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A Case Of Glomerulonephritis In A 4-Year-Old Kano Brown Doe.

Article  in  Journal of Veterinary Advances · January 2013

DOI: 10.5455/jva.20130917113436

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 Journal of Veterinary Advances

A Case Of Glomerulonephritis In A 4-Year-Old Kano Brown

Doe
Kaltungo BY., Onoja II., Okoro LK. and Okaiyeto SO.

J Vet Adv 2013, 3(9): 256-260

DOI: 10.5455/jva.20130917113436

Online version is available on: www.grjournals.com

 ISSN: 2251-7685
OKAIYETO ET AL.

Case Report

A Case Of Glomerulonephritis In A 4-Year-Old

Kano Brown Doe
1
Kaltungo BY., 2Onoja II., 3Okoro LK. and 1Okaiyeto SO.
1
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
2
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
3
Department of Veterinary pathology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

Abstract
A rare case of glomerulonephritis is reported in a 4 year old Kano brown doe. The animal was emaciated
with an enlarged right kidney, urine analysis revealed high level of protein (proteinuria). Hematological studies
revealed severe anemia with leukocytosis which could be associated with acute inflammatory condition.
Microbiological culture of the urine indicates presence of E. coli and Staphylococcus spp.

Keywords: Right kidney, acute, glomerulonephritis.


Corresponding author: Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Received on:15 Aug 2013
Revised on: 30 Aug 2013
Accepted on: 17 Sep 2013
Online Published on: 30 Sep 2013
256 J. Vet. Adv., 2013, 3(9): 256-260
 A CASE OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN ...
Bello University Zaria with complaint of Passing of
Introduction frank blood after normal voiding of urine,
progressive emaciation, despite good appetite.
Changes in size, shape, architecture and Physical examination revealed pale occular mucus
echogenicity are non-specific ultrasonographic membrane, severe weakness, increase in size of the
abnormalities that can be seen in ruminants with right kidney on palpation of the right flank and
acute or chronic renal failure, amyloidosis, submandibular edema. However, temperature, pulse
nephritis, and pyelonephritis. Although the and respiration were all normal, and with no history
pathogenesis of glomerular disease in domestic of trauma.
animals is poorly understood, the most commonly Due to the anemia and the poor body condition,
identified cause is immune complex deposition, blood was drawn for a complete blood cell count
circulating non-glomerular antigen-antibody (CBC) and serum chemistry profile. Urinanalysis,
complexes that localize in the glomeruli, where they and ultrasonography of the abdomen were also
can be observed with the aid of an electron performed to confirm and determine the extent of
microscope (Maxie and Newman 2007). the kidney enlargement.
Abnormalities seen in patients with acute renal
failure include renal enlargement, thickening of the Result and Discussion
renal cortex and perirenal edema. In case of chronic
renal failure, the kidney is often smaller than
normal and may be misshapen (Smith, 2009).
Urinalysis is an outstanding tool that can reveal Fig. 1: Abdominal ultrasonographic result.
many of the diseases that could go unnoticed and
undiagnosed because they generally do not produce
classical clinical signs or symptoms (Parrah et al.,
2013). Normal urine contains only small amount of
protein that is insufficient to be detected using
standard tests. Proteinuria is observed in normal
foals, calves, kids and lambs in the first 40 hours
after they receive colostrum. Proteinuria is often
designated as albuminuria because of the high
proportion of albumin present, it occurs in
glomerulonephritis, renal infarction, tubular
nephrosis and amyloidosis (Radostits, et al., 2003).
Diagnosis of pathologies in the right kidney in
ruminants using ultrasonography is possible
because it is easily accessible from the body surface
(Braun, 1991). Ultrasonographic changes in the
goats with pyelonephritis include: a dilated renal
collecting system, and subjective enlargement of the
kidney with acute disease or a small irregular
kidney with chronic disease (Bradford 2009). This
study reports a case of proteinuria in a Kano brown
goat probably due to acute glomerulonephritis.

