About Protein-Losing Nephropathy in Manchester Terriers
Protein-Losing Nephropathy (PLN) refers to kidney conditions resulting in loss of protein through the urine. Dogs with Protein-Losing Nephropathy may lose more protein than they are able to take in from their food. This can affect the dog’s health quite severely as proteins play an important role in the body.
The damage to a dog's kidney that results in Protein-Losing Nephropathy can be related to a number of conditions, including Familial Glomerulopathy, Amyloidosis and some forms of Glomerulonephritis. Diseases associated with Glomerulonephritis include infectious diseases (i.e., Ehrlichiosis, Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Leishmaniasis, infectious canine hepatitis), inflammatory diseases (Pancreatitis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE], chronic skin disease), and other conditions like Cushing's Disease and Diabetes Mellitus. Additionally, some cases are labelled by owners or veterinarians simply as acute or chronic kidney failure which, while common in old dogs, should be considered a red flag in dogs less than 10 years of age.
If your Manchester Terrier has been diagnosed with any of these conditions, you may want to ask your vet to investigate or confirm presence of a Protein-Losing Nephropathy.
Other breeds pre-disposed to Protein-Losing Enteropathies include Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, Shar-peis and English Cocker Spaniels.
The damage to a dog's kidney that results in Protein-Losing Nephropathy can be related to a number of conditions, including Familial Glomerulopathy, Amyloidosis and some forms of Glomerulonephritis. Diseases associated with Glomerulonephritis include infectious diseases (i.e., Ehrlichiosis, Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Leishmaniasis, infectious canine hepatitis), inflammatory diseases (Pancreatitis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE], chronic skin disease), and other conditions like Cushing's Disease and Diabetes Mellitus. Additionally, some cases are labelled by owners or veterinarians simply as acute or chronic kidney failure which, while common in old dogs, should be considered a red flag in dogs less than 10 years of age.
If your Manchester Terrier has been diagnosed with any of these conditions, you may want to ask your vet to investigate or confirm presence of a Protein-Losing Nephropathy.
Other breeds pre-disposed to Protein-Losing Enteropathies include Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, Shar-peis and English Cocker Spaniels.
SymptomsOften, the first symptom indicating a problem is weight loss , which can occur very rapidly.
Additional symptoms may include:
Unfortunately, kidney diseases often do not have early symptoms and onset of acute illness may be very fast. |
Proteinuria
Healthy kidneys do not allow a significant amount of protein to pass through their filters, but filters damaged by kidney disease may let proteins such as albumin leak from the blood into the urine. Excess protein in your dog's urine is called proteinuria. Because kidney disease often has no early symptoms, one of its first signs may be proteinuria discovered during routine urine tests or low albumin levels discovered during routine blood tests. A decrease in albumin (called hypoalbuminemia) will cause the breakdown of other proteins such as muscle. This muscle wasting, along with other symptoms, may eventually result in noticeable weight loss. |
Diagnosis
The symptoms of Protein-Losing Nephropathy can look like many other conditions, so in order to help your veterinarian it is important to let him/her know that Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Protein-Losing Nephropathy are conditions found in Manchester Terriers and that they are currently being studied.
To rule out or confirm Protein-Losing Nephropathy, your veterinarian may do some or all of the following tests:
To rule out or confirm Protein-Losing Nephropathy, your veterinarian may do some or all of the following tests:
- Urine dipstick and/or urine protein-creatinine ratio to measure the amount of protein in the urine
- Urinalysis and urine culture to look at other indicators of kidney health
- Complete blood count (CBC) to look at the white and red blood cells and platelets
- Chemistry panel to look at the kidney and liver function and to measure the levels of proteins like albumin in the blood* (identifying low protein levels early is very important to successful treatment!)
- X-rays of the chest and abdomen to rule out evidence of heart disease, fungal infections, cancer or abnormal fluid accumulation
- Kidney biopsy to examine kidney tissue in order to determine the cause of illness
Concurrent Conditions
While Protein-Losing Nephropathy has been observed alone in some Manchester Terriers, in others it has been seen alongside or in addition to liver issues, pancreatitis, itchy skin and/or gastrointestinal issues (read more about Protein-Losing Enteropathy in Manchesters). We are interested in learning more about how and when these conditions may appear together and urge owners with dogs diagnosed with a protein losing disease to contact the study team.
Treatment
Treatment options for Protein-Losing Nephropathy vary and decisions should always be made in consultation with your veterinarian, who will have the best information about your dog's current condition and prognosis based on results of the tests he/she has run.
Generally, experience with Protein-Losing Nephropathy in Manchester Terriers has demonstrated that early intervention is extremely important. Because the breed is small and relatively slight of build, they do not have large reserves of body fat and muscle to rely on. As a result, the weight loss associated with Protein-Losing Nephropathy can be acute and can quickly lead to life-threatening emaciation and illness.
Because of the above, it is recommended that veterinarians and owners aggressively monitor, treat and seek a diagnosis in Manchester Terriers with proteinuria and/or low albumin levels.
Generally, experience with Protein-Losing Nephropathy in Manchester Terriers has demonstrated that early intervention is extremely important. Because the breed is small and relatively slight of build, they do not have large reserves of body fat and muscle to rely on. As a result, the weight loss associated with Protein-Losing Nephropathy can be acute and can quickly lead to life-threatening emaciation and illness.
Because of the above, it is recommended that veterinarians and owners aggressively monitor, treat and seek a diagnosis in Manchester Terriers with proteinuria and/or low albumin levels.
Prognosis
We are in the early stages of monitoring these diseases in Manchester Terriers so it is difficult to provide an estimate of how often treatment is or isn't successful in our breed. We do know that, unfortunately, Protein-Losing Nephropathy is sometimes fatal. We also know that early diagnosis and treatment can make a difference in long-term survival, which is why it is important for owners to ensure their veterinarians are aware that Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Nephropathy can be an issue in the breed as this will help them make important decisions about early testing and treatment.
If your dog does have a Protein-Losing Nephropathy, it is important that you share information with our team. Details you share on your dog's journey, including treatment and test results, will add to our knowledge of these diseases and may help other owners. Participation in DNA sample collection may also eventually help us find a test for the disease.
Learn more about what you can do to help!
If your dog does have a Protein-Losing Nephropathy, it is important that you share information with our team. Details you share on your dog's journey, including treatment and test results, will add to our knowledge of these diseases and may help other owners. Participation in DNA sample collection may also eventually help us find a test for the disease.
Learn more about what you can do to help!