Acid-base and hormonal abnormalities in dogs with naturally occurring diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To examine acid-base and hormonal abnormalities in dogs with diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
48 dogs with diabetes mellitus and 17 healthy dogs.


METHODS
Blood was collected and serum ketone, glucose, lactate, electrolytes, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, nonesterified fatty acid, and triglyceride concentrations were measured. Indicators of acid-base status were calculated and compared between groups.


RESULTS
Serum ketone and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in diabetic than in healthy dogs, but there was no difference in venous blood pH or base excess between groups. Anion gap and strong ion difference were significantly higher and strong ion gap and serum bicarbonate concentration were significantly lower in the diabetic dogs. There were significant linear relationships between measures of acid-base status and serum ketone concentration, but not between measures of acid-base status and serum lactate concentration. Serum insulin concentration did not differ significantly between groups, but diabetic dogs had a wider range of values. All diabetic dogs with a serum ketone concentration > 1,000 micromol/L had a serum insulin concentration < 5 microU/mL. There were strong relationships between serum ketone concentration and serum glucagon-insulin ratio, serum cortisol concentration, and plasma norepinephrine concentration. Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration, expressed as a percentage of serum ketone concentration, decreased as serum ketone concentration increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggested that ketosis in diabetic dogs was related to the glucagon-insulin ratio with only low concentrations of insulin required to prevent ketosis. Acidosis in ketotic dogs was attributable largely to high serum ketone concentrations.
Durocher
Lawren L
LL
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Hinchcliff
Kenneth W
KW
DiBartola
Stephen P
SP
Johnson
Susan E
SE
D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007659:Ketones / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D007659:Ketones