QUANTITATIVE RENAL-FUNCTION TESTS IN CATS

Renal failure remains an important cause of morbidity in cats. A recen t retrospective study showed that only 2.4% of cats seen at the Univer sity of Illinois Teaching Hospital over a 7.5-year period had primary renal disorders. Of these cats, however, 14% older than 10 years of ag e and 30% older than 15 years of age had chronic renal syndromes. Beca use the progression of chronic renal failure can be successfully delay ed, early detection is extremely important. Quantitative techniques mu st be used to identify early renal failure and are valuable in determi ning the precise extent of dysfunction. Determining glomerular filtrat ion rate is the standard parameter used to quantify renal function. Th e easiest and most common assay to determine glomerular filtration rat e is the endogenous creatinine clearance assay.