Kidney disease in dogs is frequently associated with an excess of protein in the urine. Urine protein-creatinine ratio (UPC) is often measured as an indicator of proteinuria. Values of ≥ 0.5 in dogs with no elevation in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) warrant further investigation for other possible causes of kidney injury.
Several studies have linked multiple diseases with proteinuria and others have associated these diseases with gallbladder mucocele formation. No study has previously suggested any relation between gallbladder mucoceles and proteinuria.
The purpose of this study was to determine if proteinuria could be related to gallbladder mucocele formation. Twenty-five case-control pairs of dogs from a prior study of gallbladder mucoceles were included in the research.
Due to the retrospective nature of the study and because direct quantification was not performed unless requested by the clinician at the time, determination of proteinuria was based on a urine dipstick protein concentration ≥30mg/dL in dogs. A ratio between urine specific gravity (USG) and urine dipstick protein concentration was also calculated and a cut-off value of ≥ 1.5 was used to define the presence of abnormal protein concentrations.
A significantly larger number of dogs with gallbladder mucocele presented not only a dipstick-measured urine protein concentration ≥30mg/dL but also a urine dipstick protein concentration to USG ratio ≥ 1.5 when compared to the control group.
Proteinuria can therefore be an indicator of occult gallbladder mucocele formation and its assessment is important in dogs already diagnosed with the disease.
Lindaberry, C, Vaden, S, Aicher, KM, et al. Proteinuria in dogs with gallbladder mucocele formation: A retrospective case control study. J Vet Intern Med. 2021; 35: 878– 886.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16051