Unilateral nephrectomy in dogs is associated with a high rate of intraoperative and postoperative complications

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of complications in the intraoperative and postoperative period for dogs undergoing nephrectomy for renal disease. ANIMALS 69 dogs. METHODS Medical records of dogs undergoing nephrectomies for renal disease were reviewed for signalment, date of surgery, results of blood analyses, and intra- and postoperative complications. Long-term follow-up was obtained via client telephone interview or referring veterinarian medical records. A Fisher exact test was used to assess the relationship between postoperative acute kidney injury and NSAID administration with long-term development of chronic kidney disease. RESULTS Complications occurred in 21.7% and 42.6% of dogs in the intraoperative and postoperative periods, respectively. Most of these were lower-grade complications, though a total of 7 dogs died during the postoperative period. An acute kidney injury was diagnosed in 12 dogs postoperatively, with 2 dogs euthanized due to the severity of the injury. Long-term follow-up was available for 53 dogs, with 24 (45.3%) dogs developing chronic kidney disease. Postoperative acute kidney injury ( P = .385) and NSAID administration ( P = .519) were not statistically associated with the development of chronic kidney disease in this population. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Unilateral nephrectomy is associated with high intraoperative and postoperative complication rates in dogs. Chronic kidney disease was diagnosed in almost 50% of the population with available long-term follow-up.