Bacteriuria in Chronically Paralyzed Dogs | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we review bacteriuria in dogs with chronic paralysis. Unfortunately, the majority of small animal clinicians have dealt with their fair share of the dachshund or other poor pup presenting with paraplegia secondary to intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) or other diseases. In the midst of the numerous difficult conversations that such cases require, the risk of future urinary tract infections (UTIs) is likely not the first thing to come to mind. Yet in humans, UTIs and sepsis are a serious concern with paralysis. In dogs with chronic paralysis, how do we handle the urinalysis with bacteriuria? It can be difficult to determine the clinical implications of such a finding, yet in the age of antimicrobial stewardship, many clinicians are seeking guidance on when to treat such a patient with antibiotics. Therefore, in a study entitled “The frequency and clinical implications of bacteriuria in chronically paralyzed dogs”, the authors investigate chronically paralyzed dogs to determine the frequency of bacteriuria, the presence of clinical signs associated with bacteriuria, and the survival rate in such patients.