Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Do cephalexin and enrofloxacin cause false urine glucose in dogs
By Rees, Christine A & Boothe, Dawn M·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2004·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Evaluation of the effect of cephalexin and enrofloxacin on clinical laboratory measurements of urine glucose in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Six healthy female dogs were given either cephalexin or enrofloxacin, two common antibiotics, to see how these medications affected urine glucose tests. The results showed that both drugs could lead to inaccurate urine glucose readings, with cephalexin causing false positives and enrofloxacin potentially causing false negatives. This means that if your dog is on these medications, urine tests for diabetes might not be reliable. It's important to discuss any concerns about diabetes testing with your veterinarian if your dog is taking these antibiotics.
People also search for: dog diabetes test accuracy · cephalexin side effects in dogs · enrofloxacin urine glucose test
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of cephalexin and enrofloxacin on results of 4 commercially available urine glucose tests in dogs. ANIMALS: 6 healthy adult female dogs. PROCEDURE: In a crossover design, cephalexin (22 and 44 mg/kg [10 and 20 mg/lb], p.o., q 8 h) or enrofloxacin (5 and 10 mg/kg [2.3 and 4.5 mg/lb], p.o., q 12 h) was administered to dogs for 1 day. Urine samples were tested for glucose at 0, 6, and 24 hours after drug administration. In vitro, dextrose was added to pooled glucose-negative canine urine samples containing either no antimicrobial or known concentrations of either antimicrobial; urine samples were then tested for glucose. RESULTS: In vivo, false-positive results were obtained by use of a tablet test in the presence of both antimicrobials and by use of a strip test in the presence of cephalexin. In vitro, false-positive results were obtained with the tablet test at the highest urine concentration of cephalexin (2,400 microg/mL) and with a strip test at the highest concentration of enrofloxacin (600 microg/mL). Enrofloxacin in urine samples containing dextrose caused the urine glucose tests to underestimate urine glucose concentration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cephalexin and enrofloxacin at dosages used in clinical practice may result in false-positive or false-negative urine glucose results, and care should be taken when using urine as a basis for identifying or monitoring diabetic animals.
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/15124885/