Concurrent disorders in dogs with diabetes mellitus: 221 cases (1993-1998)

Objective-To characterize concurrent disorders in dogs with diabetes mellit us (DM). Design-Retrospective study. Animals-221 dogs with DM. Procedure-Medical records were reviewed, and clinical signs, physical exami nation findings, and results of clinicopathologic testing, urinalysis, aero bic bacterial culture of urine samples, coagulation testing, endocrine test ing, histologic evaluation, diagnostic imaging, and necropsy were recorded. Results-For most dogs, CBC results were normal. Common serum biochemical ab normalities included hypochloremia (127 dogs, 60%) and high alanine aminotr ansferase (163, 78%), aspartate aminotransferase (78, 71%), and alkaline ph osphatase (188, 90%) activities. Venous pH and serum ionized calcium concen tration were measured in 121 and 87 dogs, respectively, and were low in 56 (46%) and 41 (47%) dogs. Lipemia was observed in 92 (42%) dogs. Urine sampl es from 159 (72%) dogs were submitted for aerobic bacterial culture, and 34 (21%) yielded bacterial growth. Escherichia coli was the most commonly iso lated organism. Thirty-six (16%) dogs had dermatitis or otitis. Hyperadreno corticism was diagnosed in 51 (23%) dogs on the basis of clinical signs and results of a law-dose dexamethasone suppression test (41 dogs), an adrenoc orticotropic hormone stimulation test (5), both tests (4), or histologic ev aluation of necropsy specimens (1). Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in 28 (13%) dogs. Eleven (5%) dogs had tumors for which a histologic diagnosis wa s obtained. Eight (4%) dogs were hypothyroid. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that dogs with diabetes mellitus may have many concurrent disorders. The most commonly identified c oncurrent disorders included hyperadrenocorticism, urinary tract infection, dermatitis, otitis, acute pancreatitis, neoplasia, and hypothyroidism.