Changes in the serum urea: Creatinine ratio in dogs with babesiosis, haemolytic anaemia, and experimental haemoglobinaemia

The purpose of this study was to determine serum urea and creatinine concentrations, the derived urea : creatinine (UC) ratios, haemoglobin concentrations and glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in dogs with haemolytic anaemia and those with experimentally induced anaemia and/or haemoglobinaemia. There were 25 dogs with babesiosis (group 1), 13 control animals (group 2), six dogs with induced haemoglobinaemia and anaemia (group 3), six with induced haemoglobinaemia (group 4), and 14 with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) (group 5).The median serum urea concentration was 11.18 mmol/L (group 1), 4.3 mmol/L (group 2), 4.3 mmol/L (group 3), 4.35 mmol/L (group 4), and 8.5 mmol/L (group 5). Median serum creatinine was 67 μmol/L (group 1), 75 μmol/L (group 2), 78.5 μmol/L (group 3), 84 μmol/L (group 4), and 82 μmol/L (group 5). Median serum haemoglobin was 1.3 g/L (group 1), 0.8 g/L (group 2), 9 g/L (group 3), 3 g/L (group 4), and 1.3 g/L (group 5). The median UC ratio was 41.35 (group 1), 15.36 (group 2), 14.18 (group 3), 13.6 (group 4), and 14.15 (group 5). GFR was normal in all five groups. Serum urea concentration and the UC ratio were significantly greater in dogs with babesiosis than in those with IMHA, experimentally induced anaemia and/or haemoglobinaemia.