Urinary Tract Disorders

This chapter discusses a variety of disorders that can occur involving the urinary tract in the neonatal foal. Uroperitoneum is a common clinical disorder in neonatal foals with a reported incidence of 0.2–2.5%. This condition is most commonly associated with a tear or defect in the urinary bladder. On rare occasions, uroperitoneum can be associated with pleural effusion. In such cases, ultrasonographic examination of thorax can identify fluid and, if present, thoracocentesis and drainage of pleural fluid improves ventilation. The initial treatment goals in a foal with uroperitoneum are to improve cardiovascular and respiratory function and correct electrolyte imbalances. Anesthetic complications have been reported in foals with uroperitoneum that are undergoing a celiotomy to identify and repair the site of urine leakage. Ureteral tears and defects of one or both ureters are very uncommon but have been reported as a cause of either retroperitoneal accumulation of urine or uroperitoneum inneonatal foals.