Veterinarians to cat owners: your cat will or will not develop chronic kidney disease within two years

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVC Veterinary Meeting and Expo (VMX) booth #1941 -- Today, Antech Diagnostics, part of Mars Petcare, announced a milestone in providing the veterinary community with accurate predictions about whether or not a cat will develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) within two years. Now more than 100,000 times, RenalTechtm has delivered predictive insight about a cat's future CKD status, providing veterinarians and pet owners with the unique opportunity to act early, before disease occurs. Early RenalTech adopters report enthusiasm among pet owners for personalized care plans designed to delay CKD onset and progression by detecting and treating contributing disease and improving overall feline wellness.

Said Dennis J. Chew, DVM, DACVIM: "RenalTech implements a paradigm shift that provides a prediction for a future diagnosis of CKD in cats within the next two years, rather than waiting for this diagnosis to become obvious later. This warning for a future diagnosis of CKD provides an opportunity for veterinarians and pet owners to act proactively instead of reactively with further diagnostics and early care strategies. A positive RenalTech status provides powerful motivation for cat owners to commit to a rigorous individualized care plan. It also reminds veterinarians to search for co-morbid conditions that can be associated with or contribute to progression of CKD. A growing body of data suggests that early care strategies can impact cats with chronic kidney disease, potentially delaying what would otherwise be the natural progression of CKD."

RenalTech is a new kind of diagnostic technology, called a predictive diagnostic tool, which allows veterinarians to address CKD proactively, before further kidney damage occurs. This product, offered free of charge to Antech customers, applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to 20 years of data from over 150,000 cat visits to primary care practices to deliver a RenalTech status. Published data show a positive or negative RenalTech status is greater than 95% accurate. A care pathway for RenalTech results, available at www.antechdiagnostics.com/renaltech, details early care strategies for CKD as well as risk factors and comorbidities to address in response to each RenalTech status.

"In our practice, RenalTech is a valuable gateway to additional, important diagnostics that improve overall feline wellness," said Dr. Iyampillai Arun, DVM., P. A., a veterinarian with Summit Boulevard Animal Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla. and RenalTech early adopter. "RenalTech helps us not only understand current and predict future kidney health but also reveals the need for additional diagnostics to identify underlying conditions that may be contributing or predisposing a cat to decreasing kidney function or other diseases. We are engaging with pet owners on a deeper, more proactive level about their cat's overall health, the importance of personalized preventive care to improve or maintain good health and of course, early care strategies for CKD. This level of partnership is good for our practice but it's also good for our clients, who feel empowered to act."

CKD affects 30-40 percent of cats over the age of 10. Recent updates to the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) guidelines for CKD in cats identify appropriate early care strategies for stage 1 and stage 2 cases; implementing these strategies could be most effective when a cat is diagnosed early. However, current detection methods find disease only once significant kidney damage has occurred, which can challenge the success of these strategies. RenalTech relies on six common feline health parameters?creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), white blood cell count, urine specific gravity, urine protein, urine pH and approximate age?all obtained from a minimum database during routine wellness visits, to deliver a RenalTech status. Based on this status, veterinarians can predict a cat's likelihood of developing CKD within the next two years, developing personalized care plans to address disease proactively. 

"CKD can be tricky to diagnose, and catching it early enough to take full advantage of the benefits of early care has remained out of reach," said Todd Tams, DVM, DACVIM, chief medical officer for VCA Animal Hospitals. "RenalTech makes diagnosis easier by predicting disease. Sophisticated machine learning applied to vast amounts of data allows RenalTech to spot trends between multiple data points, compare those trends to vast data sets, identify subtle changes and patterns, and get smarter as deeper patterns emerge. RenalTech's ability to predict disease before it occurs allows us as care providers to focus on what we do best, keeping pets and their families together for as long as possible."

RenalTech is the first in a series of predictive diagnostic tools that combines the expertise of Mars Petcare, the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute and Antech. Attendees can learn more about RenalTech and the nutritional management of CKD at one of the following events held at VMX booth #1941:

Sunday, January 19: 11:15 am ? 12:00 pm
"What is the Role of Protein Restriction in Feline Chronic Kidney Disease?" presented by Dr. Valerie J. Parker, DVM, DACVIM, DACVN

Wednesday, January 22: 12:15 pm ?1:15 pm
"Taking the Surprise Out of Chronic Kidney Disease," presented by Dr. Jennifer Ogeer, DVM MSc MBA MA

For more information about RenalTech and a recommended care pathway, please visit www.antechdiagnostics.com/renaltech. For information about the science behind RenalTech, please visit Waltham Petcare Science Institute.

About Antech
At the heart of Antech is our love for pets. Combining innovative technologies backed by scientific rigor with data-driven insights and consultative moments, we help veterinarians and their teams improve the health and well-being of the pets we love. Our commitment to customers spans more than 30 years and celebrates their dedication to setting new standards in pet care quality, which we support through innovative diagnostic, imaging, education and support services. Today, Antech is driving the future of pet health as part of Mars Petcare, the world's leading pet nutrition and health care ecosystem. Visit us at http://www.antechdiagnostics.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Antech