Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration in healthy neonatal Thoroughbred foals.
Authors: Gough Rachel L, McGovern Kate F
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: SDMA as a Renal Marker in Neonatal Thoroughbreds Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has emerged as a superior marker of glomerular filtration rate compared to creatinine in several species, yet its clinical utility in foals remains poorly characterised despite its potential to identify early renal dysfunction. Gough and McGovern established reference ranges for serum SDMA in healthy neonatal Thoroughbred foals, measuring concentrations across a cohort of clinically normal animals from birth through the early weeks of life. The reference range for healthy neonates differs from adult horses (≤14 µg/dL), reflecting age-related physiological differences in renal function during this critical developmental period. These foal-specific reference values are essential for practitioners interpreting SDMA results in neonatal cases of suspected acute kidney injury or renal compromise, where elevated concentrations (15–92 µg/dL) may indicate clinically significant dysfunction before traditional markers such as creatinine become elevated. Establishing this baseline data enables more sensitive and earlier detection of renal pathology in foals presenting with sepsis, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, or other conditions known to compromise renal perfusion.
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Practical Takeaways
- •SDMA offers improved sensitivity over creatinine for detecting early renal dysfunction in horses—consider using it when assessing kidney health in foals and adult horses
- •Concentrations above 14 μg/dL warrant further investigation for possible kidney compromise, with values >15 μg/dL more consistent with acute kidney injury
- •Establishing neonatal foal reference ranges for SDMA improves clinical decision-making and enables earlier detection of renal issues in young horses
Key Findings
- •SDMA is a more sensitive indicator of glomerular filtration rate than creatinine in horses
- •Reference range for healthy adult horses is ≤14 μg/dL
- •Horses with acute kidney injury show median SDMA concentration of 32 μg/dL (range 15-92)