Total cystectomy for treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra and bladder trigone in a dog.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report total cystectomy with reimplantation of the ureters in the proximal aspect of the vagina. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMALS: An 11-year-old female spayed Vizsla with spontaneously occurring transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra and bladder. METHODS: After initial treatment for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder trigone with urethral stent placement and chemotherapy, the dog developed urinary incontinence 2 months after stent placement. Eleven months after initial diagnosis, the dog developed pulmonary metastasis and local progression, leading to bilateral ureteral dilatation. After palliative radiation, total cystectomy was performed. RESULTS: The owners elected euthanasia 442 days after original presentation and 92 days after total cystectomy. Euthanasia was unrelated to the surgical procedure, but was related to the primary disease. CONCLUSIONS: Total cystectomy is a technically feasible procedure that should be considered for the treatment of bladder cancer in dogs.