Prevalence of Proteinuria in Owned Dogs from Italy: A Multicentric Study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Nephrology
• Canine Health

Background:

• Persistent proteinuria, especially with inactive urinary sediment, often indicates underlying kidney disease.
• Early detection of proteinuria is crucial for identifying various pathological conditions in dogs.
• Screening apparently healthy dogs can reveal undiagnosed renal issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To screen a canine population for proteinuria using a simple urinary dipstick test.
• To assess the prevalence of suspected proteinuria in a diverse canine population across Italy.
• To evaluate the utility of dipstick testing for initial proteinuria detection in veterinary practice.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 1156 dogs across seven Italian veterinary clinics over six weeks.
• Dogs were screened using urinary dipstick tests; positive results were classified as suspected proteinuric (SP).
• Urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC) was used to confirm proteinuria in SP cases when available.

Main Results:

• Out of 1156 dogs, 501 (43.3%) were classified as SP based on dipstick results.
• Proteinuria was confirmed by UPC in 263 out of 412 (63.86%) SP samples.
• No significant geographical difference in SP prevalence was observed between northern and southern Italy.

Conclusions:

• A substantial percentage of apparently healthy dogs exhibit suspected proteinuria, warranting further investigation.
• Urinary dipstick testing is a valuable tool for initial screening of proteinuria in canine populations.
• The findings emphasize the importance of routine proteinuria screening for early detection of kidney disease in dogs.