Familial renal disease in dogs

Transient postoperative glycosuria after isoflurane exposure in two dogs

The present report describes two surgical cases involving the development of sudden glycosuria after isoflurane anaesthesia, despite the dogs having normal blood glucose levels and renal glucose reabsorption. The glycosuria manifested 1 day after surgery and resolved spontaneously within 2 days in both cases. Considering that the surgeries (subcutaneous mandibular mass removal and fracture repair) were unrelated to the kidneys, and there were no remarkable events during anaesthesia, the glycosuria may have been associated with the isoflurane anaesthesia. There have been several previous reports of glycosuria in human patients following transient proximal tubule dysfunction due to volatile anaesthetics. This case report suggests the possibility of transient renal dysfunction following isoflurane anaesthesia in these two clinically healthy dogs. However, considering the observational nature of this report, it can not be excluded that any other procedure performed in these animals was responsible of the observed glycosuria.

Renal dysplasia and urinary tract infection in a Bull Mastiff puppy

Renal dysplasia and concurrent pyelonephritis were diagnosed in a 15-week-old female Bull Mastiff which presented with clinical signs compatible with chronic renal failure. Ultrasound examination was consistent with renal dysplasia and clinical pathology supported a diagnosis of chronic renal failure and urinary tract infection. Renal histological examination demonstrated inflammation and scarring with concurrent tubular dysplasia and persisting primitive glomeruli, although the presence of chronic inflammation complicated interpretation. It is uncertain whether renal dysplasia was inherited or due to a urinary tract infection acquired in the neonatal period. Renal dysplasia has not previously been reported in the Bull Mastiff breed.

Juvenile nephropathy in a Samoyed bitch

A case of juvenile nephropathy is reported in a 16-week-old Samoyed bitch. Clinical, laboratory and gross postmortem findings followed by histological analysis of kidney, liver and cerebrum and transmission electron microscopy of renal tissue are described. The histological and ultrastructural findings are similar to those found in a line of related Samoyeds in Canada, termed Samoyed hereditary glomerulopathy. The case is, however, distinct from those documented in Canada as the condition is present in a young female and the mode of inheritance elucidated in Canada is one of X-linked dominance, with the disease only developing in its juvenile form in males.

Renal dysplasia in three young adult Dutch kooiker dogs

Chronic renal failure as consequence of renal dysplasia was diagnosed in three young adult Dutch kooiker dogs (Dutch decoy dogs). Two animals were anorectic from an early age and were thinner than healthy dogs of the same breed. All three were presented because of apathy and weakness. Laboratory examination revealed anaemia and uraemia. One dog was presented with severe dehydration and died during emergency treatment. One dog was euthanatised because of a poor prognosis, and one was given a low-protein diet. This dog survived for 7 months after the diagnosis of chronic renal failure. At necropsy all three animals had shrunken, pale, and firm kidneys that showed microscopical lesions characteristic of canine renal dysplasia, such as asynchronous differentiation of nephrons, persistent immature mesenchyme, persistent metanephric ducts, and adenomatoid proliferation of the tubular epithelium. Secondary degenerative and inflammatory changes consisted of interstitial fibrosis and predominantly lymphocytic/plasmacytic inflammation. This is the first report of renal dysplasia in the Dutch kooiker dog. The disease should be included in the differential diagnosis in young Dutch kooiker dogs with signs of chronic renal failure. The presentation of three cases of this rare disease in this breed, which is based on a rather small gene pool, suggests that it is a familial or hereditary nephropathy.

Juvenile nephropathy in a Weimaraner dog

A case of juvenile nephropathy in a two-year-old Weimaraner bitch is reported. Although Juvenile nephropathy has been described in several breeds of dogs, this is the first report in a Weimaraner. Clinical aspects, blood analysis, renal pathology and extrarenal changes are described. The renal changes consisted of tubular as well as glomerular lesions, similar to those described in the miniature schnauzer. The main extrarenal lesion was degeneration and necrosis of subendocardial myocytes in the left atrial wall associated with an inflammatory reaction and focal necrotising arteritis.

Renal dysplasia in a Rhodesian ridgeback dog

A six-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback dog was presented for evaluation of facial swelling. Chronic renal failure was clinically diagnosed based on urinalysis, biochemical changes and ultrasonography. The facial swelling was due to fibrous osteodystrophy, which was evident on survey radiographs of the skull. On post mortem examination, chronic renal failure as a result of renal dysplasia was confirmed. This is the first reported case of renal dysplasia in this breed of dog.

Tubular vimentin metaplasia in canine nephropathies

The expression of the intermediate filament vimentin was examined immunocytochemically in 17 cases of histologically confirmed primary canine nephropathy, and compared with its expression in normal canine kidney. In normal renal tissue, the expression of vimentin was restricted to glomerular elements, but in all cases of chronic interstitial nephritis it extended to the cortical tubular epithelia, and was correlated with the degree of tubulo-interstitial damage. Three of four cases of renal cell carcinoma had vimentin reactivity in neoplastic cells. In only one case of familial renal disease was vimentin expressed in scattered epithelial cells of the cortical tubules.

Familial nephropathy in Bernese mountain dogs

Between January 1988 and March 1992 nephropathies were frequently diagnosed in Bernese Mountain Dogs. During this period, 20 animals (16 females, four males), ages 2-5 years (average age at time of diagnosis = 3.3 years) presented with clinically renal insufficiency. Morphologic diagnosis of the renal lesions was identical in all cases, i.e., membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) with concomitant interstitial nephritis. Deposits of immunoglobulin-M (IgM) and of the third complement component were regularly demonstrated immunohistochemically in the glomeruli; deposits of immunoglobulin-A (IgA) and immunoglobulin-G (IgG) were found only in isolated cases. Reduplication of glomerular basement membranes, mesangial interposition, and subendothelial deposits of the immunocomplex type were also detected by electron microscopy. A pedigree analysis indicated that the MPGN in these 20 Bernese Mountain Dogs of approximately the same age was of hereditary genesis. Thus, MPGN should be allocated to the group of familial nephropathies. Serologically, high IgG titers against Borrelia burgdorferi were found in 17 dogs. These findings are discussed in relation to familial nephropathies in humans.

Proteinuria associated with glomerulosclerosis and glomerular collagen formation in three Newfoundland dog littermates

Three dogs out of a litter of eight Newfoundland dogs developed a progressive fatal glomerulopathy. The affected dogs were a 2-month-old male, a 2.5-month-old female, and a 1-year-old male. The disease in all three animals was characterized by growth retardation, anorexia, proteinuria (14-16 g/liter), hypoalbuminemia (15-21 g/liter, elevated plasma urea (13-28 mmol/liter), and creatinine (83-296 mumol/liter) concentrations. Because of a bad prognosis the dogs were euthanatized. On postmortem examination, the animals had enlarged, slightly pale kidneys, which revealed glomerulosclerosis and glomerulofibrosis on histologic and electron microscopic examination. The lesions consisted of subendothelial and mesangial collagen fibrils and an increase of mesangial matrix. The fibrosis may result from endothelial or mesangial collagen formation as the manifestation of a metabolic disease.