The prevalence of albuminuria in dogs and cats in an ICU or recovering from anesthesia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of albuminuria in dogs and cats admitted to the ICU or recovering from an anesthetic event.


METHODS
Prospective clinical study over a 10-week period in 2003.


METHODS
Veterinary teaching hospital.


METHODS
One hundred and five dogs and 22 cats.


METHODS
Urine was collected from dogs and cats admitted to the ICU or recovering from an anesthetic event. When possible, a second urine sample was collected approximately 48 hours later from those animals that had albuminuria during the initial screening.


RESULTS
All dog samples and most cat samples were screened for albumin using a commercial point-of-care immunoassay. Aliquots of samples that tested positive were stored at -20 °C until subsequent albumin quantification via antigen capture ELISA. Albuminuria was detected in 63 of 105 (60.0%) dogs and in 14 of 22 (63.6%) cats; the prevalence was higher in animals admitted to ICU than in those recovering from anesthesia. In subsequent samples from 26 dogs, urine albumin decreased in 20 (76.9%) when compared with the first sample; urine albumin was undetectable in 5 (19.2%). In subsequent samples from 6 cats, 4 (66.7%) had decreases in urine albumin when compared with the first sample; 1 (16.7%) was negative for urine albumin. Eleven of 12 dogs (91.7%) and 3 of 4 cats (75%) that died within 3 days of admission to the ICU had abnormal urine albumin; whereas 52 of 93 (55.9%) and 11 of 18 (61.1%) dogs and cats, respectively, who survived more than 3 days had abnormal urine albumin. Dogs with albuminuria were at increased risk of death.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of albuminuria in animals admitted to the ICU or recovering from anesthesia is higher than reported previously and transient in some patients. The presence of albuminuria may be a negative prognostic indicator in this population.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. slvaden@ncsu.edu
Shelly L
SL
Vaden
Coral A
CA
Turman
Tonya L
TL
Harris
Steven L
SL
Marks
D000419:Albuminuria / Q000662:veterinary*; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D004285:Dogs; D007362:Intensive Care Units