Clinical analysis: The incidence and demographic profile of chronic kidney disease in canines of Bengaluru in 2025

Introduction

International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) classified CKD into four progressive stages based on serum creatinine and Symmetric dimethyl arginine (SDMA) values and further using values of systemic blood pressure and proteinuria to subclassify the stages: for ease of diagnosis and staging, treatment selection and prognosis. Numerous clinically affected dogs, present at various stages eventually meeting at the terminal uraemic phase. The objective of this study was to map the incidence of CKD within a specific patient population to better understand which dogs are most vulnerable. By identifying these factors, practitioners can refine their senior wellness-protocols to check kidney disease early.

with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the present study, overall occurrence of AKI was 0.68 percent and that of CKD, 0.21 percent.

Age-wise occurrence of CKD in dogs

In the present study among the 38 dogs evaluated for chronic kidney disease (CKD), age-wise distribution across IRIS stages and age groups revealed a marked predominance of cases in older animals. Dogs which were aged more than 8 years constituted the largest subgroup (n = 23; 60.52%), with the majority presenting in Stage-IV (n = 10), followed by [2] , who found an almost identical incidence of 63.6% in dogs greater than eight years old, and O'Neill et al. (2013) [4] , who reported the highest incidence (63.6%) in dogs aged 12 years and older. This alignment with multiple studies reinforces the conclusion that advanced age is a primary risk factor for CKD. Similarly, Thade et al. (2019) [6] also identified older dogs as the most affected population, with over 85% of their cases occurring in dogs over five years old, though their cohort was more evenly split between the 5-10 year and greater than 10-year age groups. The findings of the present study are not in agreement with Chawla et al. (2020), who also reported highest incidence in dogs older than eight years (33%), but reported a surprisingly high and nearly equal prevalence in the two-to five-year age group (32%). This is a notable disagreement, as the current study found a low incidence of just 10.53% in the comparable 0-4-year age group. Furthermore, current results directly disagree with those of Venkatesh et al. (2024) [7] , who reported the highest incidence (27.69%) in a much younger, middle-aged group of 4-6 years, with the >8 years group following at 26.1%. The evidences from the present study, supported by a majority of the cited literature, firmly establishes CKD as a condition with a strong geriatric predisposition in dogs. It can be attributed to differences in the study population's breed predispositions, regional environmental factors, referral biases, or the prevalence of congenital/juvenile nephropathies in their specific sample groups. Also, a lifetime of exposure to potential nephrotoxins, infections, and haemodynamic changes can lead to a gradual and progressive loss of nephrons. An age-related decline in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a known phenomenon. Older dogs also have a higher likelihood of suffering from concurrent conditions. Finally, advancing age is the single most significant nonmodifiable risk factor for the development and progression of CKD in dogs.

Gender-wise occurrence of CKD in dogs

In the present study, among the 38 dogs diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), gender-wise distribution across IRIS stages revealed that male dogs (n=22; 57. [2,6,7] , which also saw a higher prevalence in males. However, current results contradict other major studies (O'Neill et al., 2013; Lippi et al., 2021) [3,4] , both of which found a nearly equal occurrence in both the genders. The higher percentage of dogs presented as males may be due to the preference of rearing male dogs more often and roaming nature of male dogs for territory marking, exposure to toxins and infectious agents; which may be the cause why males were presented more (Figure2).

Breed-wise occurrence of CKD in dogs

In the present study, the overall occurrence of CKD was highest in Labrador Retriever (12/38, 31.58%) followed by Pomeranian (7/38, 18.42%), non-descript (6/38, 15.80%), Golden Retriever (4/38, 10.52%); Shit Tzu, Siberian Husky and Rottweiler presented the same (2/38, 5.26%); Cocker Spaniel, Pug and American Bully presented the same (1/38, 2.63%). Breed wise distribution across IRIS stages are depicted in Table 3 and figure 3. [6] ,

who, in a large study, also identified non-descript, Labrador Retrievers, and Pomeranians as the top three most affected groups, albeit with non-descript having the highest prevalence. The high representation of Labrador Retrievers, Pomeranians, and non-descript dogs is further corroborated by Reddy et al. (2021) [5] who also listed these breeds among the most prevalent in his study. Ahmad et al. (2023) [1] similarly reported Labradors as having a high incidence of renal disorders. The current study findings were in disagreement with Venkatesh et al. (2024) [7] who found the German Shepherd to be the most affected breed in their cohort (21.54%), a breed that did not feature prominently in the current study's top affected breed list. Rearing of certain breeds of dogs like Labrador Retrievers can reflect their high representation in the general population rather than a disproportionately higher intrinsic risk. Regional differences in breed popularity and local genetic pools like German Shepherds which were at higher occurrence for CKD in other studies, can also cause discrepancies in the result. The results also suggest that the higher presented breeds should be routinely screened for renal biomarkers for earlier diagnosis and intervention in renal health.

Stage-wise occurrence of CKD in dogs

In the present study, highest occurrence was in Stage-IV (13/38, 34.21%) followed by Stage-II (11/38, 28.94%), Stage-III (8/38, 21.05%) and Stage-I (6/38, 15.80%). Details are depicted in Table 4 andfigure [7] reported Stage-IV as the most common presentation at a nearly identical percentage (32.3%) to the current study. Conversely, the results of the current study differ from those of Lippi et al. (2021) [3] , who found Stage-II (47.9%) to be the most frequent stage at diagnosis. Observation of pets, good rearing practices and routine screening may have underscored the current study results which may have led to higher presentation of dogs in end stage renal disease. ). This study pressed on the need for routine testing of blood and urine with better managemental practices in senior dogs to prevent kidney diseases on knowing the demographic profile.

References

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