Demographic factors and clinical features regarding dogs with calcium oxalate urolithiasis in Mexico

Abstract

Objective. To identify the most frequent demographic features and clinical findings in dogs with calcium oxalate urolithiasis (CaOx) in Mexico. Materials and methods. Dogs with CaOx uroliths were selected from the laboratory database, and a comparison analysis was performed between two different dog populations to identify the demographic risk factors. Clinical data for urinalysis and the radiographic and physical characteristics of the uroliths were described. The statistical analysis was descriptive, and association measures and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors. Results. In Mexico, CaOx uroliths accounted for 27.3% of the cases, making it the second most common urolithiasis in dogs. Males, small-sized dogs, and dogs older than 6 years had higher probabilities (p<0.001) of developing CaOx urolithiasis. The clinical findings observed in dogs with this urolithiasis were a mean urine pH of 6.5, urine specific gravity greater than 1.030, highly radiopaque uroliths, multiple and shorter than 20 mm in length. Overall, 31.8% of the CaOx uroliths came from urolithiasis recurring dogs. Conclusions. The identification of the epidemiological features of dogs with CaOx urolithiasis in Mexico, such as sex, breed, size, and age, as well as urinalysis and radiographic findings, may contribute to predict the composition of CaOx uroliths before their extraction and earlier identification in predisposed dogs.