Measurement of renal cortical thickness using ultrasound in normal dogs: a reference range study considering bodyweight and body condition score

The renal cortical thickness (RCT) reflects the pathological condition of the kidney, and measuring this parameter can help diagnose renal fibrosis in dogs. The normal reference range of RCT in dogs is broad (3–8 mm) because of the extreme diversity in body size. Therefore, this retrospective, reference interval, and observational design study aimed to establish a normal reference range for RCT in dogs measured using ultrasound by considering bodyweight (BW), body surface area (BSA), body condition score (BCS), and abdominal aorta (Ao) diameter. A total of 60 dogs met the inclusion criteria, and abdominal ultrasound images and medical records of these dogs were analyzed. RCT was measured at 1–3 points where the renal capsule and broad base of the medullary pyramid were clearly observed. Ao diameter was measured caudal to the branch of the left renal artery in the mid-sagittal view. The RCT showed positive correlations with BW and BSA and a negative correlation with BCS, which can be described as follows: RCT (mm) = 0.131 × BW − 0.166 × BCS + 3.580. The RCT:Ao ratio was 0.70 ± 0.09 (mean ± standard deviation). No significant differences were found in the RCT:Ao ratio depending on BW or BCS. In conclusion, the RCT:Ao ratio and relative RCT considering both BW and BCS are potentially useful for evaluating the normality of the renal cortex on ultrasound examination in dogs with various physiques.