Renal amyloidosis in related English foxhounds

Renal amyloidosis was diagnosed in six related English foxhounds from two separate hunting kennels. There was no apparent age or sex predilection. All the dogs had clinical and laboratory findings compatible with renal disease. The onset of clinical signs was acute in all cases with death or euthanasia in five of the six affected dogs occurring within one week of presentation. The remaining dog was treated with diuresis which produced a temporary improvement. Histological examination of renal tissue from affected dogs identified the presence of both glomerular and interstitial amyloid, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining to be of the reactive type (amyloid A). There were occasional sclerosed glomeruli or glomeruli with thickened Bowman's capsules, in addition to interstitial and periglomerular infiltration with a predominance of plasma cells and lymphocytes and secondary changes including tubular eosinophilic casts. Renal papillary necrosis was identified in three dogs. One hound had concurrent multicentric lymphoma. Pedigree analysis of the affected dogs revealed that four individuals shared a common great grandsire and that the same dog was the grand-sire of a further case. Pedigree analysis of five additional dogs from one of the kennels, all of which had clinical signs of acute renal failure but from which renal tissue was not available, revealed a close relationship to those foxhounds with confirmed renal amyloidosis.