Retroflexion of the urinary bladder associated with a perineal hernia in a female cat

A case of retroflexion of the urinary bladder into a bilateral perineal hernia in a female domestic shorthaired cat, three weeks postpartum, is reported. The bladder was repositioned and a cystopexy performed. A pelvic ostectomy was also carried out in order to alleviate the narrowing of the pelvic canal caused by an untreated acetabular fracture. Bilateral perineal herniorrhaphy was performed.     

Observations on the experimental pathogenicity and toxigenicity of Mortierella wolfii strains of bovine origin.

Four strains of Mortierella wolfii isolated from cattle in Britain were compared in pathogenicity and toxigenicity with a strain isolated from a cow with the mycotic abortion-pneumonia syndrome in New Zealand. All strains produced acute lethal infection in rabbits after intravenous inoculation of mycelial suspensions and all produced subacute mycotic encephalitis in mice after intracerebral injection. They also produced an acid-stable, heat- and trypsin-labile toxin in vitro. The action of the toxin was exerted mainly on the kidneys in rabbits and mice and produced effects distinct from those resulting from infection with M. wolfii.     

Metabolic changes due to experimentally induced rupture of the bovine urinary bladder

Metabolic changes were studied in the serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid of 5 healthy yearling feedlot steers after experimentally induced urinary bladder rupture. There were statistically significant decreases in serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid sodium and chloride values and significant increases in serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus values. Serum calcium, pH, bicarbonate, and base excess decreased significantly. Potassium did not change significantly in serum but did increase significantly in the saliva. The hemogram and peritoneal fluid analysis failed to provide clinicopathologic evidence of peritonitis. The average time of death or euthanasia after bladder rupture was 13.6 days with a range of 8-21 days. No single biochemical parameter could be identified which would allow prediction of the approaching time of death or duration of the disease process. There was no peritonitis at necropsy indicating that urine was not irritating to the bovine peritoneal cavity. Extracellular replacement fluid with or without sodium bicarbonate supplementation appeared to be the fluid of choice for correction of fluid and electrolyte imbalances in steers with ruptured urinary bladders. The ratio between serum and peritoneal fluid creatinine concentrations appears to be valuable for the clinical diagnosis of ruptured urinary bladders in steers.     

Neoplasms of the canine urinary bladder.

Evaluation of histologic data obtained from 90 breeds of dogs with 3,837 neoplasms collected over 10 years (1961-1971) revealed 21 cases of urinary bladder neoplasmia in 14 breeds of dogs. There was no breed predispostion. The mean age of dogs with urinary bladder neoplasia was 9.5 years; 6 were males, 13 were females, and 2 were spayed females.     

Observations on bovine pyelonephritis

Fifty-one cases of bovine pyelonephritis were investigated. The annual prevalence rate for 2089 cows was 1.6% in 1987 with a mean interval from calving to onset of cases of 82.9 days. Multipara were at higher risk. Loss from pyelonephritis was 33.3% of all affected cows, and relapse occurred in 9.4% of apparently recovered animals. Serum creatinine and urea concentrations were of high prognostic values. Odds ratios being culled for cows with levels of creatinine above 1.5 mg/dl (132.6 mumol/l) and of urea above 100.0 mg/dl (16.7 mmol/l) were 104.0 and 60.0 respectively compared with those with lower values. Haematological results were of no diagnostic value. Odds ratio for cows with no post-parturient uterine diseases having pyelonephritis was 8.9 compared with infected cows treated at calving with antibiotics.     

Chemo-angiogenic profile of bovine urinary bladder tumors distinguishes urothelial carcinomas from hemangiosarcomas

Angiogenesis and inflammation are two processes regulated by numerous common molecular mechanisms. Inflammation can stimulate angiogenesis, and angiogenesis can facilitate inflammation; both mechanisms have been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis. With this study we sought to gain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor angiogenesis and inflammation in urinary bladder tumors. Tumor specimens were collected at slaughter from Friesian cows chronically exposed to bracken fern. Bracken chronic toxicity is characterized by the presence of multiple mixed tumors in the bladder, being reported throughout the world under the designation of bovine enzootic hematuria. We conducted molecular analyses of angiogenic factors and chemokine production by real-time RT-PCR, and also assessed microvessel density (MVD), microvessel pericyte coverage index (MPI) to reveal mature vessels, the extent of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILk) and tumor cell apoptosis and proliferation in both epithelial and endothelial-derived bovine urinary bladder tumors. We defined a profile of chemokines/chemokine receptors (Mip1beta, CCR1) and angiogenesis-related factors (VEGF, VEGFR2) that allow distinguishing between urothelial carcinomas (epithelial origin) and hemangiosarcomas (endothelial origin). Taken together, our data reveals previously unrecognized paracrine and autocrine chemo-angiogenic loops in the context of bovine urinary bladder tumorigenesis.     

