Urinary incontinence secondary to a suspected congenital urethral deformity in a kitten

A 5-month-old entire male domestic shorthair kitten was referred for investigation of a month-long history of urinary incontinence. Clinical examination, baseline blood work and imaging (plain radiography and ultrasonography) were unremarkable. Urinalysis documented a urinary tract infection and a retrograde urethrocystogram revealed an outpouching of the pelvic urethra. Surgical exploration revealed the absence of the dorsal portion of the urethral wall in this section of pelvic urethra, replaced by an epithelial lined expanded 'pouch'. The ventral aspect of the urethra appeared grossly normal. A modified perineal urethrostomy was performed to create an anastomosis of the urethral pouch to the skin of the perineum alongside conventional castration. The kitten made a full recovery and the incontinence resolved within 48 h. A congenital urethral diverticulum and secondary urinary tract infection were deemed the most likely aetiology in this case.

Urethral diverticuli are a rare condition in veterinary medicine. To our knowledge, it has only been reported in two dogs and presumptively in one cat, all of which made a complete recovery after surgical intervention. The present case reports an unusual urethral deformity as a potential differential diagnosis for lower urinary tract signs in a young cat.