Cystitis (Canine) — NAVLE Prep

Quick anchor

Trigger

Pollakiuria, stranguria, and hematuria

First step

Localize to the lower urinary tract and rule out obstruction

Confirm

Urinalysis ± urine culture

Trap

Pollakiuria is not the same as polyuria

Exam core — read this first

Classic pattern → small frequent urinations, straining, urgency, and hematuria

Board localizing clue → signs point to lower urinary tract, not primary kidney disease

Workup → urinalysis is first-line and culture matters in recurrent or complicated cases

Critical miss → a blocked patient is not “just cystitis”

Pattern recognition

Core pattern

PollakiuriaStranguriaHematuria

Supporting clues

PeriuriaLicking at vulva or prepuceNormal appetite in uncomplicated casesCloudy urineHistory of prior UTIs

NAVLE trigger: Small frequent painful urinations are lower-urinary signs. Polyuria/polydipsia alone is a different branch.

Decision core — what NAVLE actually asks

Painful lower urinary signs but poor urine output

→ Rule out urethral obstruction immediately rather than assuming simple cystitis

Stable uncomplicated lower urinary signs

→ Urinalysis, consider culture, and treat based on likely bacterial cystitis logic

Recurrent, male, or complicated case

→ Search for stones, anatomic disease, endocrine predisposition, or upper-tract involvement

Key interpretation

Urinalysis

First-line

Looks for pyuria, bacteriuria, hematuria

Culture

Important

Especially in recurrent or complicated cases

Localization

Lower tract

Pollakiuria/stranguria are the giveaway

Male dog UTI

Complicated until proven otherwise

Search for an underlying reason

Imaging

May be needed

Especially if stones or recurrent disease are suspected

Upper tract clues

Fever / renal pain

Push toward pyelonephritis, not simple cystitis

⚠ A straining dog with little to no urine output needs obstruction ruled out first. That is the dangerous miss.

Treatment

Step 1

Confirm lower-tract disease and rule out obstruction

That is the first safe branch point.

Step 2

Use culture-guided antimicrobial reasoning when infection is likely or recurrence is an issue

The board rewards thinking beyond blind repeat antibiotics.

Step 3

Address stones, anatomy, endocrine disease, or other recurrence drivers

Complicated cases need more than symptom relief.

NAVLE traps — where students lose marks

Pollakiuria is not polyuria

Small frequent painful voids localize low; increased total volume does not.

A blocked patient is an emergency, not a cystitis follow-up visit

Always notice the poor output / inability to pass urine clue.

Do not apply feline FLUTD assumptions blindly to dogs

Canine bacterial cystitis is common and often needs culture-based thinking.

Recurrent or male-dog infections deserve deeper workup

That is a complicated UTI board clue.

Differentials — how to separate these on NAVLE

Fast separator: Cystitis is a lower-urinary pollakiuria/stranguria problem. Compare it with urethral obstruction, pyelonephritis, and urolithiasis.

Problem	Urination pattern	Systemic signs	Key separator
Cystitis	Small frequent painful urinations	Usually minimal if uncomplicated	Lower-tract localization
Urethral obstruction	Straining with poor/no output	Can become critical fast	Emergency outflow problem
Pyelonephritis	May overlap	Fever / renal pain / illness	Upper-tract infection logic
Urolithiasis	Variable LUT signs	Often recurrent	Imaging / stone clue
Urinary incontinence	Leakage, not straining	Usually no dysuria pattern	Storage problem, not inflammatory urgency

30-second revision

LocalizeLower urinary tract

Classic signsPollakiuria, stranguria, hematuria

First workupUrinalysis ± culture

Complicated clueMale, recurrent, or systemic case

Critical trapStraining with no output may be obstruction

Practice questions

Pre-built NAVLE-style · Cystitis

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Q1Localization

Which sign pattern most strongly supports canine cystitis?

Q2Danger branch

Which finding should immediately raise concern that the problem may be urethral obstruction rather than uncomplicated cystitis?

Q3Workup

What is the most appropriate first-line diagnostic step in a stable dog with lower urinary tract signs?

Q4Complicated-case reasoning

Why is a male dog with recurrent bacterial cystitis treated as a complicated case?

Q5Trap question

Which statement about canine cystitis is most accurate?