Association of laboratory data and death within one month in cats with chronic renal failure

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively compare the data taken at the first visit of 34 cats with chronic renal failure surviving more than one month (surviving group) and 16 cats dying within one month (non-surviving group). METHODS: Records were collected on cats with chronic renal failure presented to a private veterinary practice in Nagoya, Japan, from March 1996 to March 2005. All cats with chronic renal failure diagnosed on the basis of case histories, clinical signs (such as, lethargy, anorexia, loss of bodyweight and vomiting) and a high plasma creatinine (>180 micromol/l) were included in the study. RESULTS: Plasma creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio were significantly different between cats of the surviving and non-surviving groups. In the surviving group, survival statuses were recorded, and laboratory data was obtained within one month before death in 13 cats. In the 13 cats, plasma creatinine, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio showed significant differences between the data taken within one month before death and that taken at first visit, and only urine protein/creatinine ratio exhibited a consistent alteration (increase) in relation to first visit data. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicated that plasma creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio were associated with death within one month and urine protein/creatinine ratio was most likely to be associated with mortality in cats with chronic renal failure.