Infections of the Urinary Tract of Bacterial Origin in Dogs and Cats

Abstract

The diseases of the urinary tract in small animal medicine, especially in dogs and cats, occur frequently with different etiologies. The most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are bacteria which enter upwards through the urethral opening. UTIs occur in hosts with compromised defence mechanisms in which the virulent microbes can adhere, multiply and persist in the urinary tract. In addition to bacteria, also viruses or fungi may infect the urinary tracts. Bacterial infection can develop in the upper (kidneys and ureters) or lower (bladder, urethra) urinary tract and are manifested by various clinical signs such as: frequent or difficult and painful urination, presence of blood in the urine, or its foul odour. The symptoms in sick animals are often accompanied by fever, discomfort, and loss of appetite. The UTIs in dogs and cats are caused by both Gram-negative (e. g. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp.) and Gram-positive (e. g. Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp.) bacteria. The properly performed aseptic sampling of the urine is one of the most important steps in bacteriological diagnostics. In this study, 105 urine samples were collected from dogs and cats. The cultivation, microscopy and biochemical examinations were used for species identification. Finally, the bacteriological examination included also determining the susceptibility of pathogens against antibiotics by the disc-diffusion method. The results were processed and expressed as a percentage according to identified pathogens, animal species, sex, breed and age. The uropathogens were diagnosed mainly in males aged 7—10 years. The most commonly identified pathogens were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Tests of bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics showed that enrofloxacin, cefotaxime, and cephazolin were the most effective against uropathogens.

Bacterial urocystitis in dogs and cats (classification, pathogenesis, causative agents, treatment, and prevention)

“…Пацієнти з вторинними бактеріальними уроциститами переходять в категорію термінальних, оскільки постійне проникнення бактерій, рецидивуючий уроцистит та регулярне використання антибіотиків утворює в організмі хворих мультирезистентну мікрофлору не чутливу до дії протимікробних засобів. В результаті усі вищепераховані фактори рано чи пізно спровокують уросепсис та вірогідно загибель тварини (Cardoso et al, 2008;Saunders et al, 2012;Kocúreková et al, 2021). В наукових публікаціях сьогодення рекомендації авторів зводяться до профілактичних заходів спрямованих на відтермінування рецидивів інфекційного процесу в уретрі та сечовому міхурі.…”

Bakterijske infekcije urinarnog trakta u veterinarskim ordinacijama za male životinje

“…Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur frequently in veterinary practice and are among the most common reasons for antibiotic prescription (Sykes and Westropp, 2014;Hernando et al, 2021). A wide variety of pathogens can cause UTIs, even though bacteria are the most frequent (Olin and Bartges, 2015; Kocúreková et al, 2021). These agents may cause a lower UTI, affecting the bladder (cystitis) and/ or the urethra (urethritis); or upper TI, affecting renal pelvis (pyelonephritis) and/ or ureters (ureteritis) (Kogika and Waki, 2015; Olin and Bartges, 2015;Teh, 2022).…”

“…Less commonly, an infectious agent can reach the UT from the kidney, through a descending route or, in other words, via hematogenous spread (Littman, 2011; Sykes and Westropp, 2014). Basically, for a UTI, two conditions must occur: 1) temporary or permanent failure in host's immunity, and 2) pathogens must be present in sufficient quantity and with specific virulence (Kogika and Waki, 2015; Kocúreková et al, 2021).…”

“…In general, UTIs bacterial agents are similar between the two species in small animal practice (Labato, 2009). Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most frequently isolated agent in canines, felines, and even humans (Kocúreková et al, 2021;Weese et al, 2019), representing 33-55% of the isolated pathogens (Lima et al, 2021;DiBartola and Westropp, 2023). Bacteria such as Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Pasteurella spp., and Corynebacterium spp.…”

“…However, mixed infections, with two or more microorganisms, may also be involved (Nelson and Couto, 2009). According to Smee, (2020), 75% of dog isolates are single bacteria, 20% are caused by a combination of two species, and 5% by prostate (prostatitis) or vagina (vaginitis) (Olin and Bartges, 2015;Kocúreková et al, 2021). In some cases, animals may reveal no clinical signs or mild discomfort while urinating, leading to signs of dysuria and pollakiuria that usually disappear with pharmacological treatment.…”