Serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or other acute enteropathies

Abstract

Abstract Background Low serum cobalamin concentrations have been associated with ileal malabsorption in dogs with chronic enteropathy. Increased serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations indicate cobalamin deficiency on a cellular level. Few studies have evaluated serum cobalamin concentrations or methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or nonparvoviral acute enteropathies. Objectives Evaluate serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid concentrations in juvenile dogs (6 weeks to 10 months old) with parvoviral enteritis or nonparvoviral acute enteropathy. Animals Thirty‐one juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis, 29 dogs with nonparvoviral acute diarrhea (NPVAD), and 40 healthy juvenile control dogs. Methods Single‐center, prospective, observational, cross‐sectional study. Serum cobalamin and, when sufficient serum was available, MMA concentrations were measured. Results Most serum cobalamin concentrations were within the adult reference interval. Serum cobalamin concentrations in healthy dogs (median, 848 ng/L; range, 293‐1912 ng/L) were significantly higher than in dogs with parvoviral enteritis (P = .0002; median, 463 ng/L; range, <150‐10 000 ng/L) or dogs with NPVAD (P = .02; median, 528 ng/L; range, 160‐8998 ng/L). Serum MMA concentrations were not significantly different between groups (healthy dogs: median, 796 nmol/L; range, 427‐1933 nmol/L; parvoviral enteritis: median, 858 nmol/L; range, 554‐3424 nmol/L; NPVAD: median, 764 nmol/L; range, 392‐1222 nmol/L; P = .1). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Juvenile dogs with parvoviral enteritis or NPVAD had lower serum cobalamin concentrations than healthy juvenile dogs. However, based on serum MMA concentrations cellular cobalamin deficiency was not apparent.

Keywords

• acute enteropathy
• canine parvovirus
• cobalamin deficiency
• diarrhea
• juvenile