Symmetrical Dimethylarginine: Evaluating Chronic Kidney Disease in the Era of Multiple Kidney Biomarkers

The diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a routine part of the clinical small animal practice. CKD is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in older cats and dogs.1-3 The prevalence of CKD in cats rises sharply with age, with an estimated prevalence of less than 1% in young cats, 30% to 40% in cats more than 9%, and 60% in geriatric cats.2,4-6In dogs, the prevalence of CKD is lower and believed to be less than 1.5% and, similar to cats, is more common in older dogs.7,8 Diagnosis of CKD is multifactorial involving clinical signs, physical examination, kidney biomarkers, urinalysis, and kidney imaging. The International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) is a globally recognized group of experts that provide education to practitioners around CKD and guidelines to standardize staging and management of cats and dogs with CKD.9-11 CKD monitoring and management goes beyond renal biomarkers alone to include serum calcium and phosphorus, electrolytes, urine and serum protein, and blood pressure.10,11 Superscript/Subscript Available更多