Podcast
Listen to the 25th March 2015 14 minute podcast by David Walker, one of the authors of the March 2015 Veterinary Record paper.
Highlights
CRGV (Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy) was first found in racing greyhounds in Alabama in the late 1980s. Since November 2012 none of the dogs with CRGV have been greyhounds. (Podcast: 1m)
In the paper, all CRGV dogs have skin lesions. After 1 - 9 days all dogs developed AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) which includes symptoms of vomiting, lethargy and Anorexia (not eating food). (Podcast: 2m 13s)
71 dogs were identified with suspected CRGV and 30 dogs - all with confirmed TMA (Thrombotic Microangiopathy = blood clots caused by platelets within the small blood vessels of the kidney), were reported in the paper (Podcast: 5m 40s)
Of the 30 cases, 10 were treated in specialist referral centres [presumably Anderson Moores and Royal Veterinary College?] and 20 at vets. (Podcast: 7m 25s)
Sadly 80% of dogs with CRGV don’t survive (Podcast: 8m 40s)
Most of the time, skin lesions in dogs are not the result of CRGV. (Podcast: 9m 47s)
In both people and dogs with CRGV, aHUS (atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome) may cause dysregulation of complement system - that part of the immune system which helps antibodies and phagocytes clear organisms from the body. Overdrive of complement can damage endothelial cells that line the interior of blood and lymphatic vessels in the kidney. Platelet activation causes TMA (Thrombotic Microangiopathy - blood clots caused by platelets within the small blood vessels of the kidney). Dogs with CRGV always get skin lesions AND AKI (Acute Kidney Injury). Sometimes people with aHUS also get AKI and skin lesions. People with aHUS may have a genetic problem. aHUS occurs later in life in humans and may be triggered by something in the environment. Further research will look at the compliment system in dogs and whether something in the environment could trigger aHUS. (Podcast: 10m - 13m)