Case Description
A 4yr old Kano Brown doe weighing 20kg
from a flock of 5 was presented to the large animal
clinic of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Ahmadu
URINALYSIS

257 J. Vet. Adv., 2013, 3(9): 256-260

 OKAIYETO ET AL.
Specimen type Midstream sample
Color Straw color
Specific gravity 1.025
PH 8
Proteins g/dl +30
Sugar Negative
Nitrite Negative
Blood Negative
Ketone bodies Negative
Bilirubin Negative
Urobilirubin Negative
Ascorbic acid mg/dl +20

HAEMATOLOGY
1ST 2ND Normal Rage
PCV % 12 9 24-45
HB g/dl 4.0 3.0 8-14
WBC ×109/l 7.0 13.9 4-13
Neutrophils % 23 58 10-50
Lymphocytes % 70 27 40-75
Monocytes % 01 - 0-6
Eosinophils % 05 05 0-10
Basophils % 01 - 0-2

FURTHER INVESTIGATION
Patient Normal range
Urea mmol/l 10.2 4.5-9.2
Creatinine µmo/l 186 47-135
Fibrinogen g/dl 0.2 0.1-0.4

The result of the ultrasonographic study
revealed an enlarged right kidney (fig.1) which is
suggestive of an acute kidney disease, this finding
agrees with that of Bradford (2009) where he
reported an enlargement of the kidney, thickening
of the renal cortex, and perirenal edema due to an
acute renal disease. The results of the urinalysis are
all normal except for the proteinuria which is the
hallmark for renal damage, it is dependent on two
main factors; the alteration of the glomerular
filtration barrier and its three layers (glomerular
endothelial cells, basement membrane, and visceral
epithelial cells (podocytes)), and the impairment of
proteins reabsorption by proximal tubular epithelial
cells (Bazzi et al., 2012). It is in agreement with the
report in Radostits et al (2003) were proteinuria was
associated with glomerulonephritis in cows. The
proteinuria observed in this study could also explain
258
the reason for the progressive emaciation noticed on
the patient because of the continuous loss of protein
in the urine. Non pathologic cause of proteinuria
could be due to high protein meal, exercise or
stress, but these factors were eliminated in this case.
The hematological result (table 1) shows a
severe anemia with leukocytosis due to neutrophilia
which could be associated with the acute
inflammation present. leukocytosis due to
neutrophilia could also occur as a result of immune
complexes due to conditions like mastitis, metritis,
endocarditis, hepatitis or pneumonia, but the present
animal had no history of such conditions. There is a
peculiar and intimate association that exists between
anemia and glomerulonephritis which could be due
to the fact that the kidney is the main organ
responsible for the production of erythropoietin
J. Vet. Adv., 2013, 3(9): 256-260
 A CASE OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN ...
which is responsible for erythropoiesis (Braun et
al., 2008; Chalhoub et al., 2011).
Furthermore, the red blood cells have a shorter
lifespan in uremic patients, and also blood
production in patients with renal insufficiency is
retarded as a result of “toxic inhibition of the bone
marrow” by retained nitrogenous metabolic waste
(Arora, 2013; Emerson, 2013). This is further
buttressed by the high level of urea and creatinine
found in this case. The elevated urea and creatinine
levels found are also reliable indicators of
glomerulonephritis which agrees with the reports of
Fetcher, 1986 and Kenny, 2012. Creatinine is
usually a more accurate marker of kidney function
than urea as the level of urea can also be increased
in cases of dehydration which may confuse the
diagnosis of glomerulonephritis (Kenny, 2012).
Microbiological results of urine sample showed
presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus
spp. These organisms and other infectious agents
have been reported to cause kidney diseases in
animals and man (Tanaka et al., 1999; Satoskar et
al., 2006; Marler, 2007, Braun et al., 2008; Vitaliti
et al., 2013). Escherichia coli is capable of
producing shiga-like toxins which triggers off
cascade of events in the blood resulting in
disruption of the breaking mechanism of the blood
causing formation of debris that clogs the tiny blood
vessels including those of the kidney resulting in
impairment of kidney function. This also agrees
with the findings of Murray and Sharpe (2009) who
reported that glomerulonephritis is associated with a
variety of bacterial infections.
Nephrotic syndrome has been reported in
ruminants and glomerulonephritis has been
incriminated in many of such cases which is
characterised by proteinuria, hypoproteinaemia
(hypoalbuminaemia), formation of intermandibular
oedema, as was observed in the present case and
hypercholesterinaemia (Grauer, 1998). However,
Lipid and cholesterol values were not
determined in the present case. The system of
livestock management in Nigeria is mainly
extensive and also coupled with the curious nature
of goats about their surrounding exposes them to
poisoning by different agents (Saidu and Isitor,
1989).
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