ABSTRACT
Objective
To evaluate the relationship between the BUN-to-albumin (BUN/ALB) ratio and markers of illness severity including mortality, length of hospitalization, oxygen dependence, duration of oxygen therapy, and presence of multilobar pneumonia in canine patients with bacterial pneumonia.
Design
Retrospective medical records review, 2018–2023.
Setting
A private practice referral hospital and a university teaching hospital.
Animals
Thirty dogs with confirmed bacterial pneumonia
Measurements and Main Results
We found a higher BUN/ALB ratio was correlated with increased length of hospitalization, need for initial oxygen supplementation, presence of multilobar pneumonia, and decreased odds of survival in dogs with bacterial pneumonia.
Conclusions
Although the BUN/ALB ratio shows promise as a marker of severity of bacterial pneumonia in canine patients, future studies are warranted to determine optimal cutoff values and how it can be used to predict disease severity.
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, EarlyView.Wiley: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care: Table of Contents