Abnormal urination
Abnormal urination is when horses are seen to strain to urinate or frequently attempt to urinate only producing a small amount.
Mares may appear to have abnormal urination when they are in season.
Urinary stones (urolithiasis)
This condition is when stones made from calcium carbonate are formed within the bladder and either stay in the bladder or become lodged in the urethra. Urinary stones are more common in geldings and can be due to previous inflammation or damage or due to a neurological condition allowing urine to pool in the bladder.
Clinical signs
Affected animals will usually have abnormal urination and may have blood in their urine.
Diagnosis
The stones can be seen in the bladder by passing an endoscope up the urethra or by scanning the bladder. Analysing a urine sample can also help in the diagnosis.
Treatment
The stones must be removed. This can be done in a sedated animal using an endoscope, although surgery is sometimes required.
Urethritis
This is simply inflammation of the urethra and is usually seen in geldings. The condition normally occurs secondarily to trauma, a foreign body, a tumour or a mucky sheath.
Clinical signs
Affected animals will usually have abnormal urination and a malodorous, swollen sheath.
Diagnosis
The clinical signs and careful examination of the penis and sheath are usually enough to diagnose the condition.
Treatment
The treatment is to clean the sheath and apply creams containing antibiotics.
Cystitis
This condition is inflammation of the bladder and, unlike other animals, this is rarely due to a primary bacterial infection in horses and is usually secondary to a tumour, bladder paralysis, trauma during foaling or bladder stones. Cystitis is seen most frequently in mares.
Clinical signs
Affected animals will usually have abnormal urination and may have blood in their urine.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is usually made by analysing a sample of the urine.
Treatment
The underlying problem, if there is one, should be treated. Otherwise anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics are used.
Other conditions causing abnormal urination
Conditions causing paralysis of the bladder may cause abnormal urination these include herpes virus infection, a spinal fracture or polyneuritis equi. Geldings and stallions can have abnormal urination when they have tumours, squamous cell carcinoma, or maggots at the end of the penis.