Efficacy of silver-coated urinary catheters for reducing urinary tract infection in dogs

Abstract

Indwelling urinary catheters are frequently used in practice, however urinary catheters have been associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections in dogs. Antimicrobial coating of urinary catheters can reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections through the initial prevention of bacterial attachment. Historical studies have identified the benefit of silver in reducing bacteriuria in humans. This knowledge summary concluded that no study was able to demonstrate that the use of silver-coated urinary catheters is superior to silicone urinary catheters in reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections in dogs. Further investigation in vivo, with a large sample size, is required to verify the statistical significance of the effect of the silver-coating of urinary catheters in the reduction of urinary tract infections.