Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and degenerative joint disease are both considered common in older cats. Information on the co-prevalence of these two diseases is lacking. This retrospective study was designed to determine the prevalence of CKD in two cohorts of cats: cats randomly selected from four evenly distributed age groups (RS group) and cats recruited for degenerative joint disease studies (DJD group), and to evaluate the concurrence of CKD and DJD in these cohorts. The RS group was randomly selected from four age groups from 6 months to 20 years, and the DJD group comprised cats recruited to four previous DJD studies, with the DJD group excluding cats with a blood urea nitrogen and/or serum creatinine concentration >20% (the upper end of normal) for two studies and cats with CKD stages 3 and 4 for the other two studies. The prevalence of CKD in the RS and DJD groups was higher than expected at 50% and 68.8%, respectively. CKD was common in cats between 1 and 15 years of age, with a similar prevalence of CKD stages 1 and 2 across age groups in both the RS and DJD cats, respectively. We found significant concurrence between CKD and DJD in cats of all ages, indicating the need for increased screening for CKD when selecting DJD treatments. Additionally, this study offers the idea of a relationship and causal commonality between CKD and DJD owing to the striking concurrence across age groups and life stages.

This paper provides a working framework for enhancing the well-being of senior pet dogs and cats. Approaches to screening the medical status of senior pets are described in detail, with particular emphasis on establishing baseline data in healthy animals, the testing of clinically ill animals, and assessing senior pets prior to anesthesia and surgery. The management of pain and distress and the application of hospice and palliative care are addressed. Advice on ways to approach euthanasia and dealing with end-of-life issues is also provided.

Background: Ionized hypocalcemia (iHCa) is a common electrolyte disturbance in critically ill people, especially those with sepsis. The cause of the iHCa is not entirely understood and is likely multifactorial. Critically ill people with iHCa have longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates compared to people with normocalcemia. There are no published clinical studies evaluating the incidence and impact of iHCa in critically ill dogs.Hypothesis: iHCa occurs in critically ill dogs, is more prevalent in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis, and is associated with longer hospital stays and higher mortality.Animals: One hundred and forty-one client-owned dogs admitted to a companion animal intensive care unit (ICU) in a veterinary teaching hospital.Methods: Prospective observational study of sequentially enrolled dogs. Blood was collected and analyzed within an hour of admission from all dogs presented to the ICU that met study inclusion criteria.Results: The incidence of iHCa (iCa o 1.11 mmol/L) was 16%. The presence of iHCa was associated with longer ICU (P 5 .038) and hospital (P 5 .012) stays but not with decreased survival (P 5 .60). Dogs with sepsis as defined by !3 SIRS criteria and a positive culture were more likely to have iHCa (P 5 .050).Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: In dogs not previously treated with fluids or blood products intravenously, the finding of iHCa upon admission to the ICU predicted a longer duration of ICU and hospital stay. Septic dogs with positive cultures were more likely to have iHCa.

The prevalence of albuminuria in animals admitted to the ICU or recovering from anesthesia is higher than reported previously and transient in some patients. The presence of albuminuria may be a negative prognostic indicator in this population.

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