Investigation of Urinary Tract Disease in the Horse

Introduction
Investigation of urinary tract disease in the horse can be challenging and requires competence in obtaining a detailed history, performing a thorough physical examination, interpreting clinicopathological data, formulating a list of differential diagnoses and selecting appropriate diagnostic tests in order to make a definitive diagnosis.

History
As with the investigation of most clinical problems, the first step in evaluating a horse with urinary tract disease is to obtain a history. The most common complaints are weight loss, polydipsia and abnormal urination. Abnormal urination can include red urine; stranguria; polyuria; pollakuria and urinary incontinence.

Enquire about the signalment of the horse. Young foals are predisposed to bladder rupture and are also more likely to present with ectopic ureters and other congenital abnormalities. Urethral calculi and proximal urethral defects are seen in stallions and geldings. The medical history may also be useful. Recent administration of nephrotoxic drugs (e.g. aminoglycosides), pigmenturia (e.g. myoglobinuria, haemoglobinuria), or diseases causing a whole body water deficit (e.g. dehydration in horses with acute colitis) are associated with an increased risk of acute renal failure (ARF). [...]