Albuminuria:
- It refers to the presence of excessive amount of albumin, a protein in the urine of animals.
- Normally, protein donot excrete in urine. So presence of protein in urine is not normal condition of animal.
- It usually occurs in dogs, cats, horse, and even some exotic animals.
Etiology:
- Kidney disease; Renal failure, glomerulonephritis
- Infections: Bacterial and viral infections
- Hypertension: damages delicate structure of kidneys, leading to albuminuria
- Diabetes in dogs and cats
- Toxins or ingestion of toxic plants, chemicals
- Auto-immune conditions: SLE affects kidney leading to albuminuria
Clinical Signs:
- Increased thirst and urination
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of weight
- Lethargy
- Swelling or edema in dependent parts of body
- Animal coat may appear dull, rough or unkempt
- Animal may experience vomiting and diarrhoea
- Urine may appear cloudy, bloody or have an unusual odour
- Animal may become dehydrated.
Diagnosis:
- Based on history and clinical findings
- Based on lab investigation; urinalysis
- Detection of albumin through Robert’s test
Procedure of Robert’s test
- 2 ml of Robert’s reagent is taken in test tube.
- With help of pipette, 2 ml of urine is layered on reagent by passing urine through wall of test tube
- White ring appears at point of contact, in case of positive sample.
Composition of Robert’s reagent:
- Nitric acid- 1 parts
- Saturated magnesium sulphate (770g in 1 litre water)- 5 parts
Treatment:
- Treatment depends on underlying causes.
- In case of renal failure, appropriate measure for functioning kidney should be adopted.
- Fluid therapy should be administered in case of severe dehydration and to help flush out toxins
- In case of infection, appropriate antibiotics should be administered after urine culture
- In case of diabetes, it should be managed through appropriate dietary measures
- ACE inhibitors; enalapril or benazepril should be administered
- In case of immune-mediated inflammatory proteinuria, corticosteroids should be administered. Prednisone are most commonly used in small animals
- To reduce edema, diuretics like furosemide are used.
- Diets that are low in protein and phosphorus and salt are recommended in affected animals.