Open AccessBacterial urinary tract infection and subclinical bacteriuria in dogs receiving antineoplastic chemotherapy
Author(s) -
Harrer Julia,
Fejös Csilla,
Zablotski Yury,
Hirschberger Johannes,
Wolf Georg,
Rieger Alexandra,
Mayer Christian,
Dorsch Roswitha
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/jvim.16410
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , bacteriuria , urine , subclinical infection , urinary system , gastroenterology , prostatitis , confidence interval , incidence (geometry) , cancer , prostate , physics , optics
Background Immunosuppressive treatment with glucocorticoids and cyclosporine increases the risk for positive urine cultures (PUCs) in dogs. Objective To investigate the prevalence and incidence of PUC in dogs diagnosed with cancer and treated with antineoplastic chemotherapy while distinguishing between subclinical bacteriuria (SB) and urinary tract infection (UTI). Animals Forty‐six client‐owned dogs with nonurogenital cancer treated with antineoplastic chemotherapy. Methods Prospective observational longitudinal clinical study. Dogs in which a urine culture was performed before the start of and at least once during antineoplastic chemotherapy were included. A McNemar's test was used to investigate if the prevalence of PUC increased during antineoplastic chemotherapy. Positive urine cultures were categorized into SB and UTI and multiple PUCs from the same dog and category were grouped together as 1 episode of PUC. Results Urine culture was positive in 21/185 urine samples in 8/46 dogs. Antineoplastic chemotherapy did not influence the prevalence of PUC ( P = 1.00), which was 11% (5/46 dogs; 95% confidence interval: 5‐23%) before the start of and 13% (6/46 dogs; 95% confidence interval: 6‐26%) during antineoplastic chemotherapy. Eight dogs had 10 episodes of PUC; 7/10 episodes were classified as SB, and in 3/10 episodes UTI (chronic prostatitis, prostatic abscess, and emphysematous cystitis) was diagnosed. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen, isolated in 9/10 episodes. Conclusions and Clinical Importance We did not find evidence that antineoplastic chemotherapy is a major predisposing factor for the development of PUC. Most dogs with PUC had SB.