A. Loste et Mc. Marca, DIABETES-MELLITUS IN DOGS - A STUDY OF THE CRITICAL DIFFERENCE FOR CANINE SERUM FRUCTOSAMINE, Veterinary record, 142(20), 1998, pp. 547-548
The purpose of this study was to calculate the critical difference bet
ween two analytical measurements of serum fructosamine concentration i
n dogs. The critical difference can be used to judge whether the diffe
rence between two consecutive analytical results from the same animal
is duc to natural variation. Blood samples from 15 apparently clinical
ly healthy beagle dogs were collected once a week for six consecutive
weeks. The serum fructosamine concentration was measured by the reduct
ion test with nitroblue tetrazolium and the critical difference was ca
lculated from the component of variance for weeks within dogs (sigma(s
)(2)) and the residual variance (sigma(e)(2)). The critical difference
between two consecutive analytical results was 33.5 mu mol/litre.