Clinico-pathological characterization of chronic renal diseases in geriatric dogs

The prevalence of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is higher in geriatric population than in the general population. CKD in dogs is influenced by a complex relationship among various factors including environmental stress, imbalanced diet, genotypic ground, hyperparathyroidism and affections related to cardio-renal axis. The necropsy investigation of CKD suspected dogs in this study has explored the evidences of progressive bone lesions (Osteodystrophy fibrosa), palatine erosions, stomach ulcers, renal tissue affections (chronic nephritis, hydronephrosis, atrophy), urolithiasis and prostate enlargement. Apart from oral, stomach, intestinal, bone, lungs and prostate lesions, the renal lesions were pronounced especially in aged dogs. Grossly, kidneys of the affected dogs exhibited indented, contracted and pale appearance. Histological lesions documented in the renal tissues of geriatric dogs included degenerative changes in the renal tubules, mineralization of tubular and glomerular basement membranes, glomerulosclerosis and fibrosis of interstitial tissue along with mononuclear cells (MNCs) infiltration particularly macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells. Microscopic examination of the tissue collected from mandibular area depicted the presence of increased osteoclastic activity and resorption of osseous tissue with collagen. This study suggests that CKDs in geriatric dogs is associated with age and complicated by various related factors. The adverse effects of renal dysfunction in dogs with advancing age can be reversed via early diagnosis and mitigation of factors associated with CKDs. Further efforts are needed to derive a correlation between multifactorial etiologies associated with CKD in dogs.