Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Cheetahs in captivity have a high prevalence of chronic renal diseases. We ultrasonographically
evaluated the renal volumes, a variety of renal dimensions, interarcuate artery resistive indices (RI) as well as aortic
diameters and the length of the ventral aspect of the 6th lumbar vertebrae in 27 aged semi-captive anesthetized
cheetahs. Renal size, dimensions and ratios were compared to urine specific gravity, serum creatinine and urea values.
RESULTS : There were minimal differences for all values between left and right kidneys. Mean kidney length was 65.1 mm
(range 55.2–76.9) with left kidney length ratios to L6 length being 1.60 (range 1.27–2.06) and to the aortic diameter 7.69
(range 4.54–10.72). Significant correlations between left renal length as well as length:L6 ratio to creatinine values were
found ((r − 0.66) and (r − 0.60) respectively). The mean RI values of the different sedation/anesthetic protocols ranged
from 0.46–0.55.
CONCLUSIONS : Left renal length and L6 ventral vertebral body length as well as left kidney RI values should be routinely
measured in all cheetah abdominal ultrasound examinations. These measurements, together with serum creatinine, urea
and urine specific gravity values may be relatively sensitive indicators of early renal pathology in the absence of gross
ultrasonographic changes.
