Urethral catheterization of small female cats and dogs weighing less than ten kilograms: the two-catheter technique.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a video tutorial on how to perform an alternate method for urethral catheterization, the 2-catheter technique.

ANIMALS: Small female cats and dogs that are too small for concurrent digital palpation (generally < 10 kg).

METHODS

A larger red rubber catheter (18 Fr in dogs, and 10 Fr in cats) is gently fed into the vaginal canal and reflected dorsally, then a smaller urethral catheter can be introduced ventrally, angling downwards at a 45° angle, into the urethral orifice for urinary catheterization.

RESULTS

The 2-catheter method is a useful alternative in petite female cats and dogs to improve rates of successful catheterization.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The inability to perform concurrent digital palpation in petite female dogs and cats can make urinary catheterization more challenging due to the inability to palpate locoregional anatomic landmarks and without the added manipulation of the catheter tip during placement. Using a second, larger catheter to occlude the vaginal canal similarly to how a finger would during digital palpation can aid in successful catheterization in this challenging subset of veterinary patients.