Importance of blood tests in the diagnosis of dogs acute kidney failure

The Aim: identify the frequency of dogs acute kidney injury and determine the most reliable methods for diagnosing this pathology. Methodics: information about dogs with acute kidney failure was being collected since 2010 January till 2016 November at Vilnius veterinary clinic “X”. AKI was diagnosed for 27 dogs. For all patients had been made a blood chemistry analysis, 12 of them had blood morphological tests, 7 of them had Ca, K and P concentrations in blood serum tests. Statistical data analysis were executed using „Microsoft Excel 2010“ program. Results: 1. In Vilnius veterinary clinic‘s “X” therapeutic department since 2010 January till 2016 November were treated 5578 dogs. 146 of them had urine excretion system‘s diseases (2.62 %) AKI was diagnosed for 27 dogs. It is 0.48 % of all patients who were treated in the therapeutic department and it is 18.5 % of all patients with urine excretion system‘s diseases. Mostly this disease was diagnosed for males (55.6 %), elder animals, who had 10 and more years (66.7 %) and for purebred dogs (59.30 %). 2. The most common reason of AKI was intoxication of ethylene glycol (11.11 %) though pratically the reason of the disease is rarely diagnosed. 74.07 % of patients had lethargy, 62.96 % had vomit, 51.85 % had diarrhea. 3. Dogs with AKI had normal erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit concentrations in blood. 4. Hypercalcemia wa diagnosed for 6 of 7 patiens (85.71 %), hyperkalaemia – for 3 dogs of 7 (42.86 %), hyperphosphataemia – for 2 dogs of 7 (28.57 %). 5. Most frequently was diagnosed IV stage (n=12; 44.44 %), least frequently – I stage (n=1; 3.7 %). 6. Statistical correlation has found moderate reliable relationship between creatinine and urea concentrations in blood the amount of creatinine increasing along with urea quantum in the blood i.e. (r=0.49; p0.05)