Peritoneal dialysis treatment for cats with sudden kidney failure

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been described for use in animals with acute kidney injury refractory to fluid therapy. However, no study has examined the use of PD in a large group of cats. HYPOTHESIS: PD is an important adjunctive therapy to treat acute kidney injury in cats. ANIMALS: The medical records of 22 cats with acute kidney injury that had received PD were examined. Animals were excluded if acute uremia was a result of postrenal causes such as uroabdomen or urethral obstruction. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for the following: indication for PD, outcome, number of cycles performed, survival time, and predialysis and postdialysis results for blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, potassium, chloride, sodium, phosphorus, total protein, and albumin concentrations, and urine output. RESULTS: Indications for PD include acute-on-chronic kidney injury, acute kidney injury caused by toxins, bilateral ureteroliths, bilateral ureteral ligation as a complication of ovariohysterectomy, and unknown causes. The median survival time for all cats on PD was 4 days, although the median survival time for the cats that were discharged was 774 days. The most common complications were dialysate retention and sequestration of dialysate SC. There was a significant (P < .05) decrease between predialysis and postdialysis results for BUN, creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, total protein, and albumin concentrations. There was a significant (P < .05) difference in survival times between sexes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: PD is an effective option for treatment of cats with acute kidney injury refractory to fluid therapy.