A retrospective study on epidemiology and management of canine cystine uroliths in one part of Norway from 2015 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract problems are a common complaint in small animal medicine and urolithiasis is considered to be an important cause of urinary tract disease in dogs. In this study the main aim was to investigate whether the occurrence of cystine urolithiasis increased during a five-year period. A second aim was to evaluate possible risk-factors as breed, age and gender. This study also evaluated how urine specific gravity, pH and level of cystine in urine responded to preventive strategies. Medical records of dogs with urolithiasis presented at nine Norwegian animal clinics and one animal hospital between 2015 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The incidence of cystine uroliths increased significantly during the five study years (R2 = 0.72, P = 0.0199). Dogs with cystine uroliths were significantly younger (5.0 years (n = 84, 95% CI [4.4-5.6])) when they were diagnosed with cystine uroliths compared to dogs with other types of uroliths (8.1 years (n = 255, 95% CI[7.8-8.5]) P < < 0.0001). Cystine levels in urine were increased in 93% of the dogs with cystine urolithiasis. Cystinuria decreased significantly after neutering (P < 0.0001). Breeds most commonly affected with cystine urolithiasis in this study were Staffordshire bull terrier, Danish Swedish farmdog and Chihuahua. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study supports a suggested genetic basis for cystine urolithiasis as described in previous studies. Neutering is considered an important part of preventing reoccurrence since cystine values decreased significantly after neutering.

Effects of Canine-Obtained Lactic-Acid Bacteria on the Fecal Microbiota and Inflammatory Markers in Dogs Receiving Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Treatment.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may cause enteropathy in dogs and probiotics may be one option to prevent this. The objective of this study was to determine whether the administration of canine-obtained lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has an effect on the frequency of diarrhea, the composition of the fecal microbiota, and/or markers of gastrointestinal inflammation in dogs receiving NSAIDs when compared to dogs given NSAIDs and a placebo. A total of 22 dogs treated with NSAIDs for various clinical indications were enrolled in a seven-day randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled interventional study. Dogs were randomized to receive either placebo or LAB, a product containing Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Fecal samples were collected on days one and seven. The fecal microbiota was evaluated using the fecal dysbiosis index (DI) and individual bacterial taxa. Fecal calprotectin (CP) and S100A12/Calgranulin C concentrations were used as markers of gastrointestinal inflammation. There was a difference in frequency of diarrhea between groups, with it affecting 4/12 dogs (33%) in the placebo group and 1/10 dogs (10%) in the LAB group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.32). There was a correlation between S100A12 and CP (p < 0.001), and Clostridium perfringens correlated with S100A12 (p < 0.015). Neither treatment significantly affected S100A12 (p = 0.37), CP (p = 0.12), or fecal DI (p = 0.65). This study suggests that LAB is a safe supplement to use for short-term treatment in NSAID-treated dogs, but further studies are needed to determine its potential to prevent NSAID-induced enteropathy in dogs.