Evaluation of methods for localization of urinary tract infection in the female dog

Urinary tract infection (UTI) was induced in the left kidney of seven female dogs and in the urinary bladder of eight female dogs. Several methods advocated for localization of UTI in other species were tested in the infected dogs. Although fever, renal pain, and leukocytosis were detected in some dogs with renal infection, findings were transient. Radiographic changes in the kidneys and ureters were detected in some dogs with renal infection, but were absent in others. Bladder washout studies were not reliable for differentiating renal infection from bladder infection. Antibody coating studies were positive in dogs with bladder infection and in dogs with renal infection. The positive results from dogs with bladder infection may have been because of nonspecific binding of immunoglobulins to Staphylococcus aureus after leakage of serum immunoglobulins into urine. Studies of six dogs of both sexes with naturally occurring UTI indicated that their serum contained antibody against common urinary pathogens and that this antibody gained access to the urine in some dogs. It was concluded that the antibody coating test was unreliable for localization of UTI in the dog.