“Ectopy” refers to a malformation or displacement that typically is congenital, or present at birth. In veterinary medicine, “ectopic” usually means that something is located away from its normal position, or starts or ends at a site where it is not supposed to be. The “ureters” are the two separate fibromuscular tubes through which urine normally passes from each kidney into the urinary bladder. Therefore, an “ectopic ureter” is some congenital abnormality in the location of one or both of the ureters. Usually, this abnormality pertains to the site of the affected ureters’ terminal openings, after they leave the kidneys. They are supposed to terminate in a particular area of the bladder, so that urine can collect there until it is appropriate for it to be excreted out through the urethra. The urethra is the tube that normally carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. When only one ureter is ectopic, it is called a unilateral condition. Unilateral ectopic ureters occur with equal frequency on the right and left sides in dogs. When both ureters are affected, which is about 25% of the time, the condition is considered to be bilateral.
Most ectopic ureters in domestic dogs involve a ureter that enters the urinary bladder in the correct position but then ends in the wrong place, whether within or outside of the bladder, so that urine drips out continuously or intermittently. This form of the disorder is called an intramural ectopic ureter. In cats, ectopic ureters typically bypass the bladder entirely and enter the urethra in an abnormal place. This is called an extramural ectopic ureter and is uncommon in dogs.
Certain breeds seem to have a predisposition to being born with ectopic ureters. This is called a congenital defect. Because of the prevalence of the abnormality in those breeds, the defect also appears to have a genetic component, rather than just occurring randomly during prenatal development. Unfortunately, the mode of inheritance is not well-understood. The involvement of heredity also is not consistent. Bitches with ectopic ureters are known to have whelped litters in which none
It is hard to say how a dog that has an ectopic ureter is affected by its condition. It is possible that it will not be aware of having any abnormality at all. However, if urine scalding and urinary tract infections occur as a sequellae to this conformational defect, the dog probably will experience a significant amount of discomfort unless the condition is corrected surgically.Dogs with ectopic ureters have symptoms that can range from mild
When a dog – especially a female – presents to the veterinarian with a history of incontinence and/or urine scalding, a thorough history will be taken from the owner and a thorough physical examination will be performed. The initial medical data base usually will include a urinalysis and routine blood work, including a complete blood count and a serum biochemistry profile. Unless the dog has a concurrent kidney infection, bladder infection or other urinary tract
The primary goal of treating ectopic ureters is to mechanically create a new ureteral opening so that urine can collect in the bladder and then exit the body through the urethra as normally as possible. Of course, other goals are to relieve the dog’s discomfort and to eliminate or at least reduce the owner’s frustration caused by the accompanying incontinence. Ectopoic ureters typically can be treated surgically. This involves rerouting the ureter into the urinary