Laboratory profile of malnutrition in hospitalized dogs

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2021v42n6p3273

Keywords:

Nutritional assessment, Malnutrition, Iron metabolism, Transferrin.

Abstract

Malnutrition occurs when the supply of available nutrients is less than organic demand. It is an underdiagnosed problem in veterinary medicine and can result in several negative metabolic consequences, with greater morbidity and mortality. Currently, the classification of nutritional status (NS) is performed subjectively in veterinary medicine, so studies and discoveries about laboratory markers (objectives) of malnutrition are desirable. This study evaluated the correlations between several laboratory variables (practical and low-cost measurements) and the nutritional status (NS) of 246 dogs from a veterinary school hospital in southern Brazil. In this way, the laboratory profile of malnutrition in this population is evident. NS was classified by body condition score (BCS) and muscle mass score (MMS). A patient was considered to be malnourished if the BCS was less than 3 (values from 1 to 9). The laboratory variables analyzed were hemogram, cholesterol, total protein (TP), albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), CRP/albumin ratio, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin (TF), transferrin saturation index (TSI), and transthyretin. The means and standard deviations of the variables, correlation analyses, and comparative analyses (Kruskal-Wallis in alfa = 5%) were calculated. This research aimed to identify objective and practical malnutrition markers that help in the elaboration of a protocol for nutritional evaluation in diseased dogs. Low values of TF, TIBC, TP, hemogram, and TSI elevation were indicative of malnutrition. Additionally, cholesterol and albuminemia are not good markers of malnutrition in dogs with systemic diseases. For the graduation of the inflammatory state (important to differentiate inflammatory hypoproteinemia from protein malnutrition), it is more reliable to measure the CRP/albumin ratio. Canine transthyretin cannot be measured with reagents designed for humans, such as those used in this study. It was possible to conclude that laboratory indicators of malnutrition in sick dogs include low values of TF, TIBC, and TP, anemia, and elevations of TSI. The joint changes in these markers gradually reinforced the diagnosis.

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Author Biographies

Andrei Kelliton Fabretti, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul

Prof. Dr., Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

Raquel Carolina Simões Siqueira, Veterinária

Veterinary, Londrina, PR, Brazil.

Higo Forlan Amaral, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Prof. Dr., Universidade Estadual de Maringá, UEM, Maringá, PR, Brazil.

Lucas Alécio Gomes, Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Prof. Dr., Department of Veterinary Clinics, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, UEL, PR, Brazil.

Danielle Venturini, Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Profa Dra, Department of Pathology, Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, UEL, PR, Brazil.

Patrícia Mendes Pereira, Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Profa Dra, Department of Veterinary Clinics, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, UEL, PR, Brazil.

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2021-08-12

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Fabretti, A. K., Siqueira, R. C. S., Amaral, H. F., Gomes, L. A., Venturini, D., & Pereira, P. M. (2021). Laboratory profile of malnutrition in hospitalized dogs. Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 42(6), 3273–3288. https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2021v42n6p3273

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