Urolithiasis in chinchillas: 15 cases (2007 to 2011)

To evaluate the signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic test results, treatment and outcome of chinchillas diagnosed with urolithiasis.

Medical records of 15 chinchillas diagnosed with urolithiasis were retrospectively reviewed.

All animals were male with a median age of 30 months (range: 11 to 132 months). Haematuria, pollakiuria and stranguria were the most common presenting complaints. Of 15 animals, 12 had abnormal physical abdominal examination, including pain and palpable cystic calculi. Uroliths were diagnosed in the urinary bladder, urethra or both. Nine animals had cystic calculi only. Four out of 6 chinchillas with urethral calculi were euthanased within 1 day of diagnosis. There was recurrence of cystic calculi following cystotomy in 5/10 animals and median time to recurrence was 68 days (range: 19 to 440 days). Median survival time in chinchilla with urolith recurrence was 391 days (range: 74 to 1074 days) following initial diagnosis. Disease-free follow-up time in 5/10 chinchillas without urolith recurrence following surgical removal was 2204 days (range: 1914 to 2535 days).

Cystic uroliths in male chinchillas carry a better prognosis than urethral uroliths. Recurrence of urolithiasis is common.