Sarcopenia e caquexia em cães e gatos com doença renal crônica: Revisão de literatura

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is common in dogs and cats and has a multifactorial cause, such as the natural aging process, kidney anomalies and injuries suffered throughout life. Regardless of the etiology, the lesions are irreversible and progressive and the treatment does not lead to a cure, but aims to prevent its progression. Sarcopenia and cachexia are important and serious consequences of the disease and are strongly related to the quality of life and survival of patients, so maintaining a good body and muscle score condition is essential for a better prognosis for these patients. Therefore, for a deeper understanding of the subject, a literature review was carried out in order to clarify the mechanisms that lead to sarcopenia and cachexia and how such complications can be evaluated in dogs and cats, as well as dietary measures that can help CKD patients. It is possible to identify that adequate nutrition, especially in ideal amounts of protein, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calories, is one of the therapeutic targets for chronic kidney disease, since it can help to delay the progression of the disease and its consequences. Sarcopenia and cachexia, are complex processes that involve muscle fiber transformation and increased metabolism, associated with anorexia. The assessment of the muscular condition of dogs and cats, however, still faces many challenges, either because of its low accuracy, or because of the difficulty in standardizing the results, since as a result of the different breeds and mixtures between them, we find animals with different body shapes. Therefore, the study of sarcopenia in dogs and cats, from diagnostic to therapeutic methods, is still a necessity, since weight loss directly affects the quality of life and survival of these animals.