Nephrolithiasis in an aged snow leopard

An aged (14 years old) female snow leopard exhibited renal calculi and pyelonephritis at necropsy. The animal experienced appetite loss, mild diarrhea, polydipsia, and difficulty breathing, and was curled up and staggering on its hind legs 2 days before death. Large calculi were found obstructing both sides of the renal pelvis. The leftside calculus was larger than that of the right side. These calculi had rough surfaces and were 15 × 21 mm and 9 × 14 mm, respectively. The bladder was filled with dark, cloudy urine. Multiple ulcerous lesions were found in the inner layer of the bladder. Enterococcus faecalis and Proteus mirabili were identified via microbiological examination of the urine. Under microscopic examination, urine struvites were observed in the pyuria sediment in the bladder. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of nephrolithiasis in a captive snow leopard.