Abstract
BackgroundUrate urolithiasis is a common problem in breed homozygous for the mutation that results in hyperuricosuria. Low purine diets have been recommended to reduce purine intake in these dogs.MethodsA higher protein, purine restricted diet with water added was evaluated in dogs with genetic hyperuricosuria and a history of clinical urate urolithiasis over a one year time period. Dogs were evaluated at baseline and 2, 6, and 12 months after initiating the test diet. Bloodwork, urinalysis, abdominal ultrasound, body composition, and 24-h urinary purine metabolite analyses were performed.ResultsTransient, mild, self-limited lower urinary tract signs were noted in only one dog on a single day, despite variable but usually mild and occasionally moderate amounts of echogenic bladder stones (<2-3 mm in size) in almost every dog at each visit. No significant differences were noted in urine specific gravity, urine pH, lean body condition score or body composition. Urinary uric acid concentration was lower on the test diet (p = 0.008), but 24-h uric acid excretions were similar (p = 0.220) compared to baseline. Significant differences between least squares mean plasma amino acid concentrations measured at the 0 and 12-month visits were found only for valine (p = 0.0119) and leucine (p = 0.0017).ConclusionThis study suggests the use of a low purine, higher protein diet with added water may be beneficial as part of the management of dogs with genetic hyperuricosuria and history of clinical urate urolithiasis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-017-0958-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Urate urolithiasis is a common problem in breed homozygous for the mutation that results in hyperuricosuria
One method of decreasing purine intake is by restricting dietary protein, which can be associated with losses in lean body mass if intake of essential amino acids is inadequate [5]
We found a significant decrease in 24-h urinary uric acid concentrations only at the 6 and 12-month visits compared to baseline when evaluated by the capillary electrophoresis (CE) method
Summary
Urate urolithiasis is a common problem in breed homozygous for the mutation that results in hyperuricosuria. Low purine diets have been recommended to reduce purine intake in these dogs. Other data show that 6.4% of canine uroliths were classified as purines when at least 70% of the stone consisted of purine mineral. [2] A gene mutation in the SLC2A9 transporter has been identified as the underlying defect in Dalmatians and other unrelated breeds; this results in hyperuricosuria, a risk factor for urate urolithiasis [3]. Prevention strategies suggested for the management of urate uroliths in dogs with genetic hyperuricosuria include low purine diets (often achieved by feeding a low protein diet), urine alkalinisation, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, and increased water intake [4]. The amino acid adequacy of purine-restricted, low protein diets might be a concern if the amino acid profile and protein digestibility are not sufficient
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