title: Oral Cobalamin Supplementation in Dogs with Chronic Enteropathies and Hypocobalaminemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cobalamin deficiency is commonly associated with chronic enteropathies (CE) in dogs and current treatment protocols recommend parenteral supplementation. In humans, several studies have reported equal efficacy of oral and parenteral cobalamin administration of cobalamin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively evaluate whether oral cobalamin supplementation can restore normocobalaminemia in dogs with CE and hypocobalaminemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one client-owned dogs with various signs of CE and hypocobalaminemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study based on a computerized database search for dogs treated at Evidensia Specialist Animal Hospital, Helsingborg, Sweden during January 2012-March 2014. Inclusion criteria were dogs with signs of CE, an initial serum cobalamin ≤270 ng/L (reference interval: 234-811 ng/L) and oral treatment with cobalamin tablets. Serum cobalamin for follow-up was analyzed 20-202 days after continuous oral cobalamin supplementation started.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All dogs became normocobalaminemic with oral cobalamin supplementation. The mean increase in serum cobalamin concentration after treatment was 794 ± 462 ng/L. Serum cobalamin concentrations were significantly higher after supplementation (mean 1017 ± 460 ng/L; P < .0001) than at baseline (mean 223 ± 33 ng/L).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that oral cobalamin supplementation is effective in normalizing serum cobalamin concentrations in dogs with CE. Prospective studies comparing cellular cobalamin status in dogs being treated with parenteral versus oral cobalamin supplementation are warranted before oral supplementation can be recommended for routine supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.|Evidensia Specialist Animal Hospital, Helsingborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toresson
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suchodolski
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spillmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Oral supplementation; Vitamin B12