Occurrence and correlates of azotaemia in dogs presented for veterinary care in a tertiary veterinary hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the occurrence of azotemia and the relationship between azotemia, breed, sex, and age in dogs brought for veterinary treatment at a tertiary veterinary hospital in Eastern Nigeria. A total of 304 dogs of varied breeds and ages comprising males and females were evaluated in this study. Renal dysfunction was assessed by evaluation of serum creatinine levels using the International Renal Interest Society criterion for diagnosis of renal dysfunction, a cut-off serum creatinine value of ≥ 1.4 mg/dl was used to classify the dogs as positive for azotemia or not. Results of the study showed that 34 (11.2%) dogs in the sample had azotemia. There were significant variations (p < 0.05) in the occurrence of azotemia among breeds, with Caucasians having the highest occurrence (5.9%), followed by Mastiffs (2.6%), Mongrels (2.0%), and Alsatians (0.7%). The occurrence of azotemia was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females than in males. There was significant variation (p < 0.05) in the occurrence of azotemia among the different age groups, with young dogs having a higher occurrence than puppies and adults.