title: The clinical efficacy of dietary fat restriction in treatment of dogs with intestinal lymphangiectasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL), a type of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), is a dilatation of lymphatic vessels within the gastrointestinal tract. Dietary fat restriction previously has been proposed as an effective treatment for dogs with PLE, but limited objective clinical data are available on the efficacy of this treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical efficacy of dietary fat restriction in dogs with IL that were unresponsive to prednisolone treatment or showed relapse of clinical signs and hypoalbuminemia when the prednisolone dosage was decreased.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four dogs with IL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study. Body weight, clinical activity score, and hematologic and biochemical variables were compared before and 1 and 2 months after treatment. Furthermore, the data were compared between the group fed only an ultra low-fat (ULF) diet and the group fed ULF and a low-fat (LF) diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen of 24 (79%) dogs responded satisfactorily to dietary fat restriction, and the prednisolone dosage could be decreased. Clinical activity score was significantly decreased after dietary treatment compared with before treatment. In addition, albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration were significantly increased after dietary fat restriction. At 2 months posttreatment, the ALB concentrations in the ULF group were significantly higher than that of the ULF + LF group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary fat restriction appears to be an effective treatment in dogs with IL that are unresponsive to prednisolone treatment or that have recurrent clinical signs and hypoalbuminemia when the dosage of prednisolone is decreased.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comprehensive Veterinary Clinical Studies, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okanishi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kagawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D034141:Hypoalbuminemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008201:Lymphangiectasis, Intestinal / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D011239:Prednisolone
keywords: Canine; Inflammatory bowel disease; Protein-losing enteropathy