Clinical findings and outcomes of juvenile-onset chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology in dogs: a retrospective study of 36 cases (2010-2023).

Serum total calcium at presentation is a significant predictor of CKD progression in juvenile-onset canine CKD.

This retrospective study characterized clinical findings and outcomes of juvenile-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown aetiology in 36 dogs under 3 years of age presenting between 2010 and 2023. The most commonly affected breeds were Labrador Retrievers and Shetland Sheepdogs (n=5 each). At presentation, dogs were classified by IRIS staging: 7 at stage 1, 17 at stage 2, 8 at stage 3, and 4 at stage 4. Proteinuria (UPC ≥0.5) was present in 35% of cases, and notably, no dogs exhibited indirect systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg, suggesting a lower prevalence of hypertension compared to previously reported adult CKD cohorts. In the longitudinal analysis (n=28), serum total calcium concentration at presentation was significantly associated with increased risk of CKD progression (defined as >25% increase in serum creatinine), with a hazard ratio of 2.24 (95% CI: 1.11–4.53; P=0.03). All dogs presenting at IRIS stage 3 progressed to stage 4. Median survival time for the cohort was 1,461 days (95% CI: 530–2,620 days). These findings suggest that hypercalcemia at diagnosis may serve as a clinically relevant prognostic indicator in juvenile CKD cases, and that careful monitoring of calcium levels alongside standard IRIS staging is warranted in young dogs with CKD of undetermined cause.

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