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Review
. 2015 Sep;35(3):521-34.
doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2015.05.003.

Diagnosis of Small Intestinal Disorders in Dogs and Cats

Karin Allenspach  1
Affiliations
Review

Diagnosis of Small Intestinal Disorders in Dogs and Cats

Karin Allenspach. Clin Lab Med. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Laboratory tests are an important part of the workup of small intestinal diseases in dogs and cats. Especially in chronic cases, when extragastrointestinal causes need to be ruled out, it is important to adhere to a systematic workup. This article details the newest available data on tests to aid this diagnostic process. Once the diagnosis of a chronic enteropathy is made, there are many laboratory tests that can help in monitoring the disease and providing prognostic information. Several new tests being evaluated for clinical usefulness are discussed.

Keywords: Chronic diarrhea; Diagnostic workup; Laboratory tests; Small intestine.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Diagnostic workup for dogs and cats presenting with signs of chronic small intestinal disease. CBC, complete blood cell count; Chem, serum biochemical profile; EPI, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; UA, urinalysis.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Absorption of cobalamin is a complex process involving several steps. Cobalamin is released from food protein in the stomach (A) and immediately bound to R-binder proteins (B). In the proximal small intestine, the cobalamin-R-binder complex is cleaved after digestion of the R-binder by pancreatic proteases (C). Free cobalamin can now bind to intrinsic factor (IF) (D), the majority of which is secreted by the pancreas in cats and dogs. This cobalamin-IF complex is subsequently absorbed by specialized receptors in the ileum (E).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Immunofluorescence for CD11c on intestinal biopsies from (A) a healthy dog and (B) a dog with IBD. CD11c expression in the intestinal mucosa is more abundant in healthy dogs than in dogs with IBD (original magnification ×100).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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