Intra- and interindividual variation in urine osmolality and urine specific gravity in healthy pet dogs of various ages

Urine specific gravity (Usg) and urine osmolality (Uosm) are used routinely to assess renal concentrating ability, but limited data on these variables are available for healthy dogs. Consequently, we studied the intra- and interindividual variations in Usg and Uosm in healthy dogs as well as the influence of age and gender on these variables. Dogs were selected for health and anestrus in female dogs through the use of a detailed questionnaire. Eighty-nine owners collected morning and evening urine samples from their dogs on 2 consecutive days. In 8 dogs in which the Uosm of different samples varied more than 50%, owners collected urine for 24 hours at 2-hour intervals during the day and at 4-hour intervals at night. The possible effect of changes in adrenocortical function with age was assessed by measurements of urinary corticoid/creatinine (C/C) ratios. Among all samples, Uosm ranged from 161 to 2,830 mOsm/kg and Usg from 1.006 to > 1.050. In the morning, Uosm (1,541 +/- 527 mOsm/kg, range 273-2,620 mOsm/kg) and Usg (1.035 +/- 0.010, range 1.009- > 1.050) were higher than in the evening (Uosm 1,400 +/- 586 mOsm/kg; range 161-2,830 mOsm/kg; Usg 1.031 +/- 0.012, range 1.006-> 1.050). The interindividual coefficient of variation in Uosm was 34.2% for morning urine samples and 41.9% for evening samples. In 8 dogs with large differences in urine concentration, there were 2- to 3-fold increases or decreases in Uosm during the day, and the intraindividual coefficient of variation was 33.0%. There was no relation between gender and urine concentration. Urine concentration in both the morning and evening samples decreased with age. Urinary corticoid/creatinine ratios did not change with age. It can be concluded that Uosm and Usg vary widely among healthy dogs. Urine concentration is generally lower in the evening than in the morning and is not related to gender. Urine concentration decreases with age, and this cannot be ascribed to an associated increase in endogenous corticoids. In some dogs, Uosm varies widely during the day, with an intraindividual coefficient of variation approaching the interindividual coefficient of variation. This may be regarded as a biologic variation but also could represent an early undiagnosed clinical abnormality. Copyright (C) 1997 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.