Clinico-therapeutic studies on canine endocrinopathies with special reference to diabetes mellitus
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Date
2023-01-02
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CSK HPKV, Palampur
Abstract
The present study was conducted on dogs presented at Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex,
CSKHPKV, Palampur (H.P.) between July 2021 and June 2022 to identify prevalent endocrinopathies,
their epidemiology and to study the therapeutic response. The overall prevalence of endocrine disorders
was 0.7 per cent (16/2276) with 0.44 per cent (10/2276) dogs suffering from diabetes mellitus, followed
by hypothyroidism in 0.26 per cent (6/2276) dogs. Maximum no. of cases of diabetes (6/10) were
recorded in old dogs (>5 years) and in winter season (5/10). Diabetes mellitus was most commonly
prevalent in Labrador retrievers. The prominent clinical signs observed in diabetic dogs were
polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, weight loss and lethargy. The mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) in
diabetic dogs at the time of diagnosis was 416.3±32.15 mg/dl. In diabetic dogs, glycated haemoglobin
(HbA1c) concentration was markedly high (11.15±0.87 %) as compared to healthy dogs (4.35±0.19%).
Significant hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia along with significantly increased activities
of alanine transferase and alkaline phosphatase were observed in diabetic dogs. Urine examination
revealed hypersthenuria, glycosuria, variable ketonuria and leucocytes in urine samples of diabetic
dogs. In diabetic dogs, Insulin treatment was given @0.5 IU/kg bwt s/c twice a day. Adjustments in the
initial insulin dose were made in individual animals after generating serial blood glucose curve. Insulin
treatment showed reduction in overt clinical signs of DM (polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, weight loss
and lethargy), fall in FBG (50.54 percent) and improvement in haemato-biochemical parameters, at the
end of 4 weeks treatment. Complications and concurrent disorders observed with diabetes included
hypoglycaemia, Somogyi response, cataract, subclinical urinary tract infection, subclinical neuropathy
and hepatic lipodosis. Insulin therapy along with dietary modification showed marked therapeutic
efficacy and improvement in overall quality of life in diabetic dogs.
The major manifestations in hypothyroid dogs were heat seeking, obesity, polydipsia, alopecia,
dull coat, hyperpigmentation and myxedema. Significant low T3, T4 and high TSH levels along with
hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were major biochemical alterations in hypothyroid
dogs. Therapy with levothyroxine @ 0.01 mg/kg bwt twice daily orally showed improvement in
biochemical profile and clinical condition of hypothyroid dogs after 45 days of treatment.