Incidence of bacteriuria in cats with urethral obstruction | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review the incidence of bacteriuria in cats with urethral obstructions (UO). Unfortunately UOs are both a common and potentially life-threatening condition in our feline patients. The fundamental treatment principles for feline UOs include relieving the obstruction via urethral catheterization, immediate stabilization of electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities, cardiovascular stabilization, providing adequate post-obstruction care, and of course instituting preventative measures for the future (Cooper). One of the more controversial aspects of management is the routine use of antimicrobial therapy, and as you all know, we are fierce advocates for antimicrobial stewardship here at VETgirl! Therefore, today we are reviewing an article by Cooper et al entitled Incidence of bacteriuria at presentation and resulting from urinary catheterization in feline urethral obstruction that investigates the incidence of bacteriuria in cats with UOs, both at the time of presentation and following catheterization.