Work

Retrospective Evaluation of the Prognosis and Prevalence of Hyperchloremia in Dogs and Cats

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Objective To determine the prevalence, case‐fatality rate, and primary disease processes associated with high corrected chloride concentration (hyper[Cl − ]) in dogs and cats. Design Single‐center retrospective study. Setting Electrical medical records were reviewed to identify dogs and cats with at least one chloride and sodium concentration measured simultaneously during a 60‐month period. Animals A total of 17,120 dogs and 4197 cats presented to a veterinary teaching hospital. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Measured hyper[Cl − ] was diagnosed in 18.1% (3092/17,120) dogs and 9.4% (396/4197) cats. Corrected hyper[Cl − ] was diagnosed in 21.1% (3607/17,120) dogs and 9.1% (384/4197) cats. The case‐fatality rates were higher in animals with corrected hyper[Cl − ] than in those with normal corrected [Cl − ] ( p < 0.0001). The case‐fatality rate was higher in dogs with measured hyper[Cl − ] than in those with corrected hyper[Cl − ] ( p = 0.011). Of the dogs and cats with corrected hyper[Cl − ], a total of 50.9% (1835/3607) dogs and 38.3% (147/384) cats were categorized as prehospital corrected hyper[Cl − ], whereas a total of 39.5% (1424/3607) dogs and 48.7% (187/384) cats with corrected hyper[Cl − ] were categorized as hospital‐acquired corrected hyper[Cl − ]. The case‐fatality rate of dogs and cats with hospital‐acquired corrected hyper[Cl − ] was higher than that of prehospital corrected hyper[Cl − ] in dogs ( p < 0.0001) but not in cats ( p = 0.9). Various primary disease processes, including neurologic and urologic diseases, were identified in animals with corrected hyper[Cl − ]. Conclusions Corrected hyper[Cl − ] was a common electrolyte abnormality identified in dogs and cats, and it was associated with higher case‐fatality rates than normal corrected [Cl − ]. Hospital‐acquired corrected hyper[Cl − ] was less common but was associated with a higher case‐fatality rate than prehospital corrected hyper[Cl − ] in dogs. Further investigation of corrected hyper[Cl − ] in association with its morbidity and mortality and the role of therapy to target normal [Cl − ] is warranted.

Source: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care

DOI: 10.1111/vec.70054

Authors: Yu Ueda, Steven E. Epstein, Kate Hopper

Institutions: North Carolina State University, University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400