Cystoscopic Guided Laser Cauterization in a Dog with Complete Y-Type Urethral Duplication

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Duplication of the urethra is a rare congenital malformation in dogs, whose resolution is mainly surgical, but this type of solution is not free from complications. In a case report regarding a young dog, an alternative approach based on diode laser cauterization was tried. Unfortunately, since this method did not provide the desired results, the need for surgery was inevitable. ABSTRACT: Duplication of the urethra is a rare congenital malformation. A 14-month-old, sexually intact, male, Lagotto dog with complete Y-type urethral duplication was subjected to accessory urethra treatment for cystoscopic guided laser cauterization, with a 10-Watt diode laser with 550-micron fiber and 2.3 Fr outer diameter. The laser cauterization, that was repeated every 14 days for a total of three times, was performed by inserting the instrument from the accessory urethra outlet in the perianal area until it could be seen by the urethroscope, inside the ischial urethra. Nevertheless, this technique that proved to be non-invasive, less expensive than surgery, of short duration, and safe, did not allow the complete closure of the abnormal urethral tract. Therefore, the subsequent surgical removal of the accessory urethra was carried out. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report on the use of cystoscopic guided diode laser cauterization for accessory urethra treatment.