Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound: A Diagnostic Atlas and Text

Chapter Three The Abd omen 367
Fig. 3-137 A 14-year-old neutered female
domestic short-haired cat with vomiting. A
and B, The left kidney is small and regularly
shaped. The right kidney is normal.
Differential diagnoses include hypoplasia,
CIN, or chronic pyelonephritis. The cat
responded to symptomatic therapy.
Diagnosis: Hypoplasia of the left kidney.
A
B
produce filling defects during the EU and may cause hydronephrosis with a dilated renal
pelvis and urine evident surrounding the stone. This can also be seen during the ultrasonographic
examination.
Mineralized material within the GI tract may be mistaken for renal mineralization.
Mineralization must be identified on both lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs to be certain
that it is associated with the kidneys. If there is a suspicious density, additional radiographs
to include oblique views and abdominal compression may be used. Repeating the
radiographs after a few hours often allows the densities to change position if they are associated
with the GI tract.
Position Changes. An uncommon finding on survey radiographs is the presence of a kidney
in an inappropriate position. Both kidneys in the cat and the left kidney in the dog are