RENAL EVALUATION IN CHOLOEPUS SPECIES

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Zoological Medicine
• Comparative Pathology

Background:

• Two-toed sloths (Megalonychidae family) are frequently housed in zoos.
• Urinary tract disease is reported in these sloths, but diagnostic details are scarce.
• Existing diagnostics often focus on hematology and serum chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate urinary tract abnormalities in Hoffmann's (Choloepus hoffmanni) and Linnaeus's (Choloepus didactylus) two-toed sloths.
• To characterize findings from repeated urinalysis and related diagnostics.
• To identify common urinary findings in the absence of overt clinical signs.

Main Methods:

• Opportunistic collection of repeated urinalysis, urinary chemistry, and serum chemistry.
• Radiographs were also obtained from participating sloths.
• Data were collected from a cohort of six Hoffmann's and five Linnaeus's sloths.

Main Results:

• Proteinuria was a common finding across the studied sloths.
• Bacteriuria was frequently detected.
• Low urine specific gravity and crystalluria were also observed.
• These abnormalities occurred without other clear signs of urinary tract pathology.

Conclusions:

• Urinalysis is crucial for detecting subclinical urinary tract issues in two-toed sloths.
• Proteinuria, bacteriuria, low specific gravity, and crystalluria are common findings.
• These results provide baseline data for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in captive sloths.