Urethral disease is a common and life-threatening condition in our small animal patients. Simple urethral obstruction secondary to urolithiasis can easily progress to urethral stricture or leakage with repeated efforts to unblock or catheterize a patient, or if a stricture forms following surgery. Training our staff, associates and our referral population in atraumatic methods for unblocking and passing urethral catheters can have a major impact on the number and types of complications we encounter.In addition to plain radiography, antegrade and retrograde urethrography should be done early to confirm patency (or otherwise) of the urethra, and the level and severity of leakage from the urinary tract. Beware of over-diagnosing stenosis of the prostatic urethra in cats, as this area often looks attenuated unless a high enough urethral pressure is generated during the study. Urethral spasm can be overcome by mixing lidocaine gel with lubricant for catheter passage. Mixing K-Y jelly with saline can also assist urethral hydropulsion.
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