Research Communications of the 27(th) ECVIM-CA Congress: Intercontinental, Saint Julian's, Malta, 14th to 16th September 2017

Dogs were retrospectively recruited from two veterinary teaching hospitals between January 2010 and June 2016 if they were diagnosed with CKD and had a culture performed on urine collected by cystocentesis. CKD was diagnosed in dogs with an increased blood creatinine concentration (≥125 µmol/L) and consistent clinical and/or ultrasonographic signs (azotemic dogs); and in dogs with a creatinine concentration <125 µmol/L but having renal proteinuria, minimally concentrated urine with ultrasonographic signs of CKD or abnormal renal histology (IRIS stage 1). Azotemic dogs were categorized in IRIS stages 2 to 4 if they had creatinine values measured at least two weeks apart, others were left unstaged. Dogs with diseases which could predispose to UTI or receiving treatment which could impact urinary specific gravity were excluded. Differences between groups were assessed using the Chi-square or the Mann-Whitney tests with statistical significance defined as P < 0.05.