Non Technical Summary
Managing renal disease in large exotic felids is difficult because the traditional methods used in domestic cats, such as frequent fluid therapy and dietary modification, are not possible in most large cats. AzodylTa (Vetoquinol USA) is an oral probiotic recently available for treatment of domestic animals with kidney disease. Azodyl is composed of bacterial organisms that are proposed to metabolize urea nitrogen and creatinine which increase secondary to renal disease. Limited data is available on its efficacy in domestics cats, but given the prevalence of renal disease in large felids and the difficulty in treating them, AzodylT has the potential to be useful in the management of renal disease in these species.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
305	3840	1180	100%

Knowledge Area
305 - Animal Physiological Processes;

Subject Of Investigation
3840 - Laboratory animals;

Field Of Science
1180 - Pharmacology;

Goals / Objectives
Specific objective(s) of this proposal is/are to: Investigate the efficacy of Azodyl in decreasing plasma blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in large exotic cats with azotemia.

Project Methods
Up to 40 geriatric cats will be immobilized and screened for renal disease. Those with increased BUN (>50 mg/dl) and creatinine (>3.8 mg/dl) on plasma chemistry panel will be included in the study.1 We estimate that approximately 25 of the 40 individuals will have azotemia and started on Azodyl (one capsule in the morning and two capsules in the evening, the manufacturers suggested dose for animals greater than 10 pounds). Each study cat will be immobilized after two and six months of Azodyl treatment. Species examine will be lions (Panthera leo), tigers (P. tigris), leopards (P. pardus), and cougars (Puma concolor), aged between 12 and 20 years old.