title: Prevalence and clinical outcome of subclinical bacteriuria in female dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria and its natural clinical course over a 3-month period in healthy female dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  101 healthy client-owned female dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all dogs, screening clinicopathologic tests and bacteriologic culture of urine were performed. In culture-positive dogs, subclinical bacteriuria was confirmed by 2 positive culture results within 2 weeks and dogs were reevaluated at 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria in healthy female dogs was 9 of 101 (8.9%). Three-month follow-up data were available for 8 of 9 dogs with subclinical bacteriuria. Four dogs had persistent bacteriuria, and 4 had transient bacteriuria. No dogs with subclinical bacteriuria developed clinical signs during the 3-month observation period. Subclinical bacteriuria was diagnosed in 6 of 51 (12%) young and middle-aged dogs and 3 of 50 (6.0%) senior and geriatric dogs. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggested that subclinical bacteriuria is a nonprogressive condition in healthy female dogs and can be persistent or transient. No significant difference in the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria in young and middle-aged dogs versus senior and geriatric dogs was detected. No dogs with subclinical bacteriuria developed clinical signs requiring antimicrobial treatment during the 3-month observation period. Healthy female dogs with subclinical bacteriuria may be a population of dogs in which antimicrobial treatment is unnecessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.
authors.forename: Stephanie Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Faye A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Michelle K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jooss
authors.forename: Katrina R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Viviano
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015995:Prevalence; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology