Antepubic urethrostomy in three cats and a dog: surgical technique and long-term results.

Perineal urethrostomy in cat, and scrotal urethrostomy in dog, are selected surgical procedures to treat urethral obstruction in those species. When they are not feasible, antepubic urethrostomy (AU) should be considered. We have performed AU on three castrated male cats with urinary obstruction and a male dog with pelvic urethra damage following pelvic fracture. In all cases, urethra was brought through the muscular and cutaneous laparotomy incisions and sutured to the skin. No major problems were encountered, after a follow-up period of 19, 26 and 32 months (average of 25,6 months) in the cats and 13 months in the dog. Urinary infection and incontinence were observed, but owners were satisfied by their decision to go through the surgery and have considered complications as acceptable. It seems reasonable to propose AU, when necessary.