Renal Function Parameters in Dogs Diagnosed with Canine Parvoviral Enteritis at the Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Zaria

Canine parvoviral enteritis is a life-threatening infectious disease characterised by severe haemorrhagic diarrhoea, dehydration, and systemic compromise. While its gastrointestinal manifestations are well described, the associated renal biochemical alterations in Nigerian clinical populations remain underreported. This study evaluated renal function parameters in dogs confirmed positive for canine parvovirus at the Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Thirty parvovirus-positive dogs and twenty healthy controls were recruited over an eight-month period. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, and urine specific gravity were measured using automated biochemistry and refractometry. Parvovirus-positive dogs showed significantly elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen compared to controls, with nineteen of thirty cases meeting criteria for azotaemia, likely secondary to dehydration-induced prerenal compromise rather than primary renal pathology. Urine specific gravity was markedly elevated in affected dogs, consistent with appropriate renal concentrating response to haemodynamic compromise. Resolution of azotaemia was observed in dogs that responded to intravenous fluid resuscitation within forty-eight hours. Early renal biochemical monitoring is recommended as part of the clinical management protocol for parvoviral enteritis to guide fluid therapy decisions and assess prognosis. Keywords: parvoviral enteritis, renal function, creatinine, azotaemia, canine.