Sample Population: A total of 3940 uroliths and the cats from which they were obtained. Methods: The database of the UC Davis Gerald V. Ling Urinary Stone Analysis Laboratory was searched for all urolith submissions from cats between January 2005 and December 2018. Mineral type, age, breed, sex, and urolith location and culture results were recorded. Trends were evaluated and variables compared to evaluate risk factors. Results: A significant decrease in the proportion of calcium oxalate (CaOx)-containing uroliths occurred over time (P = .02), from 50.1% (204/407) of all submissions in 2005 to 37.7% (58/154) in 2018. In contrast, the proportion of struvite-containing uroliths increased significantly (P = .002), from 41.8% (170/407) in 2005 to 54.5% (84/154) in 2018. The proportion of CaOx-containing uroliths in the upper urinary tract was significantly higher compared to the proportion of other urolith types in the upper urinary tract. Urate-containing uroliths were the third most common type (361/3940, 9.2%).Overall, sex and age predispositions were similar to those reported previously.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The decrease in the proportion of CaOxcontaining uroliths and increase in the proportion of struvite-containing uroliths warrants investigation. Further education regarding the efficacy of medical dissolution of struvite-containing uroliths is recommended.

Background: Urolithiasis is a common and often recurrent problem in dogs.Objective: To evaluate trends in urolith composition in dogs and to assess risk factors for urolithiasis, including age, breed, sex, neuter status, urolith location, and bacterial urolith cultures.