Outcome prediction of acute kidney injury in dogs and cats

Acute kidney injury, resulting in acute uremia, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. It requires intensive treatment, which is accompanied by high treatment costs. To date, there is no available tool to forecast the outcome of dogs and cats with acute kidney injury. Nonetheless this information is always requested by the owners, both to know the prognosis in order to make rational decisions as whether to pursue medical treatment or dialytic intervention and for how long. There are multiple factors that determine the outcome and long term prognosis of dogs and cats with acute kidney injury. These include the severity of the injury, comorbid disorders, concurrent complications, the underlying cause, and the medical management available. The reversibility of the kidney injury depends mostly on the severity of the injury and the underlying cause. It determines, among other things, the short term outcome, and will be the major factor determining the long term result. This review briefly discusses the terminology, pathophysiology and treatment of acute kidney injury, but it primarily focuses on the available information in the veterinary literature that can aid the clinician with prognostication of acute kidney injury in dogs and cats.