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Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Model for Investigating Kidney Interstitial Fibrosis
Published on: April 25, 2025
Occurrence of cardiovascular events in 168 cats with acute urinary tract obstruction
Cyril Duperrier-Simond1, Céline Pouzot-Nevoret1, Bernard Allaouchiche1
1Small Animal Medicine Unit (Duperrier-Simond, Cadore, Krafft) and Intensive Care Unit (SIAMU) (Pouzot-Nevoret, Nectoux), Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Campus vétérinaire de Lyon, Département des animaux de compagnie de loisir et de sport, 69280, Marcy L'Etoile, France; Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Campus vétérinaire de Lyon, UPSP 2021.A101, Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Aggression in Sepsis APCSe, F-69280, Marcy l'Étoile, France (Pouzot-Nevoret, Allaouchiche, Nectoux); Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Service de Réanimation, 69310, Pierre-Bénite, France (Allaouchiche); Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, 69100, Villeurbanne, France (Allaouchiche).
Insights
Cardiovascular events are common in cats with urinary tract obstruction (UTO), affecting over 60% of cases. Monitoring cats with hyperkalemia or kidney disease is crucial for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
Background:
- Cardiovascular dysfunction is increasingly recognized in acute kidney injury.
- Limited data exists on cardiovascular events in cats experiencing urinary tract obstruction (UTO).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence, types, and risk factors of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in cats with acute UTO.
- To establish a timeline and frequency of CVEs in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for cats with upper (UUTO) or lower (LUTO) UTO from 2016-2021.
- Defined CVEs as arrhythmia, heart murmur/gallop, fluid overload, or decreased tissue perfusion.
- Multivariate analysis to identify risk factors for CVEs.
Main Results:
- 168 cats with UTO were included; 61.9% experienced CVEs.
- Common CVEs included arrhythmia (33.6%), gallop rhythm (28.1%), and heart murmur (15.3%).
- Hyperkalemia, chronic kidney disease, and renal pelvic dilation were associated with CVE occurrence.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular events are frequent in cats with UTO and significantly impact prognosis.
- Close cardiovascular monitoring is recommended for cats with UTO, especially those with pre-existing kidney disease, hyperkalemia, or renal pelvic dilation.
Background:
Cardiovascular dysfunction associated with acute kidney injury has been recently described in veterinary medicine, but limited information is available for cats with urinary tract obstruction (UTO).
Objective:
This retrospective study aimed to describe the type, frequency, timeline, and risk factors for cardiovascular events (CVEs) in cats treated for acute UTO.
Animals And Procedures:
Medical records of cats admitted to the intensive care unit for either upper (ureteral: UUTO) or lower (urethral: LUTO) UTO from 2016 to 2021 were reviewed. Cardiovascular events were defined as development of arrhythmia, heart murmur or gallop sound, clinical signs consistent with fluid overload (CRFO), or decreased tissue perfusion (DTP).
Results:
One hundred and sixty-eight cats with UTO were recruited (56 with UUTO and 112 with LUTO). Cardiovascular events were reported in 61.9% of cases, including arrhythmia (33.6%), gallop rhythm (28.1%), heart murmur (15.3%), CRFO (14.4%), and DTP (8.6%). Potassium concentration, preexisting chronic kidney disease, and renal pelvic dilation at abdominal ultrasonography were associated with CVE occurrence in multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
This study highlighted frequent CVEs in cats treated for UTO, with a potential strong impact on outcome. Therefore, cardiovascular parameters of cats with preexisting chronic kidney disease or those admitted with hyperkalemia or renal pelvic dilation should be closely monitored.

