Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low vitamin B12 and cell deficiency in puppies with parvovirus
By Hung, Michael et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or other acute enteropathies.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of juvenile dogs suffering from parvoviral enteritis (a severe intestinal infection) and other types of acute diarrhea were found to have lower levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) in their blood compared to healthy dogs. While the sick dogs had lower cobalamin levels, their levels of methylmalonic acid (MMA), which can indicate a cellular deficiency of cobalamin, were similar to those of healthy dogs. This suggests that while these young dogs are not absorbing enough cobalamin, they may not be experiencing a cellular deficiency. Treatment for parvoviral enteritis often includes supportive care, and ensuring proper nutrition can help improve their overall health.
People also search for: puppy parvovirus treatment · dog diarrhea vitamin B12 deficiency · why is my puppy sick with parvo
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Low serum cobalamin concentrations have been associated with ileal malabsorption in dogs with chronic enteropathy. Increased serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations indicate cobalamin deficiency on a cellular level. Few studies have evaluated serum cobalamin concentrations or methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or nonparvoviral acute enteropathies. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs (6 weeks to 10 months old) with parvoviral enteritis or nonparvoviral acute enteropathy. ANIMALS: Thirty-one juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis, 29 dogs with nonparvoviral acute diarrhea (NPVAD), and 40 healthy juvenile control dogs. METHODS: Single-center, prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Serum cobalamin and, when sufficient serum was available, MMA concentrations were measured. RESULTS: Most serum cobalamin concentrations were within the adult reference interval. Serum cobalamin concentrations in healthy dogs (median, 848 ng/L; range, 293-1912 ng/L) were significantly higher than in dogs with parvoviral enteritis (P = .0002; median, 463 ng/L; range, <150-10 000 ng/L) or dogs with NPVAD (P = .02; median, 528 ng/L; range, 160-8998 ng/L). Serum MMA concentrations were not significantly different between groups (healthy dogs: median, 796 nmol/L; range, 427-1933 nmol/L; parvoviral enteritis: median, 858 nmol/L; range, 554-3424 nmol/L; NPVAD: median, 764 nmol/L; range, 392-1222 nmol/L; P = .1). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or NPVAD had lower serum cobalamin concentrations than healthy juvenile dogs. However, based on serum MMA concentrations cellular cobalamin deficiency was not apparent.
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/37191021/