Prevalence of Urinary Crystals in Cats
Subject Areas : Smal Animal Medicineبهادر بردشیری 1 , Hassan Mehrabadi 2 , Zahra Sadeqian 3 , Erfan Javidi 4 , Mohamad Hossein Naser Bakht 5
1 - Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Shushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar, Iran DVM graduate, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran
2 - Graduate of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch, Iran
3 - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch, Iran
4 - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch, Iran
5 - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch, Iran
Keywords: urinary crystals, calcium oxalate, struvite, ammonium phosphate, age, cat breed,
Abstract :
Urinary stones are a common issue in cats, which can lead to serious complications, including idiopathic cystitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of urinary crystals in cats in Tehran and investigate their relationship with factors such as breed, gender, age, neuter status, and diet type. In this study, 100 cats referred to Dr. Taghipour's veterinary hospital were examined over a one-year period. After performing ultrasound and urine analysis, cats with echogenic points without acoustic shadowing were selected as those with urinary sediment. The results showed that calcium oxalate crystals (63%) had the highest prevalence, followed by struvite crystals (28%), ammonium phosphate (6%), calcium carbonate (2%), and bilirubin (1%). No significant correlation was found between the prevalence of crystals and variables such as gender (P=0.57), neuter status (P=0.69), and age groups (P=0.71). However, the breed of the cats had a significant effect on the prevalence of urinary crystals (P=0.04), with the highest prevalence observed in Himalayan cats and the lowest in Scottish cats. This study indicates that certain breeds are more predisposed to the formation of urinary crystals than others, and preventive measures in this regard could help maintain the health of cats.
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