Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between weight and disease severity in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
METHODS: Data were drawn from the Adelphi Canine CKD Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey of veterinarians treating dogs with CKD conducted in the USA from December 2022 to January 2024. Veterinarians provided data on dog weight and CKD disease severity. Expected weight groupings were taken from the American Kennel Club and adjusted for sex, with dogs placed into one of three pre-defined weight groups (underweight, expected weight, overweight). International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) staging system was used to define severity, ranging from stage I (mild loss of kidney function) to stage IV (end stage renal failure). Ordered logistic regression analysis was used to compare IRIS stages 2, 3 and 4 with IRIS stage I for outcome weight groups, while confounding for age.
RESULTS: Overall, data were drawn on 255 dogs, the mean [SD] age was 11.3 [3.45] years and 57% were female. The proportion of dogs that were underweight, expected weight, and overweight was 18%, 43%, and 39%, respectively. The proportion of dogs at IRIS stages I, II, III and IV was 21%, 49%, 22%, and 8%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that as disease severity increased, the odds of being underweight compared to expected or overweight increased. IRIS stages II (odds ratio [OR], 1.60; p=0.094) and III (OR, 1.48; p=0.241) were not significantly associated weight groups. IRIS stage IV was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being underweight (OR, 2.55; p=0.027).
CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss is a prominent clinical sign in dogs with CKD. While dogs were identified as expected, overweight and underweight in each IRIS Stage, in the final stage of CKD the likelihood of being underweight increased. Weight should be monitored in dogs with CKD.