Quantitative urinalysis in healthy Beagle puppies from 9 to 27 weeks of age

Objectives-To evaluate indices of renal function in healthy, growing Beagle puppies from 9 to 27 weeks of age and to determine whether indices change with age during this period. Animals-6 healthy Beagle puppies. Procedure-Urine collections were performed at 2-week intervals in puppies 9 to 27 weeks old. Daily excretion of urinary creatinine, protein, sodium, p otassium, chloride, phosphorus, and calcium were determined, as were quanti tative urinalyses including endogenous creatinine clearance, urine protein- to-creatinine ratios (UPr/C), and fractional clearances of sodium (FNa), po tassium (FK), chloride (FCl), calcium (FCa), and phosphorus (FP). Results-Significant differences among age groups were detected for endogeno us creatinine clearance, and daily urinary protein, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus excretion. Significant differences also existed among age group s for UPr/C, FNa, FK, FCl and FP. Age-related effects fit a linear regressi on model for FNa, UPr/C, daily phosphorus excretion, and daily protein excr etion. Quadratic regression models were judged most appropriate for endogen ous creatinine clearance, FK, daily chloride excretion, and daily potassium excretion. Endogenous creatinine clearance measurements higher than adult reference ranges were observed from 9 to 21 weeks of age. The FNa, FK, FCl, FCa, and FP were slightly higher than those reported for adult dogs, Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Selected results of quantitative urinaly ses in healthy 9- to 27-week-old Beagle puppies differ with age and differ from those measured in adult dogs. Diagnostic measurements performed in pup pies of this age range should be compared with age-matched results when pos sible.