Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tracking pancreatitis signs and tests over 28 days in dogs
By Mitchell, Leslie et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serial monitoring of pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, C-reactive protein, abdominal ultrasonography, and clinical severity in dogs with suspected pancreatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 16 dogs suspected of having pancreatitis were monitored over 28 days to assess their symptoms and test results. The dogs showed varying levels of pancreatic inflammation, with some having higher levels of pancreatic lipase (a marker for pancreatitis) and C-reactive protein (a sign of inflammation). While most dogs improved in their clinical signs and test results, some still showed ultrasound evidence of pancreatitis even after their symptoms had lessened. This suggests that ultrasound findings may linger even when the dog is recovering.
People also search for: dog pancreatitis symptoms · dog ultrasound pancreatitis · dog pancreatic lipase test results
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on clinical signs, pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI), and abdominal ultrasonography (AUS). Diagnostic discrepancies exist between test results which might be related to differences in the timeline for resolution of these abnormalities after pancreatic injury. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate disease severity, ultrasonographic findings, and serum biomarkers of pancreatitis in dogs over a period of 28-days. ANIMALS: Sixteen client-owned dogs with a clinical suspicion for acute pancreatitis based on history/physical examination, an abnormal SNAP cPLI, and ultrasonographic evidence of pancreatitis. METHODS: Prospective observational study. Clinical severity (modified clinical activity index [MCAI]), cPLI, C-reactive protein (CRP), and AUS were evaluated at days 0, 2, 7, and 28. Owner assessed overall health (OH) was noted. Dogs were stratified into baseline cPLI ≥400 μg/L vs <400 μg/L groups for reporting. RESULTS: The median CRP, MCAI, and OH were 111.9 mg/L, 10, and 4/10 respectively in the cPLI ≥400 μg/L group. The median CRP, MCAI, and OH were 58.0 mg/L, 6, and 6/10 respectively in the cPLI <400 μg/L group. None of these variables were significantly different between groups. Most dogs (4/5) in the cPLI <400 μg/L group had a history of suspected pancreatitis (ie, suspect acute on chronic disease). cPLI and MCAI rapidly decreased in dogs with a baseline cPLI ≥400 μg/L, whereas sonographic evidence of pancreatitis persisted for a longer time period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Ultrasonographic evidence of pancreatitis in the absence of overt clinical or biochemical abnormalities might represent a resolving injury rather than active disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38363021/