Congenital; may be associated with other anomalies.
Uncommon.
Breed predilection: Golden Retriever, Poodle, Siberian Husky.
Signs : usually incontinent from birth, often with urine scalding around external genitalia.
Diagnosis : excretory urography, retrograde urethrography, vaginourethrography and ultrasound examinations.
Treatment : vesico-ureteric re-implantation, neoureterocystotomy or ureteronephrectomy.
Prognosis : incontinence may continue in approximately 50% due to concurrent abnormalities with the trigone and/or urethra. Medical management (phenylpropanolamine) may help an additional 25%.
Presenting signs
Urinary incontinence noticed from weaning.
Dribble urine from vulva, especially when recumbent.
Other anomalies may be present, eg urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI).
Recurrent urinary tract infections.
Age predisposition
Young (usually 3-6 months).
Sex predisposition
Female:male ratio 20:1.
Breed predisposition
Golden Retriever .
Poodle: Toy , Standard , Miniature .
Siberian Husky .
Skye Terrier .
Cost considerations
Investigations are moderately expensive and most cases require corrective surgery.
Female: dribbling urine from vulva, especially when recumbent.
Male: constricted preputial opening with accumulating urine sheath dilation.
May urinate normally if unilaterally affected.
May have infantile bladder and lack of sphincter function with bilateral ectopia.
Diagnostic investigation
Contrast Radiography
Excretory urography , or retrograde contrast urethrography /vaginourethrography to demonstrate termination of ureters megaureters may be seen .
2-D Ultrasonography
Visualization of two ureters emptying into bladder effectively rules out ectopic ureters . Promoting diuresis, ie by administration of frusemide immediately prior to ultrasonography, may make visualization of ureteral entry to bladder more obvious
Urinalysis
In presence of urinary tract infection, hematuria, pyuria or bacteriuria may be detected.
Microbiology
Urine samples should be cultured and concurrent UTI treated appropriately.
Other
Vaginoscopy : may see termination of ureters or urine pooling.
Cytoscopy : may be superior to contrast radiography and ultrasonography.
Urodynamic studies : cystometrography and urethral pressure profilometry may aid in identifying concurrent abnormalities of the bladder and urethra.
Biochemistry
Renal function should be checked in cases with chronic UTI.
Confirmation of diagnosis Discriminatory diagnostic features
History.
Clinical signs.
Definitive diagnostic features
Radiography.
Excretory urography.
Ultrasonography.
Cystoscopy.
Gross autopsy findings
Perineal staining.
Ureters may be identified with a blunt probe or by flushing through with water or dye.
Possible secondary findings include:
Hydronephrosis.
Hydroureter.
Urinary tract infection.
Pyelonephritis.
May be associated with bladder agenesis or hypoplasia, renal agenesis or hypoplasia, duplication of ureter or branching of terminal ureter.
Histopathology findings
Reflects secondary changes such as inflammation and infection.
Lamb C R (1998) Ultrasonography of the ureters.Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract28 (4), 823-848.
Holt P E & Moore A H (1995) Canine ureteral ectopia - an analysis of 175 cases and comparison of surgical treatments.Vet Rec136 (14), 345-349.
Lane I F, Lappin M R & Seim H B (1995) Evaluation of results of preoperative urodynamic measurements in nine dogs with ectopic ureters.JAVMA206 (9), 1348-1356.
McLoughlin R & Miller C W (1991) Urinary incontinence after surgical repair of uretera ectopia in dogs.Vet Surg20 (2), 100-103.
Stone E A & Mason L K (1990) Surgery of ectopic ureters - types, method of correction, and postoperative results.JAAHA26 , 81-88.
Mason L K, Stone E A, Biery D N, Robertson I & Thrall D E (1990) Surgery of ectopic ureters - pre- and postoperative radiographic morphology,JAAHA26 , 73-79.
Dean P O & Constantinescue G M (1988) Canine ectopic ureter.Comp Cont Educ Small Anim Pract10 (2), 146-157.
Lane J G (1973) Canine ectopic ureter - two further case reports.JSAP14 (9), 555-560.
Vetstream contributor(s)
Dr Phil Nicholls BVSc BSc PhD MRCVS , Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London NW1 0TU, UK.
Dr Kyle Mathews DVM , North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
continue through bladder musculature and submucosa 
Promoting diuresis, ie by administration of frusemide immediately prior to ultrasonography, may make visualization of ureteral entry to bladder more obvious