Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Renal tubular acidosis in two horses: diagnostic studies.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1987
- Authors:
- Ziemer, E L et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two Quarter Horses, an 11-year-old mare and a 2-year-old colt, were brought to the veterinary hospital with a condition called renal tubular acidosis (RTA), which affects how their kidneys handle acids. The veterinarians ran several tests to understand the type and cause of RTA in these horses. They found that the kidneys were functioning normally in some areas, but when given a specific acid, the horses did not respond as expected, indicating a problem with how their kidneys were working. Further tests, including imaging and a kidney biopsy, did not reveal any abnormalities, so the exact cause of their RTA remains unknown.
Abstract
An 11-year-old Quarter Horse mare and a 2-year-old Quarter Horse colt with clinical diagnoses of renal tubular acidosis (RTA) were donated to the University of California Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. A series of diagnostic tests was performed in an attempt to characterize the type and cause of RTA in these horses. Endogenous creatinine clearance and sodium sulfanilate clearance were within reference ranges; thus, no abnormality of glomerular function was detected. To assess renal tubular function in response to acid loading, each horse was given 0.1 g of NH4Cl/kg of body weight via nasogastric tube in 6 L of water. Urine acidification in response to the oral acid load was less than that observed in control horses. The urinary clearance ratio for sodium also was found to be greater for the principals than for the controls. These findings supported a diagnosis of RTA that closely resembled type 1 or distal RTA. In an attempt to determine the cause of RTA, renal ultrasonography, renal biopsy, and a mating study were performed. No abnormalities were identified, and the cause of RTA in these cases remained unknown.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3558066/