Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Measuring cat kidney function with tiny blood samples for welfare
By De Baets, Hanna et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Department of Bioanalysis·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Volumetric absorptive microsampling to measure iohexol and creatinine concentrations for estimation of glomerular filtration rate in cats: aligning animal welfare with practical feasibility.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had their kidney function assessed using a new method that involves taking a small drop of blood from their ear instead of a larger sample from a vein. This method, called volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS), was tested on 23 cats, and the results showed that it provided accurate measurements of kidney function markers, iohexol and creatinine. This approach is not only less stressful for the cats but also makes it easier for vets to monitor kidney health. The study concluded that ear-prick sampling is a reliable alternative for assessing kidney function in cats.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in cats, and early detection is crucial for better prognosis. Currently, the gold standard to assess renal function is the measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), allowing early detection of decreased kidney function. To overcome the practical limitations of this procedure, microsampling, collecting a small drop of blood from the cat's ear, can be used. Application of volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) in feline nephrology would be of tremendous value, aligning with animal welfare and improving practical feasibility of GFR measurements. RESULTS: We developed and successfully validated liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods to simultaneously determine iohexol and creatinine in plasma, blood and VAMS samples. A clinical validation study, conducted in 23 cats from whom conventional venous blood, plasma and VAMS samples were collected, allowed to establish a conversion formula to derive plasma iohexol or creatinine concentrations from capillary VAMS concentrations. This conversion was applied on an independent set, revealing an excellent agreement for both iohexol and creatinine between concentrations directly measured in venous plasma or derived from ear-prick VAMS samples (94% and 96% of differences lay < 20%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that ear-prick sampling using VAMS is a suitable alternative to conventional venous sampling to measure iohexol and creatinine for GFR determination in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40289070/