Lower Urinary Tract Disease 

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This course aims to refresh and enhance your foundational knowledge of lower urinary tract disease, and how to manage it. By completing this module, you will gain confidence in managing LUTD cases independently and performing routine procedures. You will acquire the necessary tools to deliver high-quality care while staying up-to-date with best practices, allowing you to effectively meet your patients’ needs and enjoy your dental caseload.

Why should you do this module?

  • Understand the LUT: refresh anatomy, physiology, and common disorders in dogs and cats.
  • Improve diagnostics: gain confidence in urinalysis, imaging, and identifying LUT conditions.
  • Optimise management: apply evidence-based strategies for UTIs, urolithiasis, FLUTD, and prostatic disease.
  • Enhance patient welfare: prevent and manage painful or recurrent conditions effectively.
  • Strengthen client communication: explain conditions and treatments clearly to build trust and compliance.
  • Boost professional confidence: refine practical skills, improve outcomes, and increase satisfaction in practice.

Topics

  • Anatomy and physiology of ureters
  • Lower urinary tract (LUT) infections
  • Lower urinary tract urolithiasis in dogs
  • Lower urinary tract urolithiasis in cats
  • Diseases of abnormal micturition
  • Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)
  • Urethral disorders
  • Congenital disorders of the lower urinary tract
  • Prostatic diseases
  • Urogenital neoplasia

Learning objectives

  • Understand the anatomical structures and physiological functions of the lower urogenital tract in companion animals.
  • Become familiar with common disorders affecting the lower urogenital tract, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), urolithiasis, neoplasia, dysuria (e.g. USMI, urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence), hypoplastic vulva, testicular neoplasia, prostatic disease, UMN (upper motor neuron) bladder, and detrusor atony. Note that cryptorchidism is covered in the reproduction module. Recognise when to refer.
  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease), including the behavioural aspects involved in its aetiology and management. This includes MEMO (multimodal environmental modification), nutritional considerations, and pain management. A comprehensive walk-through of how to manage urethral obstruction.
  • Gain proficiency in diagnostic techniques such as urinalysis and in imaging modalities such as ultrasound.

Contributors

  • Tamara Elsmore BVSc, Internal Medicine Resident