title: Association between excess body weight and urine protein concentration in healthy dogs.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animals, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Tefft
authors.forename: Darcy H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Sherri L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ihle
authors.forename: Shelley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: LeeAnn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pack
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000662:veterinary*; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000662:veterinary*; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine
keywords: Body condition score; canine; microalbuminuria; obesity-related glomerulopathy; urine protein:creatinine ratio