greytluck Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Corinna had routine bloodwork done and I just received a call saying everything was perfect except her creatinine was very slightly elevated. They said hers was 151 and the normal reference range was 40-146. I do know greyhounds creatinine is higher then other dogs so I'm not really concerned but my vet is insisting on urinalysis to look further. Would this be warranted in this case. I have a very sick cat right now and Corinna is definitely over due for a dental so the vet fund is dwindling quickly. Not that I won't spend it but I don't want to do unnecessary testing. Edited June 2, 2015 by greytluck Quote Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissy Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Has she had bloodwork done previously? What were the creatinine values on those previous tests? Prior results are the best indicator of "normal". It is true that greyhounds often have slightly higher creatinine values than other breeds, however if hers have never been elevated previously that would indicate it could be off normal for her, and I would then do the urinalysis to double check. For what it's worth, my dogs have never had creatinine values above normal, so if I saw a jump one year I'd be concerned even if it was still within "greyhound normal". Quote Kristie and the Apex Agility Greyhounds: Kili (ATChC AgMCh Lakilanni Where Eagles Fly RN IP MSCDC MTRDC ExS Bronze ExJ Bronze ) and Kenna (Lakilanni Kiss The Sky RN MADC MJDC AGDC AGEx AGExJ). Waiting at the Bridge: Retired racer Summit (Bbf Dropout) May 5, 2005-Jan 30, 2019 Like us on Facebook! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytluck Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thanks for the reply. The vet is going to call be back so I'll ask about her previous blood work. Quote Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJane Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I would suggest doing a urinalysis but make sure that it is a first morning specimen so that they can check the specific gravity. My Larry always run a higher creat and he also has a lower specific gravity. With both of these, he gets a lowered protein/phos diet. He's had this for about 10+ years now and has never caused a problem just as long as I do not feed too much protein in a meal. He gets a yearly urinalysis along with a senior blood profile and it has pretty much stayed where it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiffer Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Urinalysis is fairly cheap and it's better to know that her kidneys are functioning well, then to bypass this if you're considering dental work and anaesthesia. We recently ran routine blood work on Uber (age 13), and found his creatinine and urea were both elevated. His urinalysis, however, showed no issues, so we're chalking it up to a normal read for him since he's raw fed. Cost of the urinalysis was $60 and a wet hand. As MaryJane said, make sure it's a morning sample in a sterile container so they can check concentration. Edited June 2, 2015 by Jiffer Quote Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011 Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 All you need to check is the urine specific gravity--you need just a few drops of the first am urine sample (it should be most concentrated at that time)---it's a very simple 2 second test-they shouldn't charge you. Ideally you would like it to be at or above 1.030 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Teague's was 179 last year. I got a urine sample tested and his kidneys were functioning fine. I wouldn't say your number is really high for a greyhound, but a sudden change (if you have old numbers for a reference) might tell you more. Urine test is an easy way to check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytluck Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thanks everyone for the advice, I can always count on GT. I haven't talked to the vet again but you've all convinced me to bring a urine sample in to get checked. Quote Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) George had "elevated" creatinine the entire time I had him. Got sick of my vet insisting on test after test after test, so I sent his labs to Dr. Couto. He wrote back that the values were within range for a greyhound and given the rest of the lab work she needed to stop running tests on him! You should have seen her face when I handed her the email!!!! She stammered and sputtered and acknowledged that he knew WAY more about Greyhounds than she did, and that was the end of it! His UAs were always excellent, he had NO symptoms, he just had high creatinine. Edited June 8, 2015 by GeorgeofNE Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytluck Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) The vet got the urinalysis results back. Her specific gravity is 1.05, the vet was happy with the result. She did say she was positive for bilirubin in the sample but was most concerned that she had a high concentration of crystals. I can't remember the exact name but she said it was the only kind that wasn't disolvable with medication. She's recommended a bladder x ray to check for stones. Edited June 5, 2015 by greytluck Quote Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 1.050 is a greyt concentration. Crystals can form in an older urine sample--those are typically struvites. Sounds like she's concerned about calcium oxalates. It's easy enough to get radiograph the bladder but, honestly you might want to ask if you could just repeat a u/a in a few weeks if your girl isn't symptomatic. Can you get a copy of the u/a and post it here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytluck Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 I think it may have been calcium oxalate she said. I don't currently have the urinalysis but I can try to get by the clinic tomorrow and pick it up. I also recall her saying she had protein in the urine as well. Now I'm getting concerned something is wrong with my girl, although she acting perfectly normal. Quote Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 No worries--stay off of Dr Google! I'm sure she's fine. One step at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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