Solution to "What's Your Diagnosis?"
The urinary obstruction was relieved by placing a urinary catheter and draining the bladder. An expandable nitinol urethral stent was placed across the urethral obstruction under fluoroscopic guidance. The radiograph is a positive contrast study of the bladder and urethra that demonstrates the radiopaque nitinol stent in proper position. Once the stent was placed, the dog was able to urinate on his own and was discharged. Piroxicam therapy was initiated to slow progression of the carcinoma.
Urethral stenting is a viable palliative treatment option in both male and female dogs with inoperative urethral, prostatic, or bladder cancer when the animal is showing signs of severe stranguria or urinary obstruction. Many of these dogs can live a year or longer with piroxicam treatment and chemotherapy. Relieving the stranguria or urinary obstruction significantly improves the quality of life for the animal and helps the owners avoid an early euthanasia decision.
Urethral stenting is one of the interventional radiographic procedures that is performed at Atlantic Coast Veterinary Specialists. Click here for the first published article describing this procedure in clinical cases.