Avaliação eletrolítica e renal de cães submetidos à alimentação com ração comercial econômica.

Abstract

Although there are several types of dog specific rations, the dry ration is the most popular. These rations present lower nutritional quality which may injure the urinary system due to a decrease in urinary volume and an increase in pH, inducing the formation of crystals and uroliths. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of diet based on commercial ration on electrolytic, renal and urinary parameters in dogs. Six healthy dogs, three males and three females of different ages and without defined breed, were housed in individual kennels located at the UFCG veterinary hospital, Campus de Patos, Paraíba, Brazil. The animals were submitted to two food regimes with 15 day interval between them: in the treatment group (GAL Group) the animals received the ad libitum for 15 days; and in the control group (GAC group) they were submitted to controlled feeding with the amount recommended by the manufacturer, during the same period of time. Blood and urine were collected after each experimental protocol to measure the biochemical variables: urea, serum creatinine, urinary creatinine, urinary GGT and microalbuminuria and the electrolytic sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium and phosphorus dosages. In addition, urinalysis and sedimentation were performed, evaluating pH, proteins, glucose, ketone bodies, density, nitrite, blood / hemoglobin, bilirubin, urobilinogen and leukocytes. All laboratory analyzes were performed immediately after the animals arrived at the Veterinary Hospital (basal - T0) and after 15 days (LAG) on experimental protocol (T15). The same evaluations were performed in the control group (GAC) after 15 days of the control protocol (T30). Statistical analysis was performed using the Bioestat 5.0 program. To evaluate if there were significant differences between moments, two-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test or the Friedman test were used. All tests were performed at the 5% level of significance (p <0.05). There was no significant difference between moments for the electrolytic parameters and only the calcium values were higher than reference standard for species throughout the experimental period. Regarding urinary variables, there was statistical difference only in serum creatinine at T30, although the reference values were within the normal range. As for urinalysis, only pH showed a significant change over time, being higher than reference standard for the species, with struvite crystals appearing and bacteria increased in the urine. It was concluded that the dry ration used in this study predisposes to important alterations in urinalysis, without, however, inducing renal lesions, regardless of dietary management. It is suggested that more comprehensive studies be carried out to evaluate the components of the diet in question.