Outcomes in dogs with uroabdomen: 43 cases (2006-2015)

OBJECTIVE To determine the rate of and factors associated with survival to hospital discharge in dogs with uroabdomen. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 43 dogs with uroabdomen confirmed at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals from 2006 through 2015. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed and data extracted regarding cause and location of urinary tract rupture, serum creatinine concentration and other variables at hospital admission, and outcomes. Variables were tested for associations with survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS Urinary tract rupture occurred in the urinary bladder (n = 24 [56%]), urethra (11 [26%]), kidney (2 [5%]), ureter (1 [2%]), both the urinary bladder and kidney (1 [2%]), and undetermined sites (4 [9%]). Rupture causes included traumatic (20 [47%]), obstructive (9 [21%]), and iatrogenic (7 [16%]) or were unknown (7 [16%]). Surgery was performed for 37 (86%) dogs; the defect was identified and surgically corrected in 34 (92%) of these dogs. Hypotension was the most common intraoperative complication. Nineteen dogs had information recorded on postoperative complications, of which 10 (53%) had complications that most often included death (n = 3) and regurgitation (3). Thirty-four (79%) dogs survived to hospital discharge. Dogs with intraoperative or postoperative complications were significantly less likely to survive than dogs without complications. Serum creatinine concentration at admission was not associated with survival to discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A high proportion of dogs with uroabdomen survived to hospital discharge. No preoperative risk factors for nonsurvival were identified. Treatment should be recommended to owners of dogs with uroabdomen.