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Old April 26th, 2008, 04:02 PM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Additional thoughts on Merlin.

Pre renal azotemia is often associated with mild azotemia - slight elevation of the BUN and normal or near normal creatinine. Azotemic patients with evidence of adequate urinary concentration (specific gravity >1.040 in cats) have pre-renal azotemia.

A list of pre-renal causes: consumption of a high protein diet, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, treatment with corticosteroids (as it creates a catabolic state), dehydration, hypovolemia and decreased cardiac output.

Side note on chronic renal failure in cats: most will have unconcentrated urine with a specific gravity of 1.008-1.012. Some dogs can have minimal concentration up to 1.025 and some cats can concentrate up to 0.035

Important note: since the specific gravity sometimes alters a diagnosis of pre-renal versus renal, it is important that this is not an old sample that has 'dried' up and become concentrated. I have seen cases misdiagnosed as pre-renal because of urine that was 'concentrated' by evaporation.

How is Merlin doing by the way?
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Christopher A. Lee, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM
Preventive Medicine Specialist With a Focus on Immunology and Infectious Disease
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