Benazepril has been shown to have beneficial effects in chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) in man; prolonging survival time and reducing urinary loss of protein (1). We tested the efficacy of benazepril in dogs with CRI. A total of 41 dogs with CRI were randomised to receive benazepril at a dose of 0.25-0.5 mg/kg or matched placebo once daily in a double-blinded clinical trial. Inclusion criteria were CRI of renal origin with plasma creatinine > 142 µmol/l and urine specific gravity < 1.020. The two groups were matched at baseline.

During the trial, benazepril-treated dogs had lower protein in the urine, higher scores for appetite and general clinical condition, and lower loss of body weight as compared to the placebo-group. Differences reached statistical significance (p < 0.05) for urine protein and appetite. The mean survival time in the benazepril group was longer (290 days) than in the placebo group (236 days), although differences did not reach statistical significance (p=0.26).

These interim results suggest, that as in man, benazepril may have beneficial effects in dogs with chronic renal insufficiency.

Reference

1.  Maschio et al. N Eng J Med 1996; 334: 939-945