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Association between excess body weight and urine protein concentration in healthy dogs
Author(s) -
Tefft Karen M.,
Shaw Darcy H.,
Ihle Sherri L.,
Burton Shelley A.,
Pack LeeAnn
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
veterinary clinical pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.537
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1939-165X
pISSN - 0275-6382
DOI - 10.1111/vcp.12139
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , urine , obesity , creatinine , interquartile range , proteinuria , endocrinology , urology , kidney
Background Markedly overweight people can develop progressive proteinuria and kidney failure secondary to obesity‐related glomerulopathy ( ORG ). Glomerular lesions in dogs with experimentally induced obesity are similar to those in people with ORG . Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate if urine protein and albumin excretion is greater in overweight and obese dogs than in dogs of ideal body condition. Methods Client‐owned dogs were screened for underlying health conditions. These dogs were assigned a body condition score ( BCS ) using a 9‐point scoring system. Dogs with a BCS of ≥ 6 were classified as being overweight/obese, and dogs with a BCS of 4 or 5 were classified as being of ideal body weight. The urine protein:creatinine ratio ( UPC ) and urine albumin:creatinine ratio ( UAC ) were then determined, and compared between 20 overweight/obese dogs and 22 ideal body weight control dogs. Results Median UPC (0.04 [range, 0.01–0.14; interquartile range, 0.07]) and UAC (0.41 [0–10.39; 3.21]) of overweight/obese dogs were not significantly different from median UPC (0.04 [0.01–0.32; 0.07]) and UAC (0.18 [0–7.04; 1.75]) in ideal body weight dogs. Conclusions Clinicopathologic abnormalities consistent with ORG were absent from overweight/obese dogs in this study.