Jl. Gookin et al., URINARY-INCONTINENCE IN DOGS AND CATS .1. URETHRAL PRESSURE PROFILOMETRY, The Compendium on continuing education for the practicing veterinarian, 18(4), 1996, pp. 407
Urethral pressure profilometry provides a portrait of resting pressure
along the length of the urethra in a dog or cat. Two techniques are u
sed in clinical veterinary medicine: saline perfusion and catheter-mou
nted transducers. Electromyography can be performed during urethral pr
essure profilometry to measure activity in the external urethral sphin
cter. The results of urethral pressure profilometry have been criticiz
ed as unreproducible. This article discusses the many sources of varia
bility in urethral pressure readings, including the effects of the sed
ative or anesthetic used. Individual veterinarians should establish th
eir own protocol for this procedure and develop their own reference ra
nges for urethral pressure profilometry.