Glomerulonephritis in dogs and cats: Diagnosis and treatment

Initial suspicion of glomerulonephritis (GN) arises when proteinuria is documented without evidence of urogenital tract inflammation. Diagnosis involves thoroughly evaluating the patient for concurrent diseases known to be associated with GN and ruling out prerenal and postrenal causes of proteinuria. Definitive diagnosis requires a renal biopsy. In the past, management has included elimination of the underlying cause, immunosuppression, and measures to prevent complications of GN. Immunosuppressive therapy has been successful in managing certain forms of GN in humans but does not appear helpful in dogs and Cats and may even be harmful. Recently, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and thromboxane synthetase inhibitors has shown beneficial effects in the management of canine GN.