Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1160, Austria.
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), 10315 Berlin, Germany.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2024 Sep;55(3):555-564. doi: 10.1638/2023-0071.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent disease among felids; yet its origin is still poorly understood, and the disease often remains asymptomatic for years, underscoring the need for early diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of urinalysis in accurately staging CKD, particularly as routine health checks in large felids often overlook its significance. In this research, ultrasound-guided cystocentesis (UGC) was performed on 50 captive nondomestic felids during routine veterinary health checks under general anesthesia. Urinalysis included microscopic examination of the sediment, measurement of urine specific gravity (USG) and protein to creatinine ratio (UPC). Additional serum kidney markers, such as creatinine and symmetric dimethylarginine, were compared with USG and UPC to assess their diagnostic value as urinary biomarkers. The results demonstrated proteinuria (UPC > 0.4) or borderline proteinuria (UPC 0.2-0.4) in 49% of the animals. Among these cases, 62% were of renal origin, and 38% were postrenal causes. USG was significantly higher in felids with borderline proteinuria compared to those with proteinuria. A moderate, but significant negative correlation between serum parameters and USG was observed, emphasizing the importance of assessing both diagnostic parameters during kidney evaluations. Additionally, felids with CKD have an increased risk of urinary tract infections, necessitating microscopic urinalysis and bacterial culture analysis. Abnormalities, including hematuria, pyuria, crystalluria, and bacteriuria, were found in approximately 38% of cases through microscopical examination of urine. No complications associated with UGC were observed and abnormal findings were detected in 60% of the cases. Based on these results, the authors recommend the inclusion of UGC and urinalysis as standard diagnostic tools in general health checks for nondomestic felids. This approach provides valuable insights into the early detection and staging of CKD, supporting early intervention and supportive medical care to prolong renal health in these animals.
慢性肾脏病（CKD）是猫科动物中常见的疾病；然而，其病因仍不清楚，而且该疾病通常多年来无症状，这凸显了早期诊断的必要性。本研究旨在探讨尿液分析在准确分期 CKD 中的诊断价值，特别是因为在大型猫科动物的常规健康检查中，经常忽略其重要性。在本研究中，在全身麻醉下对 50 只圈养的非 domestic 猫科动物进行了超声引导下的膀胱穿刺术（UGC）。尿液分析包括对沉淀物进行显微镜检查、测量尿比重（USG）和尿蛋白与肌酐比（UPC）。还比较了血清肾脏标志物（如肌酐和对称二甲基精氨酸）与 USG 和 UPC，以评估它们作为尿液生物标志物的诊断价值。结果表明，49%的动物存在蛋白尿（UPC>0.4）或边界蛋白尿（UPC 0.2-0.4）。在这些病例中，62%是肾源性的，38%是肾后性的。与蛋白尿相比，USG 在具有边界蛋白尿的猫科动物中显著更高。观察到血清参数与 USG 之间存在中度但显著的负相关，这强调了在肾脏评估中评估这两个诊断参数的重要性。此外，患有 CKD 的猫科动物患尿路感染的风险增加，需要进行显微镜尿液分析和细菌培养分析。通过对尿液的显微镜检查，发现大约 38%的病例存在血尿、脓尿、结晶尿和菌尿等异常。未观察到与 UGC 相关的并发症，并且在 60%的病例中检测到异常发现。基于这些结果，作者建议将 UGC 和尿液分析作为非 domestic 猫科动物常规健康检查的标准诊断工具。这种方法提供了对 CKD 的早期检测和分期的有价值的见解，支持早期干预和支持性医疗护理，以延长这些动物的肾脏健康。
