Canine Hypoadrenocorticism: A Bibliographic Review

Canine hypoadrenocorticism may be characterized by insufficiency of adrenocortical hormonal secretion of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. Clinical signs are nonspecific such as dehydration, hypovolemic shock, bradycardia, hypotension, emesis, diarrhea, among other clinical and laboratory changes, and can mimic other diseases, and because of this, the disease can go unnoticed by the veterinarian, increasing the mortality and morbidity of patients seen in emergency consultations. Despite being of low occurrence, hypoadrenocorticism is often underdiagnosed, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis in the presence of gastrointestinal clinical signs or hypovolemic shock, and low Sodium:Potassium ratio. The definitive diagnosis is based on the dosage of cortisol before and after the application of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone. Acute treatment consists of patient stabilization, and chronic includes replacement of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. Prognosis is usually favorable if the diagnosis is early and the correct treatment is performed. This article is a review focusing on clinical signs, laboratory findings, diagnosis and treatment on canine hypoadrenocorticism, to increase the knowledge about the disease to veterinarians.

Metabolic Parameters in Obese Dogs Undergoing to the Diet with Calorie Restriction

Currently, canine obesity is a worldwide problem and is based on the excessive deposit of fat tissue, which plays an important role as a store of energy and endocrine organ. This study aimed to compare the values of systolic blood pressure, serum chemistry profile and glucose metabolism in eight obese dogs without endocrine diseases before and after 16 weeks of a weight loss program. A statistical difference was noticed in the serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, glucose, cholesterol and insulin, before and after the program. Besides, there was a statistical difference between the moments in systolic blood pressure, body weight and body condition scale. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of a diet rich in fiber and protein is suitable for performing weight loss and obese dogs undergoing a weight loss program presented a significant reduction in blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin, blood cholesterol, serum activity of alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase.

Gastric Leiomyosarcoma Associated with Hypoglycemia in Dog—A Case Report

Neoplasms of the digestive system are uncommon in dogs, and may be of epithelial, neuroendocrine, hematopoietic and mesenchymal origin. The leiomyosarcoma is a tumor of mesenchymal origin of smooth, malignant, slow-growing muscles. Paraneoplastic syndromes can affect different systems, being the most commonly found: hypercalcemia, hypoglycemia, cachexia and anemia. There are rare cases of mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract in dogs that result in hypoglycaemia with clinical signs. The objective of this study is to report a case of gastric leiomyosarcoma associated with clinical hypoglycemia. The patient had neurological signs such as ataxia and seizures associated with hypoglycemia, which did not recur after surgical excision of the tumor. The definitive diagnosis was based on the histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of the tumor.