BackgroundThe value of fractional excretion (FE) of electrolytes to characterize and prognosticate acute kidney injury (AKI) is poorly documented in dogs.ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic roles of FE of electrolytes in dogs with AKI.AnimalsDogs (n = 135) with AKI treated with standard care (February 2014‐December 2016).MethodsProspective study. Clinical and laboratory variables including FE of electrolytes, were measured upon admission. Dogs were graded according to the AKI‐IRIS guidelines and grouped according to AKI features (volume‐responsive, VR‐AKI; intrinsic, I‐AKI) and outcome (survivors/non‐survivors). Group comparison and regression analyses with hazard ratios (HR) evaluation for I‐AKI and mortality were performed. P < .05 was considered significant.ResultsFifty‐two of 135 (39%) dogs had VR‐AKI, 69/135 (51%) I‐AKI and 14/135 (10%) were unclassified. I‐AKI dogs had significantly higher FE of electrolytes, for example, FE of sodium (FENa, %) 2.39 (range 0.04‐75.81) than VR‐AKI ones 0.24 (range 0.01‐2.21; P < .001). Overall, case fatality was 41% (55/135). Increased FE of electrolytes were detected in nonsurvivors, for example, FENa 1.60 (range 0.03‐75.81) compared with survivors 0.60 (range 0.01‐50.45; P = .004). Several risk factors for death were identified, including AKI‐IRIS grade (HR = 1.39, P = .002), FE of electrolytes, for example, FENa (HR = 1.03, P < .001), and urinary output (HR = 5.06, P < .001).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceFractional excretion of electrolytes performed well in the early differentiation between VR‐AKI and I‐AKI, were related to outcome, and could be useful tools to manage AKI dogs in clinical practice.

Background: Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs.Objectives: To evaluate the utility of urinary NGAL for characterizing AKI according to volume responsiveness, presence of inflammation and sepsis, and prognosis.Animals: Dogs with AKI (n = 76) and healthy controls (n = 10).Methods: Prospective study. Clinical and clinicopathologic data including absolute urine NGAL concentration (uNGAL) and NGAL normalized to urine creatinine concentration (uNGALC) were measured upon admission. Dogs were graded according to International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) AKI guidelines and compared based on AKI features: volume-responsive (VR-) AKI vs. intrinsic (I-) AKI based on IRIS criteria; VR-AKI and I-AKI based on urine chemistry; inflammatory versus noninflammatory; septic versus nonseptic; and survivors versus nonsurvivors. Nonparametric statistics were calculated, and significance set at P < .05.Results: Urinary NGAL was significantly higher in dogs with AKI compared to controls, regardless of AKI grade. Urinary NGAL did not differ between dogs with VR-AKI and I-AKI based on IRIS criteria, whereas higher uNGALC was recorded in dogs with I-AKI based on urine chemistry. Urinary NGAL was significantly higher in dogs with inflammatory AKI, whereas no difference with respect to sepsis or outcome was identified.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Urinary NGAL is a sensitive marker for AKI in dogs, but its specificity is affected by systemic inflammation. Increased urinary NGAL in both I-AKI and VR-AKI also suggests the presence of tubular damage in transient AKI.Combining urine chemistry data with IRIS criteria could facilitate AKI characterization in dogs. K E Y W O R D Sintrinsic AKI, systemic inflammation, tubular damage, urine chemistry, volume-responsive AKI Abbreviations: AKI, acute kidney injury; CKD, chronic kidney disease; FENa, fractional excretion of sodium; I-AKI, intrinsic acute kidney injury; ICU, intensive care unit; IRIS, International Renal Interest Society; MAT, microagglutination test; NGAL, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin; sCr, serum creatinine concentration; sCRP, serum C-reactive protein concentration; uCr, urine creatinine concentration; uCr/sCr, urine creatinine to serum creatinine ratio; uNa, urine sodium concentration; uNGAL, urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentration; uNGALC, urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin to urine creatinine ratio; UO, urinary output; VR-AKI, volume-responsive acute kidney injury; VUH, veterinary university hospital; WBC, white blood cell.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis can be challenging to diagnose in cats. Retrospectively, we investigated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of serum amyloid A (SAA), a major feline acute-phase protein (APP), in a population of critically ill cats with SIRS related to trauma or sepsis. A total of 56 SIRS cats (trauma n = 27; sepsis n = 29) were included and compared with healthy controls ( n = 18). SAA concentration was significantly increased in SIRS cats compared to controls, confirming its potential for the detection of systemic inflammation in this species. Significantly higher values of SAA were detected in cats belonging to the sepsis group; however, according to the results of the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the value of using SAA (>81 mg/L) to discriminate septic cats was only moderate (AUC = 0.76). Additionally, cats with sepsis had significantly higher serum bilirubin concentrations and toxic neutrophil changes compared to the trauma group. Overall, 38 of 56 cats were survivors; 18 of 56 were non-survivors, with 83% of the non-survivors (15 of 18) belonging to the sepsis group. Serum bilirubin concentration, but not SAA, was able to predict outcome. Prospective studies are needed to assess the potential of SAA in the diagnosis of feline sepsis and outcome prediction.

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There is little information on sequence variation of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), the aetiological agent of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH). This study reports hexon and fibre gene sequence variants of CAdV-1 in a dog with systemic ICH and a dog with the ocular form of the disease ('blue eye') in Northern Italy in 2013. One of the sequence variants matched a CAdV-1 fox sequence previously detected in Italy.