Radiographic evaluation of iohexol and diatrizoic acid dihydrate as intravenous pyelographic agents in dogs

Sixteen non-descript apparently healthy adult mongrel male dogs were randomly divided into 2 equal groups. The dogs of groups I and II underwent intravenous pyelography with ionic contrast agent, Diatrizoic acid dihydrate and non-ionic contrast agent, Iohexol, respectively. The dogs of each group's subgroup A underwent intravenous pyelography with Diatrizoic acid dihydrate or Iohexol @ 600 mg I/kg body wt, while the dose in subgroup B was 800 mg I/kg body wt. The abdomen compression was applied with a strip (2 inch wide) of rubber cycle tube and the exposures were made at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min intervals after completion of injection of the contrast agent. The initial nephrographic contrast opacity was found none to poor in all the animals of subgroup A of group I, but it was fair at 5 min radiographs in 3 animals of subgroup B of group I. The pyelograms were fair to adequately good at 15 and 20 min intervals, whereas those of 20 min were slightly better than that of 15 min. The cystograms were moderately good to excellent at 20 min interval. The initial nephrographic contrast opacity was good at 10, 15 and 20 min in all animals of subgroup A of group II. The subsequent nephrographic contrast opacity increased at 5 and 10 min pyelograms but remained constant in radiographs taken at 15 and 20 min. The cystograms were moderately good to excellent at 20 min interval. The nephrographic contrast opacity was found good in radiographs taken at 5, 10, 15 and 20 min in all animals of subgroup B of group II. The cystograms were fair to adequately good at 20 min interval. On a comparative basis when intravenous pyelograms of groups I and II were analysed it was found that the pyelograms of subgroup B, where the contrast medium was used @ 800 mg I/kg body wt were superior in details and required opacification as compared to subgroup A, where the contrast medium was used @ 600 mg/kg body wt.