Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Procalcitonin and CRP levels in dogs with sepsis or inflammation
By Rompf, Johanna et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Clinical Veterinary Science·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Plasma procalcitonin and C-reactive protein concentrations in dogs with bacterial sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with bacterial sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (nSIRS) were studied to see how certain blood markers, procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP), changed over time. The researchers found that while PCT levels did not help determine how well treatment was working, CRP levels were significantly higher in dogs with sepsis and dropped quickly when the right antibiotics were given. This suggests that CRP is a better indicator of inflammation and treatment response in these cases. Overall, dogs receiving effective treatment showed improvement in their CRP levels within four days.
People also search for: dog sepsis symptoms · dog CRP levels · dog bacterial infection treatment · why is my dog sick · dog inflammatory response treatment
Abstract
Procalcitonin is a well-established biomarker of bacterial infections in human medicine, used to guide initiation and duration of antimicrobial treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a frequently used marker of inflammation in dogs, but is not specific for bacterial infection. The main objective of this study was to determine kinetics of plasma PCT (pPCT) and CRP in dogs with sepsis, non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (nSIRS) and healthy dogs. This prospective, observational study included 17 dogs with sepsis, 16 with nSIRS and 15 healthy dogs. Hematologic parameters, pPCT and CRP were assessed on days 1, 2 and 3 in healthy dogs and on days 1, 2, 3 and 4 in dogs with nSIRS or sepsis. The shortened Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) score was calculated for dogs with sepsis and nSIRS. Plasma PCT was measured using a validated canine PCT ELISA. There was no significant difference in median pPCT between healthy dogs (110.3 pg/mL; IQR 74.7-138) and dogs with sepsis (81.6 pg/mL; IQR 50.1-157.1) or nSIRS (105.3 pg/mL; IQR 87.6-164.7). Prior antimicrobial treatment was not associated with a decrease in pPCT concentration in septic dogs. In the sepsis group, day 1 pPCT concentrations were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors ( < 0.05). In contrast, median CRP was above the reference range (<10.5 mg/L) in dogs with nSIRS (100.7 mg/L; IQR 67-141.9) or sepsis (131.9 mg/L; IQR 75.7-194.8) and significantly decreased within the first 4 days of successful antimicrobial treatment of sepsis. In conclusion, while plasma PCT showed some prognostic value, it was not a useful biomarker for assessing the efficacy of the chosen antimicrobial treatment in dogs with sepsis.
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/40607352/