Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low blood sugar protein marker in dogs with Angiostrongylus vasorum
By Willesen, J L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine·2006·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum fructosamine concentrations in 59 dogs naturally Infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with a lungworm called Angiostrongylus vasorum had lower levels of fructosamine, a substance that can indicate blood sugar levels, compared to healthy dogs. In 11 of these dogs, fructosamine levels increased after successful treatment for the infection, suggesting that low fructosamine could be a sign of this lungworm infection. This finding may help veterinarians decide to perform specific tests if they suspect a dog has this type of infection.
People also search for: dog lungworm infection symptoms · low fructosamine in dogs · Angiostrongylus vasorum treatment
Abstract
Retrospectively, 89 cases of dogs infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum were examined. Fifty-nine of these 89 dogs fulfilled the criteria of not being dually infected with Crenosoma vulpis as well as having a full biochemistry profile including serum fructosamine available. The mean serum fructosamine value of the 59 dogs was 236 micromol/l (reference value 258-348 micromol/l) and significantly lower than the serum fructosamine level of 314 micromol/l in a control group of 42 clinically healthy dogs. Eleven dogs were available for follow up after successful treatment of angiostrongylosis. In this group, the serum fructosamine value rose from a mean of 244 micromol/l to a mean of 320 micromol/l following treatment. Serum glucose, albumin and protein were all within the respective reference ranges at all sampling points. The results indicate that serum fructosamine could be affected by infection with A. vasorum. Furthermore, this change cannot be explained by measurable changes in the level of glucose, albumin or protein. The clinical impact of this study is that a low fructosamine value may indicate infection with A. vasorum thereby suggesting a Baermann test to be performed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16737518/