PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN THE TREATMENT OF CA NINE ECTOPIC URETERS

Dogs with ectopic ureters often remain incontinent in spite of success ful surgical correction of this congenital anomaly. Sphincter mechanis m incompetence (SMI) is thought to be the main reason for the persisti ng urinary incontinence. Urodynamic assessment could be helpful in the detection of SMI in dogs with ectopic ureters, but is not widely avai lable. Therefore a retrospective analysis of data from 43 dogs treated surgically for ectopic ureters was performed in order to identify pro gnostic factors in regard to postoperative incontinence.Forty percent of the treated dogs remained incontinent after surgery: none were male s (n=6). A radiographic or ultrasonographic diagnosis of hydronephrosi s and megaureter correlated positively with postoperative continence, Logistic regression analysis identified upper urinary tract morphology and gender as essential prognostic factors, allowing a correct predic tion of the postoperative continence status in 78 % of the dogs. The o ther relevant factors are the type and site of termination of the ecto pic ureters and breed. Proximal termination and ureteral troughs indic ate increased risk of incontinence. Siberian Huskies seem to be at hig h risk, while Labrador Retrievers carry a good prognosis. If all these prognostic factors are taken into account, a better selection of dogs for successful surgical treatment of ectopic ureters could be achieve d.