Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Juvenile pancreatic atrophy causing diarrhea in Greyhounds
By Brenner, K et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Juvenile pancreatic atrophy in Greyhounds: 12 cases (1995-2000).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two young Greyhound siblings were brought in for severe diarrhea and were later found to have serious issues with their pancreas. Tests showed that both dogs had exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), meaning their pancreas wasn't producing enough digestive enzymes, and one also had insulin-dependent diabetes. Unfortunately, both dogs had significant damage to their pancreas, which was confirmed during necropsy. This condition is uncommon in dogs, especially in Greyhounds, and highlights the need for awareness among breeders and veterinarians.
People also search for: Greyhound diarrhea causes · dog pancreatic insufficiency treatment · juvenile diabetes in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study describes compound failure of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas in Greyhounds, a condition that has not been reported in the veterinary literature. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds with juvenile pancreatic atrophy. ANIMALS: Ten Greyhounds presented for necropsy examination and 2 sibling Greyhounds presented for clinical evaluation before necropsy, all with a history of small-bowel diarrhea. PROCEDURES: Retrospective study of laboratory and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds, including serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity assays, oral glucose tolerance testing, and serum anti-insulin antibody concentrations. RESULTS: Gross pancreatic atrophy was found in all 12 dogs. Histopathologic lesions were found in both the endocrine and exocrine pancreas and included acinar cell apoptosis, zymogen granule loss, cytoplasmic clearing or vacuolar change, lobular atrophy, islet loss, and lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytic pancreatitis. Antemortem test results on the 2 Greyhound puppies indicated concurrent exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Compound failure of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas is rarely reported in dogs and neither disease is well recognized in the Greyhound. This condition is of potential economic importance to the Greyhound racing industry.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19175723/