Introduction

Hypocobalaminemia is reported in dogs and cats with chronic gastrointestinal diseases and is a risk factor for a negative outcome. Adequate cobalamin supplementation appears to be essential for therapeutic success. The prevalence of hypocobalaminemia in dogs with acute gastrointestinal disease (AGID) has never been described. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of hypocobalaminemia in dogs with AGID and to evaluate its relationship with disease severity and outcome.

Methods

A retrospective observational study between September 2019—September 2021 was conducted. Dogs were included if they presented for AGID (onset of clinical signs less than 3 weeks) and the serum vitamin B12 concentrations were measured. Dogs with diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal neoplasia, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, chronic history of gastrointestinal signs, treatment with cobalamin or corticosteroids prior to serum vitamin B12 measurements and relapse of clinical signs 3 to 12 months following discharge were excluded.

Hypocobalaminemia was defined as serum vitamin B12 concentrations <200 pmol/L, based on the laboratory reference interval, and low-normal cobalamin was defined as serum vitamin B12 concentrations of 200–295 pmol/L, the latter still required supplementation based on the Texas A&M gastrointestinal laboratory guidelines.

Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) fast score on admission was recorded. Conventional statistical analyses were used.

Results

Thirty-three dogs were included. The median age was 42 months (range 2–174). Seventeen dogs were diagnosed with AGID of unknown etiology, 7 dogs with parvoviral enteritis, 3 dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome and 2 dogs with acute pancreatitis. The prevalence of hypocobalaminemia in this population was 30.3% (10/33) and low-normal cobalamin level was detected in 18.2% (6/33) of dogs.

There was no statistically significant relationship between the detection of hypocobalaminemia and the duration of symptoms prior to presentation (P=0.77), length of hospitalization (P=0.88) or APPLE fast score on admission (P=0.20). Mortality rate was 3% (n=1), due to natural death. Follow-up was available for 13 dogs only.

Conclusions

Hypocobalaminemia and low-normal cobalamin is a common finding, present in 48.5% of dogs with AGID in this study. The therapeutic and prognostic significance of hypocobalaminemia in AGID requires further investigation.

E-mail: clara.mattavelli@studio.unibo.it