Urinary and reproductive systems diseases

Kidney diseases

• Fanconi syndrome is a type of renal tubule disease found in Basenjis. Findings include the inability to concentrate urine, and the presence of glucose, protein, and amino acids in the urine.
  
• Renal failure (kidney failure) is common in dogs and may be found in acute or chronic forms. It is defined by a loss of function of about 75 percent of the filtration system of the kidney and characterized by azotemia and low specific gravity of the urine. Acute renal failure can be caused by loss of blood supply, hypercalcemia, or toxins such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze) or aminoglycoside antibiotics. Chronic renal failure can be congenital and/or inherited or caused by cancer, infection, hypertension, glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis, progressive interstitial fibrosis, or any of the causes of acute renal failure.
  
• Glomerulonephritis is the presence of immune complexes in the glomerulus, resulting in leakage of protein into the urine. It can be caused by cancer, heartworm disease, pyometra, rickettsial infection, or systemic lupus erythematosus. It can result in chronic kidney failure, hypoalbuminemia, which can cause ascites and peripheral edema, and nephrotic syndrome, which can cause hypertension or hypercoagulability.
  
• Familial renal disease is an uncommon cause of renal failure (kidney failure) in young dogs. Most causes are breed-related (familial) and some are inherited.

Urinary bladder diseases

• Bladder stones or uroliths are common in dogs. The stones form in the urinary bladder in varying size and numbers secondary to infection, dietary influences, and genetics. Types of stones include struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, cystine, calcium phosphate, and silicate. Struvite and calcium oxalate stones are by far the most common.
  
• Urinary tract infection, specifically cystitis or bladder infection, is common in dogs and usually caused by bacteria. Signs include blood in the urine (hematuria), difficulty urinating (dysuria), and frequent urination (pollakiuria). The most common types of bacteria cultured from the urine of dogs with cystitis are E. coli, Staphylococcus spp., Proteus mirabilis, Streptococcus spp. , Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.
  
• Urinary incontinence is leakage of urine, usually due to incompetence of the urethral sphincter in adult dogs and ectopic ureter (a congenital condition in which the ureter enters the urinary tract posterior to the urethral sphincter) in puppies. In adult dogs it is most commonly seen in large spayed females. The lack of estrogens in spayed dogs has been linked to development of incontinence. Replacement of estrogens, phenylpropanolamine, and surgery have all been used for treatment.

Reproductive diseases

• Prostate disease in dogs includes benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis (infection of the prostate), cancer, and cysts and abscesses. BPH is the most common and is found in older intact (not neutered) dogs. Signs include blood in the urine and straining to urinate and defecate. Castration is the treatment of choice. Prostatis can be associated with BPH. Bacteria causing prostatitis include E. coli, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Mycoplasma spp.
  
• Cryptorchidism is when one the testicles is retained in the abdomen or inguinal canal past a normal stage of development. It is a common occurrence in dogs and is thought to be a sex-limited autosomal recessive trait.
  
• False pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is a common condition in female intact dogs. Signs include swelling of the mammary glands, lactation, not eating, and "mothering" small objects.
  
• Pyometra is an infection of the uterus. It is a common and potentially fatal condition in dogs. The main risk period for a female is for eight weeks after her peak standing heat (or estrus cycle) has ended.
  
• Umbilical hernia is a failure of the umbilical ring of the abdominal wall to close. They are very common and can be caused by genetics or by traction on the umbilical cord or by the cord being cut too close to the body. They are corrected by surgery.
  
• Inguinal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal contents through the inguinal canal. They are corrected through surgery.