Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Azotemia and kidney function in dogs with chronic heart valve disease
By Nicolle, Audrey P et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2007·National Veterinary School, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Azotemia and glomerular filtration rate in dogs with chronic valvular disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that many dogs with chronic valvular heart disease (CVD) also had kidney problems, specifically azotemia, which is an increase in waste products in the blood. In a group of 124 dogs, about half were found to have azotemia, and this was more common in dogs with more severe heart disease. The research showed that as the heart condition worsened, kidney function declined, with lower glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in dogs with advanced heart failure. This suggests that kidney issues are common in dogs with serious heart problems, but more research is needed to understand the connection between the two.
People also search for: dog heart disease symptoms · azotemia in dogs · chronic valvular heart disease treatment · kidney problems in dogs with heart disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little information is available about the prevalence of renal dysfunction in dogs with chronic valvular heart disease (CVD). HYPOTHESIS: Azotemia and a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are more severe with increased severity of CVD. ANIMALS: 124 (study No. 1) and 24 (study No. 2) client-owned dogs with CVD. METHODS: A retrospective study (study No. 1) was performed to assess the prevalence of azotemia in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes of heart failure in dogs with CVD. A prospective study (study No. 2) was then designed to determine GFR in dogs with different degrees of CVD severity. Complete physical examination, electrocardiography, blood pressure measurement, thoracic radiographs, echocardiography, and plasma and urine analyses were also performed. RESULTS: In study No. 1, 50% of the dogs were azotemic and the percentage of azotemic dogs increased with functional class (up to 70% in NYHA class IV patients). In study No. 2, 8/24 dogs were azotemic. Plasma urea and creatinine were higher in NYHA class III-IV dogs compared with class I-II dogs. The GFR was lower (P < .001) in NYHA class III-IV dogs (1.7 +/- 0.7 mL/min/kg) than in class I to II dogs (3.1 +/- 0.8 mL/min/kg). Only 1 dog in class I-II had a GFR below 2 mL/min/kg and only 2/9 class III-IV dogs had a GFR above 2 mL/min/kg. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Azotemia and renal impairment increase with the severity of congestive heart failure and are frequent findings in dogs with CVD. It remains to be shown if deterioration of renal function is a direct result of progression of the heart disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17939547/