Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How hypothyroidism affects insulin and glucose in dogs
By Hofer-Inteeworn, Natalie et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2012·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Effect of hypothyroidism on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of mixed-breed female dogs with hypothyroidism showed signs of insulin resistance, which means their bodies had trouble using insulin effectively. While their ability to manage glucose levels remained stable due to increased insulin production, the hypothyroid dogs had higher levels of certain hormones and more abdominal fat compared to healthy dogs. This suggests that if a dog has both hypothyroidism and diabetes, it could complicate their condition. Managing these hormonal imbalances may be important for their overall health.
People also search for: dog hypothyroidism symptoms · insulin resistance in dogs · managing diabetes in dogs with hypothyroidism
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of hypothyroidism on insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and concentrations of hormones counter-regulatory to insulin in dogs. ANIMALS: 8 anestrous mixed-breed bitches with experimentally induced hypothyroidism and 8 euthyroid control dogs. PROCEDURES: The insulin-modified frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance test and minimal model analysis were used to determine basal plasma insulin and glucose concentrations, acute insulin response to glucose, insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and disposition index. Growth hormone response was assessed by stimulation and suppression tests. Additionally, basal serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations and urine cortisol-to-creatinine concentration ratios were measured and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry was performed to evaluate body composition. RESULTS: Insulin sensitivity was lower in the hypothyroid group than in the euthyroid group, whereas acute insulin response to glucose was higher. Glucose effectiveness and disposition index were not different between groups. Basal serum GH and IGF-1 concentrations as well as abdominal fat content were high in hypothyroid dogs, but urine cortisol-to-creatinine concentration ratios were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hypothyroidism appeared to negatively affect glucose homeostasis by inducing insulin resistance, but overall glucose tolerance was maintained by increased insulin secretion in hypothyroid dogs. Possible factors affecting insulin sensitivity are high serum GH and IGF-1 concentrations and an increase in abdominal fat. In dogs with diseases involving impaired insulin secretion such as diabetes mellitus, concurrent hypothyroidism can have important clinical implications.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22452500/