Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Seizures and low blood sugar in a young Shiba Inu dog
By Cook, Simon et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected congenital hyperinsulinism in a Shiba Inu dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old male Shiba Inu was brought in for seizures that didn't improve with medication. After further testing, it was found that he had very low blood sugar levels during a seizure, along with high insulin levels, indicating a condition called congenital hyperinsulinism. The vet adjusted his feeding schedule and started him on a medication called diazoxide, which helped stabilize his blood sugar. By the time he was 3 years old, he was mostly seizure-free and doing well, although he still had occasional seizures after exercise.
People also search for: Shiba Inu seizures treatment · low blood sugar in dogs · congenital hyperinsulinism in dogs
Abstract
A 3-month-old male intact Shiba Inu dog was evaluated for a seizure disorder initially deemed idiopathic in origin. Seizure frequency remained unchanged despite therapeutic serum phenobarbital concentration and use of levetiracetam. The dog was documented to be markedly hypoglycemic during a seizure episode on reevaluation at 6 months of age. Serum insulin concentrations during hypoglycemia were 41 U/μL (reference range, 10-29 U/μL). The dog was transitioned to 4 times per day feeding, diazoxide was started at 3.5 mg/kg PO q8h, and antiepileptic drugs were discontinued. No clinically relevant abnormalities were identified on bicavitary arterial and venous phase contrast computed tomographic imaging. The dog remained seizure-free and clinically normal at 3 years of age while receiving 5.5 mg/kg diazoxide PO q12h and twice daily feeding. Seizures later occurred approximately twice per year and after exertion, with or without vomiting of a diazoxide dose. Blood glucose curves and interstitial glucose monitoring were used to titrate diazoxide dose and dosing interval. Congenital hyperinsulinism is well recognized in people but has not been reported in veterinary medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32592436/