Home care & Outpatient Protocol for Cats presenting for Emergency urethral obstruction (HOPE)

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is currently recruiting cats diagnosed with urethral obstruction.

Enrollment Status: Currently Enrolling

Inclusion Criteria: Male cats diagnosed with urethral obstruction. Diagnosis is based on history, a firm non-expressible bladder, and absence of lower urinary tract stones based on abdominal radiographs.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severely elevated kidney values (creatinine ≥3.0mg/dL) or potassium (≥7.0mEq/L)
• Urinary stones, masses, strictures, or rupture
• Severe cardiac or blood pressure abnormalities

Treatment: The goal of this clinical trial is to compare those cats with urethral obstruction receiving “standard of care” versus those receiving a novel outpatient study protocol. The rate of recurrence of urethral obstruction within one week and one month from hospital discharge will be compared between the two groups.

Cost: Cats that are approved for the outpatient treatment group will have approximately $400 of their bill covered by study funds. This means that the owner is responsible for the remaining $500-550 cost of this protocol. All costs for patients in the standard of care group will be the responsibility of the owner. This study cannot cover the cost of any complications that may occur with the treatment including recurrence of obstruction.

Contact: Please complete the Study Interest Form for more information.

Investigators:

• Corey Fisher & Diana Carter, DVM ECC Residents
• Ashely Allen & Jennifer Martinez, DVM, DACVECC UF Faculty

Background: Urethral obstruction (inability to urinate) is one of the most common medical emergencies in male cats. While the condition can be treated, recurrence of obstruction is common and with the costs of care in veterinary medicine steadily rising, treatment (and especially repeated treatment) can impose a large financial burden on clients. The current “standard of care” is to hospitalize cats with an indwelling urinary catheter for 1 to 2 days while giving intravenous costs approximately ~$2,000 (with no complications).

This study will investigate a new protocol, which involves leaving the urinary catheter in for only 8 to 12 hours and then applying a pain medication that lasts 72 hours (3 days) and fluids under the skin prior to discharge. This protocol is estimated to cost about $950-1,000. If the recurrence rates are similar, this new protocol may serve as a new cost saving, resource saving, and potentially even live-saving option for cats with urethral obstruction.