Epidemiology of canine urolithiasis in the Czech Republic from 1997 to 2002.

OBJECTIVES: To compare data on the epidemiology of canine urolithiasis in the Czech Republic with that from other countries. METHODS: The records from the Centre for Mineralogical Analysis from 1997 to 2002 were reviewed. The data were obtained from mineralogical analysis of 1366 canine uroliths obtained from patients in the Czech Republic. These included 396 females and 629 males. RESULTS: Sixty-eight breeds plus crossbreeds were identified. Eight breeds plus the crossbreeds accounted for 71.3 per cent of all cases. Males were affected more frequently than females (61.4 per cent versus 38.6 per cent). Struvites significantly predominated in females, while in males calcium oxalates, brushites and cystines were the most common stones. Most of the uroliths (48.9 per cent) were 5 mm or less in dimension. By 2001, struvite was the most frequent (38.5 to 44.1 per cent) urolith, followed by calcium oxalate (26.5 to 32.0 per cent). In 2002, calcium oxalate became the most frequent calculus, followed by struvite, mixed calculi and others. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Comparison of these results with studies by other authors showed that for most of the monitored parameters there was agreement with respect to the proportions of different breeds within the populations of dogs in different geographical areas.

Bilateral xanthine nephrolithiasis in a dog.

Xanthinuria is an uncommon metabolic disorder clinically manifested as urolithiasis. There are two forms of the disease, congenital and iatrogenic. The former was diagnosed in a four-year-old dachshund bitch. The patient was presented with signs of terminal chronic renal failure. Urine was bacteriologically sterile with massive amorphous crystalluria. Bilateral nephrolithiasis was diagnosed at necropsy. The kidneys were shrunken with marked atrophy of the renal cortex and medulla. Infrared spectrometry revealed that the stones comprised 100 per cent xanthine. Later, two of the patient's siblings were examined for urine xanthine content; both showed higher concentrations of xanthine than a control dog. The described case is compared with seven known published cases of congenital xanthinuria.

[Drug-induced urolithiasis caused by N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole (Biseptol) and oxolinic acid (Desurol)]. / Léková urolitiáza z N4-acetylsulfamethoxazolu (Biseptol) a kyseliny oxolínové (Desurol).

The authors describe rare types of drug-induced urolithiasis in two female patients (N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole--a Biseptol metabolite and oxolinic acid--Desurol). To improve the diagnosis of drug induced urolithiasis the authors recommend a combination of microscopic methods and infrared spectroscopy. They findings are documented by photographs and infrared absorption spectra.

[Personal experience with infrared spectrometry analysis of urinary calculi]. / Nase zkusenosti s infracervenou spektrometrickou analýzou mocových konkrementu.

Analysis of urinary concrements has a very important place in clinical biochemistry departments, as it is one of the basic prerequisites for effective causal therapy and prophylaxis of nephrolithiasis. Qualitative chemical reactions, used most frequently, have shortcomings as regards the identification of components of calculi and do not provide a real idea on the composition of calculi (9). An accurate identification can be made only by physical methods, which, however, call for very expensive equipment. Clinical departments in Prague, Brno and Ostrava collaborate therefore with research institutes which possess the necessary equipment and where the analyses of calculi are made. Because the majority of clinical biochemical departments have limited access to modern infrared computer controlled spectrometers, this form of collaboration was used also in the authors' department.