The Prevalence of Microalbuminuria and Proteinuria in Cats with Diabetes Mellitus

The prevalence of microalbuminuria (MA) and proteinuria was evaluated in 66 cats with diabetes mellitus (DM), 35 nondiabetic cats with other illness, and 11 healthy nondiabetic cats with use of the E.R.D.-HealthScreen Feline Urine Test. The MA prevalence was higher in the diabetic than in the nondiabetic sick and healthy control cats (70%, 39%, and 18% respectively, P < .0001). In addition, prevalence of proteinuria defined by a protein/creatinine ratio (UPC) > 0.4 was significantly higher in the diabetic cat than in the control cats (70%, 35%, and 9% respectively, P < .0001). There was a significant but weak correlation between the results of MA and UPC (P < .0001, r = 0.43). Our results showed that MA is common in cats with DM. Further studies are required to evaluate the prognostic value of the presence and the severity of MA in cats with DM.