The enzymatic profile of urine and plasma in bovine urinary bladder cancer (enzootic bovine haematuria)

The enzymatic profile of urine and plasma in field cases of bovine bladder cancer was studied. Urinary lactate dehydrogenase activity was significantly altered along with the isoenzyme pattern. Activity of alkaline phosphatase and -glucuronidase was decreased in the affected animals. No significant changes were observed in acid phosphatase, or arylsulphatase A and B activity. In plasma, lactate dehydrogenase activity was elevated without any change in the isoenzyme pattern. No significant changes were observed in the other plasma enzymes studied or in the sialic acid concentration.     

Leiomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder in a cat.

An 81/2-year-old female domestic short-haired cat was admitted with signs of chronic cystitis. Radiography revealed marked and irregular thickening of the bladder wall. Biopsy revealed the thickening to be a malignant tumor of muscle origin and treatment with proteolytic enzymes was instituted. After one month, the cat was euthanatized because of uremia associated with progressive tumor growth. At necropsy the bladder was grossly thickened. The histopathologic diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma.     

Prevalence of bacterial urinary tract infection after perineal urethrostomy in cats.

It has been reported that the prevalence of bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) increases after perineal urethrostomy in male cats. Perineal urethrostomy, using a surgical technique preserving striated urethral sphincter function, was performed on 2 groups of cats. The first group consisted of healthy castrated cats. The second group of cats had recurrent or persistent urethral obstruction. All cats had normal urethral sphincter function after surgery, as measured by urethral pressure profilometry and electromyography. Long-term periodic urinalysis and bacterial culturing of urine was performed on all cats. Twenty-two percent of the previously obstructed cats had recurrent bacterial UTI, compared with none of the healthy cats. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that perineal urethrostomy per se does not predispose cats to bacterial UTI, but surgical alteration of the urethral meatus combined with an underlying uropathy may increase the prevalence of ascending bacterial UTI after surgery.     

Effects of urinary bladder distention on location of the urinary bladder and urethra of healthy dogs and cats

Evaluation of the anatomic location of the distended and empty urinary bladders and urethras of healthy adult male and female dogs and cats by retrograde urethrocystography revealed substantial variations. In 15 dogs in lateral recumbency with empty bladder lumens, the caudal portion of the urinary bladder was within the pelvic canal in 5 of 7 male and 5 of 8 female dogs. In female dogs examined in ventrodorsal recumbency, only 4 of 8 had the empty urinary bladders in part within the pelvic canal. After luminal distention, 3 of 7 male and 3 of 8 female dogs, while in lateral recumbency, had the urinary bladders in part intrapelvically. However, when female dogs were placed in ventrodorsal recumbency, only 1 of 7 urinary bladders was in part within the pelvis. The urinary bladders of 14 cats were consistently within the abdominal cavity, irrespective of whether the bladder lumen was distended or empty. Urethral flexures occurred in dogs with intrapelvic bladders that were distended or empty. Urethral flexures were not found in cats. The urethras of dogs and cats in lateral recumbency were generally closer to the floor of the pelvis after urinary bladder distention than when the bladder was empty. The urethra of the dogs and cats in ventrodorsal recumbency was to the left or right of or on the midsagittal plane, whether the urinary bladder was empty or distended. A greater degree of lateral displacement was encountered in ventrodorsal recumbency after urinary bladder distention.     

Observations on the epidemiology of bovine cryptosporidiosis in India

The significance of Cryptosporidium as a causative agent of diarrhea has been assessed in bovine for a period of 2 years. A total of 940 faecal samples (470 samples in each year) both from diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic bovine (0-12 months age) were examined during three different seasons (rainy season, summer and winter). Overall Cryptosporidium was detected in 17.46% and 18.04% cases in first and second year, respectively. Out of 50.21% diarrhoeic and 49.79% non-diarrhoeic cases Cryptosporidium was detected in 26.79% and 8.13% in first year and 27.49% and 8.59% in second year. Year did not have any significant effect on the occurrence of cryptosporidiosis in bovine during this study period. The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis, both in diarrhoeic (61.64%) and non-diarrhoeic (47.22%) cases was highest in 0-1-month age group (P<0.01). Such a high percentage of cryptosporidiosis in clinically asymptomatic animals indicated that the particular age group of animals might be reservoir for the parasite. During this study period highest prevalence was recorded in rainy season (27.55%) followed by summer (16.99%) and winter (8.71%) (P<0.01). A total of 166 positive cases were genotyped. Molecular characterization of bovine cryptosporidiosis has been carried out by PCR-RFLP analysis of SSU rRNA gene and results indicated that Cryptosporidium parvum mainly responsible for diarrhea in bovine in India.