A blinded, multicenter, prospective clinical trial assessed the effects of enalapril (EN) versus standard care in dogs with naturally occurring, idiopathic glomerulonephritis (GN). Twenty-nine adult dogs with membranous (n 16) and membranoproliferative (n 13) GN were studied. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive either EN (0.5 mg/kg PO q12-24h; n 16) or placebo (n 14) for 6 months (1 dog was treated first with the placebo and then with EN). All dogs were treated with low-dose aspirin (0.5-5 mg/kg PO q12-24h) and fed a commercial diet. At baseline, serum creatinine (SrCr), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and glo-merular histologic grade were not different between groups, but the urine protein/creatinine ratio (UP/C) was greater in the EN group compared with the placebo group (8.7 4.4 versus 4.7 2.3). After 6 months of treatment, the change in UP/C from baseline was significantly different between groups (EN 4.2 1.4 versus 1.9 0.9 in the placebo group). When data were adjusted for changes in SrCr (SrCr UP/C) a similar significant reduction was noted (2.2 15.2 versus 8.4 10.1). The change in SBP after 6 months of treatment also was significantly different between groups (EN 12.8 27.3 versus 5.9 21.5 mm Hg in the placebo group). Response to treatment was categorized as improvement (assigned a value of 2), no progression (assigned a value of 1), and progression (assigned a value of 0). Response was significantly better in the EN group (1.4 0.8) compared with the placebo group (0.3 0.5). These results suggest that EN treatment is beneficial in dogs with naturally occurring idiopathic GN.

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All dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar IVD extrusion should be monitored for the presence of UTI; however, close attention should be paid to females and dogs that cannot ambulate or voluntarily urinate.

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