Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog developed diabetes after liver cancer surgery for low blood sugar
By Barroso, Yolanda Lopez & Villadieu, Erika·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2024·From Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service Ltd, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diabetes Mellitus Following Resection of a Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Dog Presented with Hypoglycemia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male neutered Labradoodle collapsed suddenly and was found to have low blood sugar levels. An ultrasound revealed a liver mass, which was confirmed to be a cancerous tumor after surgery to remove part of the liver. While his blood sugar levels improved right after the operation, the dog developed diabetes a week later, showing symptoms like increased thirst and urination. He started insulin treatment and continues to need it twice daily a year later. This case highlights that diabetes can occur after liver surgery in dogs, requiring ongoing management.
People also search for: dog collapse low blood sugar · Labradoodle liver cancer treatment · diabetes in dogs after surgery
Abstract
A 5 yr old male neutered Labradoodle presented for an episode of acute collapse. Point-of-care blood work showed hypoglycemia and abdominal ultrasonography revealed a liver mass arising from the caudate liver lobe. The dog underwent a partial liver lobectomy, and histopathology confirmed a fully resected hepatocellular carcinoma. Blood glucose levels normalized initially after surgery, but 1 wk later, the patient was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus based on the development of polyuria, polydipsia, hyperglycemia, and glucosuria. Appropriate treatment with insulin was initiated, and 1 yr following the diagnosis, the dog was still requiring administration of insulin twice daily. This case describes the uncommon development of diabetes mellitus in a dog following surgical resection of a hepatocellular carcinoma initially associated with hypoglycemia. Although very unusual, this should be considered as a potential complication of surgical treatment of such tumors, and affected patients may require long-term medical management.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38175974/