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Multicenter Study
. 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):145-151.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.16966. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

Use of octreotide for the treatment of protein-losing enteropathy in dogs: Retrospective study of 18 cases

Sara A Jablonski  1 , Allison S W Mazepa  2 , M Katherine Tolbert  3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Use of octreotide for the treatment of protein-losing enteropathy in dogs: Retrospective study of 18 cases

Sara A Jablonski et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Background: More than 50% of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) fail to respond to standard therapies. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, is used in cases of intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) in humans with some success.

Objectives: Describe the use of octreotide in dogs with PLE including reason for and details of prescription, adverse effects, and apparent response.

Animals: Eighteen dogs with PLE, 13 with histopathology available. Ninety-two percent (12/13) had IL diagnosed on biopsy. All 13 dogs had intestinal inflammatory infiltrates noted.

Methods: Multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study. Cases were volunteered for inclusion by individual attending veterinarians who reported the use of octreotide in cases of PLE.

Results: In 16/18 (89%) cases octreotide was prescribed to PLE dogs with a clinical suspicion or confirmed diagnosis of IL that were refractory to standard therapies. Median serum albumin at the time of octreotide prescription was 1.7 g/dL (range, 1.0-3.1 g/dL). The median dose of octreotide prescribed was 20 μg/kg, SQ, daily with a range of 4-39 μg/kg, SQ, daily. Adverse effects were noted in 3/18 (17%, 95% CI [4%, 41%]) of dogs; discontinuation of the drug was necessary in 1 dog. Improvement in clinical signs was noted in 6/12 (50%, 95% CI [21%, 79%]).

Conclusions and clinical importance: Octreotide was most commonly prescribed to dogs with PLE and suspected or confirmed IL that had failed to respond to standard therapies. Though a benefit to PLE dogs cannot be confirmed, octreotide was well tolerated by the majority of dogs at the doses prescribed in this study.

Keywords: canine; octreotide; protein-losing enteropathy; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Repeated measures plot showing serum albumin concentration between T1 and T2 in 12 dogs with PLE treated with octreotide acetate. T1, octreotide initiated, no other changes to therapy. T2, first re‐evaluation after octreotide initiated (median 21 days, range 8‐38 days).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Repeated measures plot showing serum cholesterol concentration between T1 and T2 in 12 dogs with PLE treated with octreotide acetate. T1, octreotide initiated, no other changes to therapy. T2, first re‐evaluation after octreotide initiated (median 21 days, range 8‐38 days).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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