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Urine dipstick test for proteinuria in cats innacurate, study suggests
"These findings indicate that clinicians should not rely on the results of the urine dipstick test in combination with USG in cats for detecting proteinuria."

Vets urged to use other quantitative methods to detect the condition in felines. 

The urine dipstick test is not accurate for detecting proteinuria in cats, even when combined with urine-specific gravity (USG), according to new research.

The research, published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), assessed the utility of the urine dipstick alone and when associated with the USG for detecting proteinuria in cats.

For the study, researchers reviewed the clinical records of cats presented to a referral hospital between January 2011 and January 2017. For the feline urine samples to be eligible for inclusion, they had to have undergone a complete urinalysis, including dipstick evaluation, USG and urine protein-to-creatinine (UPC) measurement.

A total of 121 feline urine samples were included, and diagnostic agreement and test accuracy were calculated for the dipstick test alone and when combined with the USG, utilising different cut-off values were used for proteinuria. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also calculated.

Corresponding author, Jorge Pérez-Accino, explained: “The diagnostic agreement between the urine dipstick and UPC ratio was poor and did not improve if the USG was considered together with the dipstick. A dipstick result of equal or greater than “Trace” (0.1-0.3g/L) had a sensitivity of 81 per cent and a specificity of 31 per cent to detect proteinuria.

“With regards to the ROC curves, the area under the curve (AUC) of the urine dipstick alone was poor (0.57). When combined with the USG results, this improved to fair (0.78) but the specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were still low.”

JSAP editor, Nicola Di Girolamo, concludes: “These findings indicate that clinicians should not rely on the results of the urine dipstick test in combination with USG in cats for detecting proteinuria. Instead, other quantitative methods, such as UPC ratio, should always be performed to detect proteinuria in cats.”

Image (C) Professor Ian Ramsey.

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VMD responds to Solensia injection concerns

News Story 1
 The VMD has added anaphylaxis to the SPC of Solensia 7 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats.

It says that this is a rare side effect, with such adverse events affecting fewer than three animals for every 1000 doses of Solensia sold.

Solensia is used to alleviate osteoarthritis pain in cats. It contains the active ingredient frunevetmab.

Anaphylaxis joins effects such as alopecia, dermatitis, pruritus on the list of adverse effects.

The VMD says that is constantly reviewing adverse event data for all medicines. 

Click here for more...
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Applications open for RCVS Fellowship

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has opened applications for veterinary surgeons to join the RCVS Fellowship.

The RCVS Fellowship is a learned society which works to advance veterinary standards and promote scientific excellence.

Veterinary surgeons can enter the RCVS Fellowship through three routes, each with different criteria. This enables people with a range of expertise and experience to join the society.

The routes are: Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice, Meritorious Contributions to Knowledge and Meritorious Contributions to the Profession.

Applicants must share a summary of their contributions to the profession, including examples of significant works produced throughout their career. The application will then be assessed by a panel of judges against a set of criteria.

Veterinary surgeons have until 4pm on Friday, 14 March to submit applications. More information, including requirements and guidance can be found here.