Nephrology and Urology

Many pets suffer from diseases affecting their urinary tract. We usually discriminate between the upper (kidneys, ureters) and the lower (urinary bladder, urethra, and in males prostate) urinary tract.

Common conditions of dogs and cats treated at the Veterinary Hospital include:

Upper urinary tract

  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
  • Acute kidney injury (AKI, acute renal failure)
  • Protein-losing Nephropathy
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Pyelonephrits (kidney infection)
  • Ureter stones (or other forms of ureteral obstruction)
  • Kidney stones
  • Idiopathic renal hematuria

Lower urinary tract

  • Urinary tract infections
  • Bladder and urethral stones
  • Incontinence
  • Ectopic ureters
  • Prostatitis
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Prostatic cysts
  • Cancer of the bladder and urethra, prostatic cancer

Work-up of a pet with urinary tract disease will be individualized based on the patient’s need. A detailed history and physical examination is initially performed.

Dr. Adams and Dr. Steinbach have extensive training in minimally invasive procedures such as:

  • Cystoscopy (videoendoscopy of the urethra and bladder)
  • Laser therapy of urethral and bladder stones
  • Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy for kidney and ureter stones
  • Minimally invasive repair of ectopic ureters (cystoscopic-guided laser ablation)
  • Ureter stents and subcutaneous bypass (SUB) for ureteral obstruction
  • Minimally invasive treatment of renal hematuria (sclerotherapy)

Since April 2016 the Purdue Veterinary Hemodialysis Service is available to treat patients with acute and chronic kidney disease as well as treat pets with toxin ingestion.

If you think your pet needs to be evaluated by us, please call the Veterinary Hospital at   765-494-1107.

Success Stories

A well-loved eight-year-old feline patient of the Purdue University Small Animal Hospital, Mr. Peach, returned to Lynn Hall recently for a follow-up procedure on the occasion of his two-year "Surgiversary." 


Anne and Brian Tidler were nearing their wits' end when they turned to Purdue for help with a problem afflicting their miniature Australian Shepherd dog, Addie. Addie was adorable and had a great personality, but she had to be in diapers constantly.

Ongoing Research Projects

For more information on these projects please contact our Nephrology/Urology Technologist Julie Commons at 765-494-1107.

Thermoplasty to treat patients with urinary incontinence

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel device for the treatment of incontinence in dogs.  This minimally-invasive device uses low-energy radiofrequency (RF) which generates focal heat (65C or 149F) at the treatment site. The heat will create scar tissue at the treatment site and therefore decrease the compliance of the urethra leading to increased resistance. The temperature at the site of the needles is closely monitored to prevent damage to surrounding tissues.  Studies in normal dogs, pigs and women with incontinence have shown, that the device is safe and efficacious.

Eligibility

Female dogs evaluated for or diagnosed with urinary incontinence of more than three months duration are eligible, if they are

  • between 9 months and 10 years of age
  • spayed > 3 months ago
  • > 10kg

Dogs that have been previousely treated with medication for incontinence (successfully or unsuccessfully) as well as dogs that have not received any medical treatment before, are eligible. If your dog is currently receiving any incontinence medication, the procedure might need to be delayed.

Exclusion criteria

Dogs with other congenital abnormalities (e.g. ectopic ureters), as well as dogs with an active urinary tract infection, bladder stones, previous urethral surgery and/or urethral bulking agents (collagen injection), artificial urethral sphincter, neoplasia, pacemaker or other significant systemic diseases are excluded.

Financial Support

The procedure itself and all the associated work-up is free of charge for you. If the re-exam is performed at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, we are able to waive the re-examination fee too. We are not able to cover any fees which might result from performing the re-examinations at your regular veterinarian or any fees which may arise from clinical signs or diseases unrelated to the procedure itself (e.g. follow up urinalysis, urine culture, blood work). If you fill out all the questionnaires related to the study and attend the scheduled re-check appointments, you will receive an additional $100 at the end of the study.

Urinary biomarkers for urinary tract infection

The purpose of this study is to evaluate urine of dogs with and without urinary tract infection for the presence of certain biomarkers.

No active enrollment for this study is necessary.