"Mike S." wrote in message
oups.com...

Phil P. wrote:
"Mike S." wrote in message
oups.com...
The vet told me that my cat has a calcium oxalate stone but that it's
located in a place where they cannot perform surgery. They're just
gonna have to wait and see what happens with it and keep an eye on it.
I can't remember the location of the stone but I think it was above or
around the colon. Does anyone happen to know what/where it might be? I
was going to do some research on it but the vet isn't open on Sunday
so
I can't ask. I think the location started with the letter U, but I'm
not sure. I don't think it was in the urethra or the bladder, though.

Any ideas?


If the stone is near the colon, it has to be in the lower end of the one
of
the ureters. The colon sits between the two ureters at their lower ends
just before they enter the bladder. Very tricky spot- right near where
the
ureters go around the colon, they also go under the ductus deferens.
Where
the ureter and ductus deferens cross kinda looks like the number 6 or
the
bottom of a figure 8. The stone is probably lodged in the ureter where
it
curves to go under the ductus deferens and into the bladder. If you
look at
this drawing, the spot I'm talking about is just a little to the left of
the
red number 8.

http://www.maxshouse.com/anatomy/upp...tract_male.jpg

If the ureterolith doesn't pass and must be removed, you'll need a
surgeon
with exacting skill and keen surgical vision. This surgery is much too
delicate for a general veterinary practioner- that's why your vet said
the
stone can't be removed. But a surgical Diplomate of the American
College of
Veterinary Surgeons could probably take it out without breaking a sweat.


Phil


Yes, the stone is in one of the ureters, I remembered after seeing the
diagrams. The vet said that even if the cat was sent to a specialist,
they wouldn't perform the surgery.


Your vet is misinformed. Ureterotomies are the only way to remove
ureteroliths in cats and have been performed for many years. Its not a
simple surgery and should be a last resort- there is a risk of postoperative
leakage and stricture formation- so it must be performed very carefully- but
it can and has been done.


I can't remember the exact reason
but it seems like part of it was because the ureter wouldn't heal
properly (I can't remember).


He was probably thinking about ureteral anastomois- that's when a section of
the ureter is removed and the cut ends are joined together. That's a very
difficult surgery to perform in cats. But that's not the type of procedure
your needs- if he needs surgery.



Right now, we have a series of problems
though. The cat has the stone in the ureter, something that appears as
a megacolon, and kidney problems. This is the second time he's had a
calcium stone.

The kidney problem could be caused by the ureterolith- If the ureter (or
urethra) is partially obstructed, urine backs up into the kidney producing a
pathophysiologic state equivalent to oliguric acute renal failure (elevated
BUN/Creatinine).



I tried searching for info about surgery to remove a stone from the
ureter and I can't seem to find anything that goes with what the vet is
saying.

That's because he's wrong and/or misinformed/uniformed. Here's a simplified
illustration of the procedure

http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/Ureterotomy.jpg


I guess I should say something to him about that and see if he
could ask the specialist about it. To be honest, it sounds like he's
wrong about this.

He is. Some vets just can't say "I don't know" or "I don't know how to
perform that type of surgery".



Then I have a problem with the specialist. There's only one practice in
my area (the rest are one and a half to two hours away) and there's
only two doctors there. The one doctor who is the only ACVS Diplomate
at that practice, screwed up on a procedure years ago. I hate to
discriminate against a doctor for what may have started out as a simple
mistake/accident but in my opinion, that was a big mistake. The doctor
bandaged an animal's leg too tight after surgery and the end result was
that the leg had to be amputated. If he had made this mistake shortly
after getting his license, that would be a little different but he had
been practicing for years when he did this. It makes me concerned about
letting him cut my cat open. That combined with his age, makes me even
more concerned.


Do you live within travelling distance of a veterinary university hospital?
Or perhaps you can call and ask them for a referral.

Is you cat urinating normally? Gotta watch him *very* closely. If a male
cat can't urinate for more than 24-36 hours he can die from anuric acute
failure

Best of luck,

Phil