Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serum Ionized Calcium Levels Linked to Stages of Dog Gum Disease
By Miguel Carreira, L et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2015·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum Ionized Calcium Quantification for Staging Canine Periodontal Disease: A Preliminary Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 40 dogs with varying stages of periodontal disease (PD) were studied to see if measuring serum ionized calcium levels could help assess their dental health without needing anesthesia. The dogs were divided into four groups based on their PD severity, ranging from gingivitis to severe periodontitis. The results showed that calcium levels differed significantly between most stages of PD, suggesting that this test could be a useful tool for veterinarians to evaluate and monitor dental issues in dogs. This could potentially reduce the need for more invasive procedures like dental x-rays.
People also search for: dog dental disease symptoms · how to treat gingivitis in dogs · periodontal disease in dogs treatment
Abstract
Periodontal diseases (PD) are infectious, inflammatory, progressive diseases of the oral cavity affecting people and dogs. PD takes 2 forms: gingivitis and periodontitis. Diagnosing or staging PD can be achieved only with dental x-rays and periodontal probing, both of which require the use of general anesthesia in dogs. This study aimed to determine whether serum ionized calcium ([iCa(2+)]) levels can be useful in preliminary PD staging in dogs. A sample of 40 dogs (n = 40) was divided into 4 groups (n = 10 each) based on the following PD stages: G1 (gingivitis), G2 (initial periodontitis), G3 (moderate periodontitis), and G4 (severe periodontitis). The groups were then subjected to [iCa(2+)] quantification. Statistically significant differences were observed between PD stages and [iCa(2+)] for all stages except G3 and G4. Therefore, this parameter can be used as an additional tool to establish and monitor preliminary PD status.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26359723/